Speed limits are set out by the province in an effort to control the flow of traffic and prevent accidents due to excessive speeding, but what are the dangers of driving under the speed limit?

Speeding has been said to be a major factor in traffic collisions and has been reported as one of the leading causes of such within the province. However, when you reference traffic laws, the flow of traffic is also a concern when evaluating driving safety, of which can be impeded by those travelling under the posted speed limit.

This topic can be a conflicting one considering there are multiple variables to consider for each standpoint.

For instance when discussing driving under the speed limit, if the driver going slow does not feel comfortable or is not driving a mechanically sound vehicle, raising speeds to match the speed limit may in fact raise the likelihood of an accident due to driver or mechanical errors. On the flip-side, slow drivers can cause other drivers to abruptly brake, cause long lines of traffic behind them raising the potential of multiple vehicles following closely and potentially, prompt other drivers to overtake in an effort to reach appropriate highway speeds.

In a document prepared by the National Motorist Association, they state that, “When the majority of traffic is travelling at the same speed, traffic flow improves, and there are fewer accidents.” In this same document, it is referenced that a uniform pace of traffic allows for the safest driving conditions and that speed alone is rarely the sole factor in accidents, it is the difference in speed by drivers that is the main problem.

Tyler McMurchy, SGI media relations manager, and Constable Trevor Scott, from the Rosetown detachment, both stated that they would never advise drivers to go above the posted speed limit and both attribute speeding to more accidents than slow drivers. This makes sense when we are evaluating the correlation of driving speed and reaction time.

When a driver is travelling 100km/hr, that breaks down to 27 meters per second, according to Scott the average reaction time is one-and-a-half seconds, translated into distance, that is 41 meters to react and that distance increases to 50 meters to react if a driver is travelling 120km/hr. 41-50 meters can be a significant length depending on the situation when adjusting your driving for the conditions or surroundings.

When talking about distracted driving, these numbers help put the dangers in perspective even more and indicate that when a driver is travelling at higher speeds, the likelihood of accidents increase due to distance travelled and personal reaction times. However, what if a slow driver is what is needing to be reacted to, causing potentially unnecessary disruptions in traffic.

Albeit, being in a prairie province brings certain unavoidable circumstances where drivers will be faced with sometimes, significantly slower drivers. Circumstances that include farm machinery and semi’s hauling heavy loads who are unable to consistently travel the speed limit. These situations will most times, hold up the normal flow of traffic at normal highway speeds. However, the frequency of these variables is much higher in comparison and therefore has conditioned highway drivers to be aware when approaching such vehicles and to use caution and proceed when safe. In the case of a slow moving vehicle that is expected by others to be travelling the same speed, these vehicles may cause a more abrupt disruption in the flow of traffic.

Again, by all parties included, it is never advised to travel at speeds either higher than the posted speed limit, or speeds higher than the driver is comfortable with for either their skill level or vehicle quality. If reduced speeds are unavoidable, McMurchy and Scott said that there are steps slower drivers can take to alert other drivers on the road of their lower speed and reduce impeding the safe flow of traffic.


• Use the vehicles hazard lights if you are travelling at speeds quite a bit lower than the speed limit
• Be aware of vehicles approaching by checking your rear-view and side-mirrors; allow other drivers to pass you more safely by pulling over slightly, allowing the drivers behind you to more clearly see oncoming traffic, therefore creating a safer passing condition.
• If there are multiple vehicles behind you and you, Scott said it is never a bad idea to, when safe, pull off the road completely and allow the stream of traffic to pass.

Scott added that if a driver is going slower than the speed limit due to a lack of confidence driving at highway speeds, pulling over may be the best idea as it eliminates potential anxiety of having other drivers behind you.

Both McMurchy and Scott agreed with each others statements when they said, ‘the road is shared by everyone and patience and respect for other drivers can go a long way.’ They encouraged drivers to take a breath and do not tailgate someone who is driving slower, as this can cause further complications and added risks.

Whenever anyone sets out on the road, regardless of vehicle, conditions or experience, all occupants simply want to make it to their destination. With abiding by the traffic laws and respecting fellow drivers, we can ensure that everyone does so safely.