Is It Legal to Speed Just a Little in Arizona?

Let's be honest, we all occasionally speed when driving down Arizona roads. But what if you're spending justttt a little -- like 5mph over -- can you still be held legally accountable?

For whatever reason, the voice in the back of my head seems to always be saying, 'If you go a few mph over the speed limit nothing will happen.' I mean, that's basically a useless stop for a police officer, right? Wrong!! And I learned that the hard way when getting pulled over for speeding just a little. Luckily, I only got a warning -- but it stuck with me.

Going slightly faster seems like such an insignificant addition to the posted speed limit, but those limits are in place for a reason. And police in Arizona can and will pull you over if they see the need to.

What is the Law in Arizona?

No matter how many times your friends, family, coworkers, or some rando in the grocery store tell you going 5-10 mph over the speed limit is okay, don't listen to them!! In Arizona, it IS NOT okay. 

According to Driving Laws, the law states that Arizona has absolute, or maximum, speed limits. All this means is if you go even 1 MPH over the posted limit, you're breaking the law. So just trust me and don't do it. Unless you're crazy and want to pay off a speeding ticket.

But what about going slower than the speed limit? Is that allowed?

Yes and no.

While it's perfectly fine to go a little under the posted speed limit, according to Arizona law it is illegal to go so much slower that you're impeding the regular flow of traffic. In the state, local authorities are even allowed to set a minimum speed limit if necessary.

In other words, just try and follow the speed limit

There is no need to speed. If you're late or in a hurry to get somewhere, it's best to let someone know you won't be quiet on time.

And if for some reason you need to go significantly slower than the posted limit, it's okay for safety reasons but maybe put on those flashers to let others know.