Georgia Officers Issue 270 Tickets Under ‘Slow Poke’ Law

The Georgia State Patrol says officers have written about 270 tickets under a law that makes it illegal to block faster drivers in the left-hand lane.

The state’s so-called “slow poke” law took effect in July 2014. WSB-TV reports officers have issued 269 citations since then, mostly in the Atlanta area.

The law says a driver has to move out of the far left lane if approached from behind by a faster-moving vehicle. The law applies even if the other vehicle is speeding.

State patrol Capt. Mark Perry says most violations are on two- or three-lane interstates just outside of Atlanta. He says I-285 also is a common location for violations.

The law is meant to cut back on dangerous, aggressive driving and road-rage incidents.