Should New York State Adopt a Highway 'Slow Poke' Law?

Are you like me and get upset when a driver in front of you is travelling at 10 or 15 miles under the speed limit? I have a problem with that, and it just triggers my road rage.

Now to be clear, I have probably mild road rage, meaning, I may yell inside my vehicle with the windows closed when I'm upset about something while driving, but I would never act stupidly on whatever the issue is.

Well, maybe New York State should think about a new law that has just gone into effect in South Carolina, According to ABC News 4, called the 'Slow Poke Law.' It means that if you are driving under the speed limit on roadways with two or more lanes in the same direction, you need to stay out of the left lane, or risk the chance of being pulled over. It's designed to keep the highways from become congested.

I've encountered this same scenario from time to time on the I-81, I-88 and Route 17 in the Binghamton area. While we don't traditionally have congestion on our highways like major cities do, it's still frustrating when you are in the passing lane and the vehicles in front of you are travelling well under the speed limit and driving lane traffic is going faster than you are.

What do you think? Should New York State consider a similar 'Slow Poke Law?' I like the idea and the name. And while we are on the subject of drivers who just make you mad, I've written in the past about drivers who feel the need to ride my tail even when I'm doing the speed limit or even 10 or 15 miles over the limit. That makes me mad.

If I'm on a freeway with four lanes or more, they will go around me, but I drive on a lot of two lane roads, especially in Pennsylvania, and I've encountered these speed demons many times.

But lately, something has changes as I navigate the rural roads in Pennsylvania. I'm noticing many drivers travelling well under the speed limit. It's a complete reverse of what I normally experience. Could it be because of the much larger gas prices in the state?

It's possible. As a matter of fact, I've noticed gas prices in Bradford County are close to 25 cents more per gallon that what I'm paying at the pump in New York State. All Pennsylvania counties currently have much higher prices than New York counties.