Put Some Lead in Your Foot

Outside of a monster truck rally or a Nascar race, there are few driving-related experiences that are louder than a drive with my father and I in the same car. If I am driving, the conversations (read: loud, unruly arguments) typically go something like this:

Dad: Slow down or you'll get a ticket.
Me: So what?
Dad: You're following too close. If you rear-end somebody it's automatically your fault.
Me: False.
Dad: I'm just trying to tell you something and give you some advice!
Me: Do you want to drive?!

If he's driving, the conversation normally goes something like this:

Me: You really need to go faster.
Cars whiz past in both the lanes on the left and right of our car on the Interstate.
Dad (to me gruffly): I'm fine.
Horns honk at us.
Dad (to horn honker): Fool.
Horns honk louder at us and middle fingers fly. My eye twitches incessantly in annoyance.
Dad (to finger flippers): Dumb a**es.
Me: You really need to speed up. At least go the speed limit.
Dad (to me): Do you want to drive?!

Safe driving is important. It's important to your driving history, your criminal record, and your insurance premiums. If you're an unsafe driver (such as a chronic speeder or a chronic tailgater) then it could cost you quite a bit of money in legal fees, attorney fees, and insurance rate increases.

To most people, safe driving begins with going the speed limit. Some very clever and literate people realize that the speed limit is just that, a limit. It's the maximum speed that you are allowed to go in a given area. As such, they often drive underneath the speed limit. This often occurs on Spring Forest Road in Raleigh at about, oh, say 7:45ish in the morning while I'm headed to work and causes me much angst.

What a lot of people do not realize, however, is that there is also a speed minimum in North Carolina. No person should drive their car at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic (this means you, Dad). Additionally, if there are signs posting a minimum speed, then you shall not drive below that just as you should not drive above the posted speed limit.

Speed is a big deal with driving. You are operating a piece of machinery weighing several tons at a high rate of speed. As a result, if you drive your vehicle in an unsafe manner, then you could potentially cause personal injury to yourself or others. So, you should always ensure that you are operating your vehicle at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the circumstances. If you are unsure as to what that is, then use the flow of traffic and the speed limit as your guide.

Disclaimer: The views of the author are his own. This post is not intended to convey any specific legal advice upon any individual. As with all posts on this blog, parts of this entry were intended more for entertainment value than informative value. If one should have specific questions regarding the motor vehicle laws for their specific situation, then they should consult a qualified attorney. For the record, the author's father is a (fairly) good driver with a spotless driving record. The author asserts his Fifth Amendment privilege with regard to his driving habits and objects to further inquiry herein as it is irrelevant, overly broad, unduly burdensome, and a bunch of other legal junk that would preclude his having to provide specific details. The author apologizes to weekday motorists on Spring Forest Road, including but not limited to his trusty assistant, Pete, who also commutes that way, and may have fallen victim to the author's road rage in the form of cussing, tailgating, horn honking, etc., often while the author was not properly caffienated.