A Mecklenburg County senator thinks drivers who won't go fast enough in the fast lane should be fined.
State Sen. Jeff Tarte introduced a bill last week that calls for a $200 fine for slower drivers in the left lane.
He's also going after drivers who impact the flow of traffic.
Chuck Lehning of Jordan Driving School says that's what they're teaching new drivers now.
"If you're not comfortable and not able to get up to 65 (mph) -- if you have to drive 45 -- you should be in the right lane," Lehning said.
The proposed fine doesn't sit well with some people, who think North Carolina's existing texting-while-driving law, which carries a $100 penalty, is more important.
"I certainly think we should be more concerned about texting and driving than somebody driving too slow in the left lane," Lehning told Eyewitness News anchor Stephanie Maxwell.
Texting and driving is more dangerous than driving slowly, motorist Tira Lewis said. "So I figure, driving slow, maybe (a) $100 (fine)," she said.
Tarte has also proposed a bill that would impose a $100 fine just for having a cellphone in your hand while driving.
Some see the latest bill as another driving rule that isn't easy to enforce.
"The whole aspect of fines is difficult to monitor from a cost prospective," Brian Senatore said. "We just have to be safe on the roads. That's the most important thing."
Channel 9 reached out to Tarte to find out why he thinks the fine for driving too slowly in the fast lane should be higher than the current fine for texting and driving, but we haven't gotten a response yet.
The bill has already been approved on a first reading in the Senate and is now in committee.
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