Is It Possible to Get Charged For Driving Slow?
Driving Too Slowly Can Create a Dangerous Hazard to Others Traveling at Normal Speed; Accordingly, Driving Too Slow May Result In a Traffic Ticket.
Understanding the Charge of Driving Too Slowly Including the Applicable Penalties
It may be quite surprising; however, it is true that driving too slowly may be unlawful. Additionally, driving too slowly can present as a dangerous safety hazard and indeed there are examples of where an unexpected and unusually slow vehicle caused a tragic accident. Driving too slowly can be similarly as dangerous as driving at excessive speed. Of course, safe and cautious driving is always strongly encouraged; however, unnecessarily slow driving, and becoming an obstacle to other traffic, or possibly frustrating other drivers so severely as to trigger erratic conduct, can pose significant danger.
Note: Please contact DK Legal Practice by phone at: (416) 906-6663 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.
The Law
Driving too slowly may be an offence contrary to the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 which states:
132 (1) No motor vehicle shall be driven on a highway at such a slow rate of speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic thereon except when the slow rate of speed is necessary for safe operation having regard to all the circumstances.
In an Interesting civil law case, section 132 of the Highway Traffic Act was referenced as, among other things, an unlawful means element within Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association v. Boak, 2022 ONSC 1001, alleging tortious inference in economic relations relating to rolling roadblocks or blockades upon the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.
Summary Comment
Similar to driving too fast, driving too slowly can also pose risks to others using the roadway whereas when traffic moving at a normal speed comes upon a vehicle travelling unexpectedly slow and dangerous situation exists. While a charge of driving too slowly is likely uncommon, the law provides for the possibility of such a charge.
NOTE: A significant quantity of inquiries related to “lawyers in my vicinity” or “top lawyer in” commonly indicate a desire for prompt and proficient legal assistance rather than a particular designation. In Ontario, licensed paralegals are governed by the same Law Society that regulates lawyers and are permitted to represent clients in specified litigation matters. Skills in advocacy, legal reasoning, and procedural expertise are fundamental to this function. DK Legal Practice provides legal representation within its licensed parameters, focusing on strategic positioning, evidential groundwork, and persuasive advocacy aimed at securing efficient and advantageous outcomes for clients.
