Pop quiz: Which is more dangerous, driving 10 km/h under the speed limit, or 10 km/h over the speed limit? Believe it or not, going slower than the speed limit on a 2-lane highway is far more dangerous. At 10 km/h under the posted limit, you are creating a very serious and potentially deadly driving situation. Let’s say you’re cruising along at 80 km/h on a highway with a 90 km/h speed limit. In no time at all, you will have a long line of traffic behind you, all wanting to pass. The longer the line gets, the more impatient some drivers will become, and someone will eventually take a chance and overtake traffic to try and get to the front of the line so they can get back to whatever speed they want to drive at. With luck, all will go smoothly, but there’s a real risk that somewhere behind you there could be a horrific head-on collision. While you are not involved and would never face any kind of legal repercussions, you are somewhat responsible for the collision by creating the traffic backup.
If a police officer happens to be in the backup, they will likely use their lights and sirens to advance to the head of the line and pull you over to find out why you’re going so slow. It’s unlikely, but they could ticket you for going too slow and creating a traffic hazard.
Your best bet is to follow the flow of traffic, as you tend to “blend” into the scenery. Going faster or slower than everyone else, you stand out and will draw the attention of law enforcement.
