# Why do old people drive so slow? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448 "2002-05-11T05:49:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/41 "2015-10-09T13:12:35Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > First of all, taking 13 years to join a thread is what I’d call slow. > > But secondly, I agree with **don’t ask**. I don’t see how it could be dangerous for someone to drive slowly. An inconvenience / annoyance maybe. But either it’s safe to overtake or it isn’t. My landlady would drive at 15mph on 55mph roads. She also innnnnnnchhhhhhed slowly through crossings, felt her way through traffic lights and generally scared the bejesus out of me even before I learned that the reason for her driving was that she was completely blind in the right eye and almost in the left. That cataracts operation did wonders for her electric bill, her driving, and the nerves of anybody who was around when she drove. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/42 "2015-10-09T13:33:21Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > But secondly, I agree with **don’t ask**. I don’t see how it could be dangerous for someone to drive slowly. An inconvenience / annoyance maybe. But either it’s safe to overtake or it isn’t. Based on my own observation, rather than a specific cite, a vehicle moving at a drastically different speed (faster or slower) than the rest of traffic can pose a significant danger. Drivers looking to make lane changes or other maneuvers generally have a very short period of time to look all around them to make sure their path is clear without taking their eyes off traffic directly in front of them for too long. Someone behind them moving relatively very fast or someone in front of them moving relatively very slow is probably not going to be in the area the driver is visually sweeping for safety. So the maneuver they think is a safe one may not be. ---
**Author:** ![svd678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@svd678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svd678)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/43 "2015-10-09T15:21:51Z")
One factor not mentioned: the old lady poking along - its entirely possible that for 40 years her husband did 95% of the driving, but she buried him last year, and now must drive herself - and she is still getting used to it. A newbie driver at 75? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/44 "2015-10-09T15:33:25Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Based on my own observation, rather than a specific cite, a vehicle moving at a drastically different speed (faster or slower) than the rest of traffic can pose a significant danger. Drivers looking to make lane changes or other maneuvers generally have a very short period of time to look all around them to make sure their path is clear without taking their eyes off traffic directly in front of them for too long. Someone behind them moving relatively very fast or someone in front of them moving relatively very slow is probably not going to be in the area the driver is visually sweeping for safety. So the maneuver they think is a safe one may not be. And I think this is exactly why some interstate highways in the US have posted minimum speed limits, and driving below that limit can get you a ticket. It is a hazard. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/45 "2015-10-09T15:45:07Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > And I think this is exactly why some interstate highways in the US have posted minimum speed limits, and driving below that limit can get you a ticket. It is a hazard. That doesn’t prove it’s a hazard; perhaps those roads have high traffic density and can’t afford to essentially have one lane blocked by a slow-moving car. But, I concede the point. I was just trying to argue against impatient drivers claiming that driving too slow is _inherently_ dangerous. I didn’t mean to generalize that it’s _never_ dangerous…I’m sure it can be. ---
**Author:** ![andy007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@andy007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy007)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/46 "2015-10-09T16:27:17Z")
I know the thread is old, I’ve only just found this site, never knew about it, thought I’d wake up some views ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/47 "2015-10-09T16:38:32Z")
Count me as an OLD driver (8th decade) and I tell you that if a freeway has a 60 mph limit, I get real nervous if somebody in front of me is chugging along in the fast lane at only 65. Our freeways are designed for 70, and are perfectly safe at that speed (baring, of course, fog, rain, and so forth). Luckily our cops here seem to understand this, and always seem to allow a speed 10 mph over the limit. Just the other day I blew past a radar gun doing precisely 70 without generating any action from the LEO running the radar. Last year I heard a State patrolman on TV who stated that in the previous year the State of Washington had issued over 10,000 tickets to slowpokes who insisted in holding up traffic in the fast lane by “failure to yield”, whatever their speed. Made me feel good all over. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/48 "2015-10-09T16:58:02Z")
I generally try to drive at the posted speed limit. If there are three lanes in my direction, I prefer the middle one so as not to have to deal with the on-ramp traffic. If only two, then I stick to the right hand lane, although I don’t like it. Why do I drive this slow? Well, I have never had a speeding ticket, I prefer to save gas, it just seems safer, some cop might need to fill his ticket quota (or fill the local government coffers). And if you don’t like, too bad. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/49 "2015-10-09T17:04:14Z")
13-year-old zombie thread. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/50 "2015-10-09T17:11:01Z")
Let’s move this over to IMHO. Note that this thread was started in 2002. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/51 "2015-10-09T17:16:00Z")
I am sure I drove faster when this thread was new. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/52 "2015-10-09T18:24:00Z")
Couple observations from someone teetering on the edge of 60: 1 - My peripheral vision is not what it used to be. Not severe impairment or anything, but the field of vision has narrowed a bit. I’m aware of it and probaby compensate a bit for that. 2 - When I was young I was always in a rush to get somewhere - work, kids to school/lessons, etc. Now I’m the one everyone else has to wait for to get the meeting started. No one is around who watches what time I show up at work. I’m the boss of me in that regard. And of course the kids are driving themselves around now. So seriously, why rush? Finally, in the succinct words of my grandmother when asked the same question as the OP poses…“Yard sales”. ---
