Indiana officer’s post goes viral showing car pulled over for driving too slowly in left lane

(WSVN) - All drivers know they can be pulled over for driving too fast, but not everyone knows they can also be stopped for going too slowly.

An Indiana State Police officer’s post is going viral showing him pulling over a vehicle for a left lane violation, which caused a major backup on the highway.

“I stopped this vehicle today for a left lane violation on I-65,” Sgt. Stephen Wheeles wrote. “The driver had approximately 20 cars slowed behind her because she would not move back to the right lane.”

One user tweeted Sgt. Wheeles to ask if the rule applies to drivers obeying the speed limit in the left lane.

“The spirit of the law is that since many people drive well above the speed limit, it creates an ‘accordion effect’ as traffic starts backing up behind the slower vehicle. This is where many of our crashes occur on the interstates. It’s all in the name of safety,” Wheeles replied.

Wheeles pointed out that drivers must move to the right if vehicles are behind them to allow others to pass.

While statutes vary by state, Florida’s version of the law passed in 2014 makes it mandatory for drivers to move over in order to let faster drivers get by. Drivers found driving too slow in the left lane and causing a traffic back-up can be ticketed and fined, the law says.

“A driver may not continue to operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane if the driver knows or reasonably should know that he or she is being overtaken in that lane from the rear by a motor vehicle traveling at a higher rate of speed,” the Florida statute reads.

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