$75 fine for slowing down the fast lane?
A new bill proposed in the state House of Representatives would impose a $75 minimum fine for slowing down traffic in the fast lane.
State law already says that on a multilane road, a car in the most left-hand lane that is traveling below the speed limit has to speed up to the legal limit, or move aside, if faster traffic is coming up from behind. But the law is rarely enforced, said Bob Dallas, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Mark Butler (R-Carrollton), said legislative counsel found no teeth in the current law, but Dallas said current law apparently provides for a fine of up to $1,000 and a year in jail for a violation, under general penalties for misdemeanors. In any case, the $75 fine in the bill would clarify the issue, raise slow driving's visibility as an infraction, and set a minimum, they said.
The bill, HB 1047, is scheduled for a hearing Tuesday morning in the House Interstate Highway and Beautification Subcommittee.
"It is a safety issue when people use that lane as their personal driving preference" rather than as a passing lane, without regard to the rest of traffic, Butler said. Eliminating the problem might also alleviate traffic congestion, he said.
"We’re not trying to promote speeding," Butler added. "If you’re speeding or you’re tailgating in that left-hand lane, you’re still going to get a ticket."
Dallas agreed. “Let me underscore the following: This is not an excuse to speed, that’s not what this is about,” he said. Instead, the bill should make sure “you don’t go from the right lane to the center lane just because you can” and create a dangerous mixture of people going different speeds in the same lane. Dallas said he had asked the law enforcement community to look at the bill and make sure it would advance road safety.
About the Author
Ariel Hart is a reporter on health care issues. She works on the AJC’s health team and has reported on subjects including the Voting Rights Act and transportation.