**Author:** ![yawuntz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@yawuntz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawuntz)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/53 "2015-10-10T02:44:35Z")
Agreed re eyesight and reflexes. Also, old people have seen more accidents and collected more speeding tickets. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/54 "2015-10-10T03:57:06Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Count me as an OLD driver (8th decade) and I tell you that if a freeway has a 60 mph limit, I get real nervous if somebody in front of me is chugging along in the fast lane at only 65. Our freeways are designed for 70, and are perfectly safe at that speed (baring, of course, fog, rain, and so forth). Luckily our cops here seem to understand this, and always seem to allow a speed 10 mph over the limit. Just the other day I blew past a radar gun doing precisely 70 without generating any action from the LEO running the radar. > > Last year I heard a State patrolman on TV who stated that in the previous year the State of Washington had issued over 10,000 tickets to slowpokes who insisted in holding up traffic in the fast lane by “failure to yield”, whatever their speed. Made me feel good all over. Good luck with that in Australia, where the majority of speeding tickets are issued for people doing 5-10 _kmh_ over the speed limit. I’ve always driven a few kmh under the limit (on a freeway with a 100kmh limit, I’ll be doing 95 in the left hand lane. I started my driving career on a motorbike, and was phenomenally wary of what the idiots two or three cars ahead were doing or were thinking of doing. Since being in cars, I’ve adopted the same defensive approach, especially since the cars I’ve owned have always been older cars. That’s not to say they’ve been unsafe…they’ve always had full maintenance and safety checks, but I’ve always believed that NO car is guaranteed to stop suddenly and safely. IMHO…all the modern features on newer cars lull many into a false sense of security, especially the new drivers! ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/55 "2015-10-10T05:15:36Z")
> [@hari seldon](#): > > i generally try to drive at the posted speed limit. If there are three lanes in my direction, i prefer the middle one so as not to have to deal with the on-ramp traffic. KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS. This means you. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/56 "2015-10-10T14:48:38Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS. > > This means you. I notice you didn’t include the next sentence: > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > If only two, then I stick to the right hand lane, although I don’t like it. No cite (the legal details are location-dependent), but I believe it’s perfectly acceptable to stay in the middle lane of three, when many cars are entering and exiting from the rightmost lane. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/57 "2015-10-10T14:48:59Z")
> [@yawuntz](#): > > Agreed re eyesight and reflexes. Also, old people have seen more accidents and collected more speeding tickets. Yup. And tying into that, old people also know of general society’s thinking that older drivers are dangers who ought to be off the road. Meaning they DON’T want to call attention to themselves, by getting a speeding ticket especially. Why give anyone a reason to look seriously at taking away your license? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/58 "2015-10-10T16:46:58Z")
> [@andrewm](#): > > KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS. > > This means you. Excellent advice for the tiny minority of traffic that happens on roads with two lanes per direction where one lane is sufficient to hold all the cars. For the other 98% of USA road traffic it’s a humorous anachronism that’s rightfully ignored, if not explicitly made inapplicable by the rest of the statute you neglected to quote. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/59 "2015-10-10T17:09:35Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Excellent advice for the tiny minority of traffic that happens on roads with two lanes per direction where one lane is sufficient to hold all the cars. > > For the other 98% of USA road traffic it’s a humorous anachronism that’s rightfully ignored, if not explicitly made inapplicable by the rest of the statute you neglected to quote. “Tiny minority”? I’m guessing you haven’t done much driving in the Midwest. This is enough of an issue that I remember it coming up several times in past threads. The laws vary from state to state, as you can see on [this list of state “keep right” laws](http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html) or [this map](http://jalopnik.com/5501615/left-lane-passing-laws-a-state-by-state-map). (I also happened to find an article from earlier this year claiming that “[More States Fine Drivers Who Dawdle in the Left Lane](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/pay-slowpokes-more-states-fine-drivers-who-dawdle-left-lane-n373616).”) And yes, as you note, there are plenty of circumstances in which the rule to “keep right” is explicitly inapplicable. Here, for example, is Illinois’s law. > [@](#): > > (d) Upon an Interstate highway or fully access controlled freeway, a vehicle may not be driven in the left lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle. > (e) Subsection (d) of this Section does not apply: > (1) when no other vehicle is directly behind the vehicle in the left lane; > (2) when traffic conditions and congestion make it impractical to drive in the right lane; > (3) when snow and other inclement weather conditions make it necessary to drive in the left lane; > (4) when obstructions or hazards exist in the right lane; > (5) when a vehicle changes lanes to comply with Sections 11-907 and 11-908 of this Code; > (6) when, because of highway design, a vehicle must be driven in the left lane when preparing to exit; > (7) on toll highways when necessary to use I-Pass, and on toll and other highways when driving in the left lane is required to comply with an official traffic control device; or > (8) to law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles engaged in official duties and vehicles engaged in highway maintenance and construction operations. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448/60 "2015-10-10T17:37:55Z")
[QUOTE=Daylate] Last year I heard a State patrolman on TV who stated that in the previous year the State of Washington had issued over 10,000 tickets to slowpokes who insisted in holding up traffic in the fast lane by “failure to yield”, whatever their speed. [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen anyone pulled over for this reason. I _have_ seen many drivers stopped for racing up the passing lane like a bat out of hell, including some who were tailgating and endangering drivers in front of them who were passing at a sane rate of speed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-old-people-drive-so-slow/108448.md?page=4)