Maryland Woman Ticketed For Driving 2 Miles Under The Speed Limit (UPDATED)

You Won't Believe Why This Woman Got Ticketed

A Maryland woman has been issued a $90 speeding ticket for going 2 miles under the speed limit.

WRC-TV reports that at 8:30 a.m. on Friday a driver was pulled over going in the left lane of Interstate 95 in Prince George's County for driving 63 miles-per-hour in a 65 miles-per-hour zone.

According to the driver, who opted not to give her name to the station, she was under the limit because of the weather:

The woman who got the ticket said she'd never been cited before — but on Friday, she said, she had to slow down due to heavy winds.

"Sometimes when it's dangerous, you have to do what you can to stay safe," she said.

Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said winds were gusting at around 40 mph that day.

The station spoke to a retired state trooper about the legality of ticketing someone for driving two miles under the speed limit:

"You can drive in the left lane in Maryland as long as you are doing the speed limit, or not impeding by going 10 mph under the speed limit," Sgt. Rob Moroney told News4's Darcy Spencer.

Moroney said the woman was cited under a code section that deals with driving 10 mph or more under the speed limit. A different part of the law deals with drivers who impede traffic.

"This charge was not totally incorrect, but it may not have been the best charge for the trooper to use," Moroney said.

The driver has filed a complaint and plans to challenge the ticket, according to the WRC-TV report.

To repeat, on a day when winds were gusting, a driver was issued a ticket for traveling two miles under the speed limit -- which AAA spokesperson John Townsend told WRC-TV sends the wrong message to other drivers.

"And that is," Townsend told the station, "'We will tolerate you driving at more than the speed limit, but it you drive below the speed limit, then you're penalized for that'."

UPDATE, 6:45 p.m.: WRC-TV is reporting that the ticket has been dismissed.

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