Drivers not obeying the Slowpoke Law could be hurting their business

I spend a lot of time in my car. I’m usually an easy-going, a little-above-the-speed-limit driver. Lately, it seems as if everyone wants to go where I want to go. Traffic is heavier and travel is getting more difficult. One element of Georgia traffic that doesn’t help is the growing presence of left lane hogs —those drivers who get in the passing lane and stay there, hampering the flow of traffic and raising the blood pressure of all of those behind them.

Here’s the deal. In 2014, the Georgia legislature passed the Slowpoke Law. This law says that the left lane is for passing ONLY. If you are in the left lane and cars are queuing up behind you, you MUST move over or get a ticket. Speed here is not the issue. You must move over even if you are doing the speed limit.

The law makes sense on a lot of levels. First, it’s common sense and just good manners. More importantly, according to the National Motorists Association, it makes for safer roadways. There’s a natural flow to traffic, even if it is a little faster than the speed limit. The passing lane, when used for passing, provides a relief valve. When that valve is clogged, the resulting congestion causes unsafe conditions, fosters more aggressive driving, and can lead to road rage — all bad things.

If you’re a small business owner, there’s another reason you should pay attention to this law. When it’s your driver in your vehicle covered in the signage for your business, it’s simply bad PR to hog the left lane. There’s a landscape company, a rural mail carrier and an electrical contractor all on my “left lane hog” list from just yesterday!

Your employees, and particularly your drivers, are the face of your business, literally. Take a lesson from the Disney folks. Train your employees that any time they are in your vehicle, are at work or are in any kind of uniform that identifies them with your company, they are on stage. This means their decisions and their behavior are a direct reflection on you as their employer.

Set policies and practices that encourage behavior that reflects well on your business. Set high expectations and hold your people accountable. And it wouldn’t hurt to put “How’s my driving?” information on all company vehicles.

I’m reminded of the old Andy Griffith Show episode where Gomer Pyle discovered that he could make a citizen’s arrest. I consider that every time I encounter a slowpoke and wish it were that easy. Each of us needs to pay attention, heed the slowpoke law and work for safety on the roadways.

If you’re a business owner, demanding that your employees follow the law is good for traffic, and it’s good for business!

This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Drivers not obeying the Slowpoke Law could be hurting their business."