The Driving Habit That’s Now Driving Rochester Nuts

Speed demons on the road don’t really bug me; it’s the drivers who crawl along like they’re out on a Sunday drive that often make my blood pressure spike. Some states are already cracking down on slowpokes who clog up highways. Should we do the same thing here in Rochester?

One of my driving pet peeves isn’t those people who blow by you going way faster than you are, but instead, it's the drivers who insist on driving way slower. Which is why I think Rochester should follow Florida’s lead when it comes to slowpoke drivers on our highways and interstates.

Why Florida is Now Ticketing "Slowpoke" Drivers

According to this story by former Rochester journalist, Mary McGuire, who now works in Minneapolis but was working in Florida when she wrote this story, the Florida Highway Patrol is cracking down on drivers who don’t drive fast enough.

ALSO INTERESTING: Can You ID These Rochester Locations From Above?

Authorities in Florida noted that, much like here in Rochester, the Tampa area has a lot of out-of-town visitors who head down to the Sunshine State on vacation. That means many drivers aren’t familiar with area freeways and interstates, and often end up impeding traffic by driving too slowly.

And, Mary’s story said those slowpoke drivers could now be in line to get a ticket. That's something I think the Minnesota State Patrol, Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, and Rochester Police should enforce here.

Get our free mobile app

Is Minnesota’s ‘Slow Poke’ Law Actually Being Enforced?

The state of Minnesota did, afterall, pass its own 'slow poke' law back in 2019, which states that drivers who slow down traffic in the left lane can be fined $50. But have law enforcement agencies actually cited any drivers for violating that law?

One location where they could find a ton of offenders is a spot that seems to attract slowpoke drivers: the Highway 52 northbound ramp from Civic Center Drive.

In fact, this just happened to me again the other day -- I ended up behind someone in the right lane who wasn't accelerating up to highway speed coming off the ramp and merging onto Highway 52.

The Rochester Merge Point Driving Everyone Crazy

This makes trying to get around them on the left difficult, because traffic in the middle and left lanes of northbound Highway 52 is already traveling at highway speeds, and, thanks to the pokey driver in front of me, I couldn’t get going fast enough to merge in.

Things would flow much more smoothly if drivers would accelerate up to highway speed once they get off the ramp, in order to match the speed at which traffic on Highway 52 is already traveling.

Perhaps the threat of a ticket for going too slow – as police in Florida are now doing – might be a good thing here in southeast Minnesota, too! What do you think? Do slowpoke drivers aggravate you, too? How should they be handled?