Report: Georgia to outlaw left-lane slowpokes

[NewsFeeder]

Filed under: Government/Legal

Is there anything more irritating on your morning commute than slow-moving drivers who refuse to extricate themselves from the passing lane? The answer is "no." And so now we may have at least one good reason to consider moving to Georgia... that's if the Senate follows the shining example of the House (the 129-29 vote was passed after just seven minutes of debate) in passing Bill 1047. Says Rep. Mark Butler, (R-Carrollton), who introduced the Bill:

I don't think I'm alone in saying this, but there are so many times when you're alone on a four-lane road, and people will get over in the left-hand lane, which by law is supposed to be used for passing, and will just sit there and use it as their own personal drive-out lane, and they may be going 50 miles per hour. It's slowing down traffic. It's frustrating.

No Mark, you most certainly are not alone, and it is indeed one of the most frustrating elements of our nation's roadways. Though it's technically already a law that slowpokes must move out of the far-left lane, it's rarely enforced. This Bill would seek to change all of that with a way to accurately record how many such tickets are handed out each year.

Georgia Senate: The ball is officially in your court. Don't let your constituency down.

[source: The Augusta Chronicle via Jalopnik]

Report: Georgia to outlaw left-lane slowpokes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[loki]

this is unenforceable.

just like littering of smokers, but it will happen less.

if it's really that big of a problem, raise the minimum speed limit to ...5 mph of the limit. oh wait, this will cause problems... we all need big trucks so we can go in the median to pass slow pokes. there i fixed the problem!

[Robert Hall]

They did this a few years ago in Colorado. The left lane outside metro areas is for 75+mph passing only, not slugs poking along...

Edited March 24, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[CSpec]

I really, really hope this makes it to Virginia. The left lane hogs here are absolutely incorrigible and slow down traffic noticeably.

[Camino LS6]

Finally!

Now let's make it nationwide.

[Z-06]

Finally!

Now let's make it nationwide.

I am glad that it made in GA. Florida's motion was rejected as overwhelmingly as it was accepted in GA. I guess geezers here still rule the roost.

[Camino LS6]

Yeah, I'm sure Florida will always be a tough nut to crack on this front.

[Z-06]

I fail to understand what people do not get of the simple sentence - Slower Traffic Keep Right?

It does not say slower than speed limit or any thing. It just states ANYONE slower should be in right lanes. So if someone is barreling at 150 mph in the left lane and other comes gunning at 155 mph then 150 mph is the slower car and should keep right. Simple.

I have seen in Europe that people actually get fined when using right lane to pass turtle racers stuck in left lane.

[Justin Bimmer]

[daves87rs]

Finally!

Now let's make it nationwide.

+1

[RjION]

Can we shoot them on sight?

[Nick]

It is not only frustrating...it is dangerous as well. I wish they would enforce this out here.

[RjION]

but .......... Can we shoot them on sight?

[jwbouch]

Well, I thought this was the law in most places? If I'm not mistaken it is the law to drive right/pass left in Ohio (where I"m originally from) and I know it is the law in NJ (where I currently reside). Whoever said it is unenforceable is correct. I have seen State Troopers following cars that were just driving the left lane (slower then the flow of traffic) and they don't do ANYTHING about it! Why not pull them over?! It is high on my list of things that annoy the crap out of me! I have seen people get on the highway, and dart across three or four lanes of traffic to travel in the left lane - about 5 mph slower then the flow of traffic! annoying!

[Drew Dowdell]

They already have this here in PA and it's enforced on the Turnpike at least.

Stay in the right lane unless you're passing someone.