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How will troopers enforce 'Slow Poke Law?'

Lawyer says law is vague and not easily enforceable. State Patrol doesn't anticipate writing a lot of tickets

WAYZATA, Minnesota — It's framed as a simple law, the "Slowpoke Law." If you're going too slow in the left lane, starting Thursday, you'll get a ticket, many people think.

But Twin Cities lawyer Jeff Lambert says the new slowpoke law is not that simple and will be difficult for troopers to enforce.

"The wording is such that it leaves some interpretation to it," Lambert said.

So how will troopers enforce it?

RELATED LINK: Time to move over, left lane slowpokes

RELATED LINK: Law will target left lane slowpokes

"The classic case that would be easily enforceable is the 65 mile per hour speed zone, with two cars side-by-side doing 60. And the guy in the left lane is just holding up traffic. That's going to be an easy one," Lambert said.

So how much slower than the speed limit can you go before getting a ticket? 

The new law doesn't say. It only says "a person must move out of the left-most lane to allow another vehicle to pass."

KARE 11 viewers have a lot of questions that are not directly addressed in the law. One person asked, "Does this mean if you're in the left lane going the speed limit - do you have to move over to the right lane to let a speeder go past you?"

"If you're holding up traffic, even if you're doing the speed limit, Let's say you're both doing 65, I think under this statute you have an obligation to move into the right lane and let those people pass. And if they're speeding, that's their problem," Lambert said.

State Patrol doesn't say you'll get a ticket for that. They say catching speeders is their priority. 

"We're definitely focused on speeding," said Col. Matt Langer with State Patrol.

And they admit they don't anticipate writing a lot of slow poke tickets. 

But Lambert says the law doesn't make it entirely clear who exactly they will ticket.

"Among the traffic laws, this one seems more complicated to enforce," Lambert said.

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