Georgia interstate slowpokes should feel the need for speed

In the immortal words of notorious rock star Sammy Hagar, “I can’t drive 55!” and for good reason, at least in Georgia.

The speed limit on the Peach State’s interstates vary, but it generally sits at 70 miles per hour outside of congested areas. However, many drivers rarely approach this speed, but driving far slower than the pace of traffic, like the 55 miles per hour that bedeviled Hagar, could be dangerous.

Despite that, the minimum speed limit on most Peach State interstates is set at a snail’s pace: 40 miles per hour. This policy is both antiquated and even hazardous, but this might change soon. There is already a bill filed to address this: House Bill 809 by Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta. A Capitol insider tells me the Georgia General Assembly may tackle this topic next year and not a moment too soon.

If passed, HB 809 would make a small—but meaningful—tweak. According to the bill language, “On any part of a highway in this state with a speed limit of 65 miles per hour or greater, the minimum speed limit for such highway shall be 50 miles per hour.” Simply put, the state would increase the minimum speed by 10 miles per hour in most cases, which would be the first major update to this policy in decades.

In 1953, the General Assembly passed legislation empowering the public safety commissioner, transportation commissioner or local authorities to set the minimum speed limit as they saw necessary. It isn’t clear how early policymakers made 40 miles per hour the norm as the minimum speed limit, but by the early 1970s, it was already well-established.

Then in 1974, the maximum speed limit on interstates was set to no more than 55, but the minimum speed remained the same. By 1987, states were authorized to increase the maximum speed limit to 65, but again, the minimum speed limit remained unchanged. Now the maximum speed limit is 70 miles per hour, but 40 is still the minimum.

According to comedian George Carlin, “Anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac,” and depending on your perspective, Georgia encourages drivers of both persuasions as the chasm between maximum and minimum speed limits continues to grow. This policy permits drivers to maintain a broad range of speeds simultaneously, which is problematic.

In 2023, there were over 370,000 auto accidents on Georgia’s roads and roughly 1,600 traffic fatalities. Of course, not all of these incidents and deaths were related to driving slowly. Distracted driving, driving under the influence and speeding are top culprits, and seatbelt disuse is a major contributing factor to drivers’ health outcomes associated with crashes. Georgia has addressed each of these in the code relatively recently, but not the minimum speed limit. They should.

According to one government manual, “If you drive slower than the minimum speed you can halt the traffic flow and create a dangerous condition […] Those driving too slowly can be as dangerous as those who drive too fast.” Rigorous research backs up this statement too.

“In a landmark study of speed and crashes involving 10,000 drivers on 600 miles (970 kilometers) of rural highways, Solomon […] found a relationship between vehicle speed and crash incidence that is illustrated by a U–shaped curve. Crash rates were lowest for travel speeds near the mean speed of traffic, and increased with greater deviations above and below the mean.” reads a Federal Department of Transportation report. In other words, driving faster and slower than the speed limit can be dangerous propositions.

Slow drivers—even when not involved in accidents—can also contribute to traffic congestion, which is an ongoing problem in Georgia. US News ranked Georgia’s capital as the country’s eighth worst city for traffic; Atlanta is home to three of the nation’s 10 worst traffic bottlenecks; and the metro area has the dubious honor of having nine of the country’s 100 worst bottlenecks. There are many variables contributing to these woes, and I imagine that exceptionally slow drivers are not helping the situation.

If Carson gets his way, the minimum speed limit might get its first major update in many decades, and if it does, then it may improve traffic and reduce auto accidents. Since it would set the minimum speed limit to 50 on most interstates, Sammy Hagar will be able to drive 55 (or faster if he wishes), which I imagine comes as a great relief to the rock star.