More States Cracking Down on Slow Drivers in the Passing Lane

"Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia are racing to become the latest in a wave of states that have imposed higher fines and more restrictions on driving in the left lane of multilane highways," reports Martha T. Moore.

The three states would join Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, and Tennessee among states that have "stiffened" penalties for lingering in the left lane since 2013. "While all states require slow vehicles to keep right, they do not all specifically require drivers to get out of the left lane after overtaking another motorist or set penalties for failing to do so," explains Moore.

The article also examines the connection between the new laws and the growing traffic fatalities around the country. Oregon Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick is cited saying that stricter left lane laws are need due to growing traffic fatalities. To counter that point, Moore quotes Andrea Bill, traffic safety engineer research program manager at the University of Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory, and Charles Farmer, vice president of research and statistical services at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, both of whom say there are higher priorities for improving traffic safety. Planetizen covered a 2014 article that reached a similar conclusion.

Moore also provides details of each of the state's proposed penalties for clogging the left lane.