Motorists should be careful when driving in the left lane of a highway, under legislation that unanimously sailed through the state House this week.
The bill, which still needs Senate approval, would clearly spell out in state law that the only time drivers should be in the far left lane of a highway is when the driver is passing a vehicle. The bill does allow for exceptions, such as a left-hand exit ramp, avoiding debris in the road or during traffic jams. Violators would face fines as high as $100.
Del. Melanie Rapp, R-York, said she filed the bill to clear up confusion among drivers. Virginia law has always prohibited using the left lane of highways for normal travel, she said, but the rule is often ignored.
“We are trying to tighten the law and help the police enforce this,” she said. “When I learned to drive many years ago, I was taught that the only time you are in the left lane is to pass.”
The Virginia State Police supports the bill, which mirrors an Illinois law.
“We’re trying to send a message out to keep folks out of that left lane that shouldn’t be there,” said state police Capt. Steven Chumley. “We have a lot of problems with road rage, and this would be another tool in our toolbox to deal with this problem.”
State police troopers often receive numerous calls each day about road rage, Chumley said. The incidents are usually caused by drivers becoming frustrated with slower vehicles in front of them. If Rapp’s bill becomes law, he said, police would have more power to keep the left lane clear for passing, which would speed the flow of traffic.
“They cut people off, pull weapons, do all sorts of things,” Chumley said of road-rage incidents.
