‘Stay off the freeway’: Drivers rejoice after police fine slow driver

It turns out driving too slow can be just as dangerous as speeding and can earn you a hefty fine.

Motorists around the country who are regularly peeved at being stuck behind slow drivers rejoiced on Tuesday after a highway patrol officer in Perth fined a motorist for going too slow.

WA Police Traffic tweeted a picture of the fine, saying the driver was travelling 28 kilometres per hour below the speed limit on the freeway. The driver was hit with a $50 fine for the offence.

“Driving 28kmh under the speed limit on the freeway causes frustration which results in bad decisions which results in accidents,” WA Police wrote. “Can’t do the limit stay off the freeway!”

Driving 28kmh under the speed limit on the freeway causes frustration which results in bad decisions which results in accidents. Can't do the limit stay off the freeway! #TEG3 pic.twitter.com/JvWDudvWrP

— Road Policing (@RoadPolicingWA) January 14, 2019

Read more: Women told to criticise men’s risky driving – but some ‘too scared’

Social media users were quick to praise the police for taking action, with one writing: “Yay finally hope this is going to be the start of more to come.”

“Should be the same on all roads. Slow drivers cause people to take risks, which results in accidents,” one commentator wrote.

Another added: “Well done WA Police. I never thought I would see the day this would be enforced.”

While a third wrote: “Thank you for penalising this nuisance driver!”

It comes after a New South Wales woman took to social media accusing a highway patrol officer of being in the wrong after he pulled her over for going too slow.

The woman, who admitted to driving under the 90km/h speed limit in the right-hand lane on a highway, posted the rant on Facebook but later took it down after commentators pointed out the highway police officer was well within his rights.

“This police officer just pulled me over for apparently not going fast enough in a 90 zone and because it’s a taking over lane which there’s no signs at all,” she said at the time, according to The Daily Mail.

“Absolutely disgusting behaviour by police. I will have you all exposed and reported.”

However, according to RACQ, motorists in Queensland and NSW must keep left unless they want to overtake on multi-lane roads with a speed limit of more than 80km/h or unless otherwise signposted.

“Ignorance of the road rules isn’t a valid excuse, it’s simple road rules that motorists are failing to get right,” RACQ’s Lauren Ritchie said.

What are your thoughts on this? Do slow drivers annoy you? Is it fair to fine a slow driver?