It's frustrating to be in the left lane of traffic, stuck behind a slow driver.

That's why Arizona state law controls when and how a driver can travel below the posted speed limit.

Arizona law enforcement can, and will, pull over drivers believed to be impeding or slowing down traffic flow while traveling below the posted speed limit.

Some Arizona politicians believe those laws need to be extended to those driving slowly in the left lanes of travel, mirroring laws already established in other states.

Police lights during the daytime

Here's a look at how state law handles slow left-lane drivers and what you need to know to stay safe behind the wheel.

Arizona drivers must operate at a safe speed

Arizona Revised Statutes 28-704 notes that reduced speeds are sometimes necessary for safe driving, but that drivers have an obligation not to get in the way of other motorists.

Drivers traveling at a speed less than the normal lane of traffic, especially on a two-lane highway, must pull over outside traffic on a safe, designated turnout to avoid delaying the rest of traffic behind them.

Turnouts only include widened places in the roadway capable of allowing a vehicle to pass or temporarily park.

Right lanes are for slow drivers, with some exceptions

Arizona Revised Statutes ARS 28-721 mandates that all roadway drivers should remain in the right lane of travel except when passing.

Exceptions apply when the right half of the roadway is closed, on a roadway designated for one-way traffic, or a roadway divided into more than two lanes, according to state law.

But it still specified that under normal conditions, drivers are expected to treat the right lane as the designated lane for drivers traveling slower than the posted speed limit.

"On all roadways, a person driving a vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall drive the vehicle in the right-hand lane then available for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway," state law reads.

State bill could have added penalty for slow left-lane drivers

A bill was even introduced to the Arizona State Legislature to combat this.

If House Bill 2235 had passed in the 2025 session and had been signed into law, it would have imposed a $500 civil penalty for drivers driving below the posted speed limit.

The bill also proposed that large signs directing slower traffic not to travel in the farthest left lane be placed on major freeways.

The signs would read "Left lane for passing only, slow traffic keep right" and be accompanied by a smaller sign that read "$500 fine," according to the introduced version of the bill.

Similar bills have become law in some other states, such as New York, which now has a 'Slow Poke' law that requires staying in the right lane of travel unless under certain circumstances, such as passing and when on a road with three marked lanes.

Republic reporter Olivia Rose contributed to this article.

Rey Covarrubias Jr. reports breaking news for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: [email protected], and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Driving slow in the left lane? Arizona law has something to say about that