Posted on 03/27/2017 12:37:25 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A bill that has already passed the Maryland House of Delegates would fine drivers up to $250 for lingering in the left lane of a highway after passing another vehicle.
House Bill 1451 was sponsored by Frederick County Republican Delegate William G. Folden and is now pending in the Senate.
Folden says the aim of the bill is to prevent traffic congestion.
When it passed in the House last week, he posted the following statement on his Facebook page:
“By the slimmest of margins and probably the most bi-partisan voting sheet I’ve seen, my bill for “Left Lane Passing Only” on highways with 3 or more lanes has just passed the House Chamber 73-66…. Now it’s off to the Senate! This bill will bring Maryland in line with 39 other states that have similar traffic strategies to encourage a more fluid traffic movement without bottlenecking what is already the second worst traffic congestion in the country!! Proud to be sponsoring an effort to get commuting parents home a little sooner to their loved ones….”
The bill’s summary says it “restricts the use of the far left lane of a roadway by a driver to only the overtaking and passing of another vehicle if (1) the roadway has a posted speed limit of at least 55 miles per hour and (2) the roadway has two or more lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.”
“After overtaking and passing the other vehicle, the driver must return to the right lane as soon as it is reasonably safe to do so,” it goes on to say.
The left lane restriction would not apply to vehicles in the far left lane preparing for a left turn, vehicles that are in the HOV lane during the HOV use period, or in traffic conditions “that require the use of all roadway lanes.”
A violator would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $75 for a first offense, $150 for a second offense and $250 for a third or subsequent offense.
Amen!!! North Carolina really needs to pass this! I have never been in a state where this left lane poking is so bad. My mother-in-law would get first ticket bless her heart. She just can’t understand why people ride her bumpers.
My take on Chicago speeding is there are enough people doing 30 and 40 mph over the limit, they leave the people doing 10 to 20 over alone. There is a considerable jump in fines for doing 30 and 40 over. I want to say 30 over is $1500 fine. 40 over is $2500+ and jail.
“It’s really very simple: if you’re not passing someone, stay in the right-hand lane.”
Tell that to people trying to merge onto the freeway.
Huh?... If you are saying that you will break the new law by being courteous and *safely* moving over to allow merging traffic, then I strongly disagree that you get a ticket for that, especially if you are traveling faster than the merging traffic (therefore passing). Also, keep in mind that the merging traffic MUST yield to the highway traffic, NOT the other way around. If you are in the right hand lane and some one is overtaking you in the passing lane, you should NOT change lanes. The merging driver must yield and wait until it is safe to merge.
I have flashed lights at people that are doing less than the speed limit, sometimes waaaay less, honked, etc. and they won’t move over. Most of the time it isn’t that they’re ignoring you, it’s that they’re COMPLETELY UNAWARE!!! They’re singing, talking on the phone, etc., completely oblivious they’ve a train of cars behind them. It drives me nuts.
“Drive right, pass left” - simple. When you don’t you inevitably encourage people to drive around you, which is dangerous.
Right.
I’m not big on regulation but I do like training. I like the idea of a mandatory annual or bi-annual refresher for every driver. I would even propose doing it at state expense - or create a trust we all can donate to for a tax write-off. Giving people of modest means a way to avoid traffic accidents (which have big economic impacts for many). Same idea with handgun carry. Training is good. Awareness of the law is good.
It's because the trucks are governed, many within a couple of mph of each other. The drivers get paid by the mile, and they have strict time limits to make their daily wage.
Some of these guys just put their foot on the floor and don't worry about it.
The fine would only apply to citizens.
Illegals would get a pass, since MD wants to be a sanctuary state.
Driving one night *in* Frederick County and this putz in a mini van decided to sit in the left lane. Not only that but if anyone tried to pass him he sped up to make passing all but impossible.
Finally resigned myself to the right lane but soon a State Trooper came down fast in the left lane right behind this guy. Sat off his bumper probably 20ft.
Well, Mr MiniVan didn’t move. Didn’t speed up. Didn’t move over. And it was obvious he had no idea the car behind him was a cop.
After a few miles of this, Mr Mini Van decided he didn’t like the car on his rear bumper so he started tapping his brake lights - LOL! Mr Cop didn’t like this one bit so flipped on his lights and pulled the guy over.
YAY! There is a God! ;)
“Driving one night *in* Frederick County and this putz in a mini van decided to sit in the left lane. Not only that but if anyone tried to pass him he sped up to make passing all but impossible.
Finally resigned myself to the right lane but soon a State Trooper came down fast in the left lane right behind this guy. Sat off his bumper probably 20ft.
Well, Mr MiniVan didn’t move. Didn’t speed up. Didn’t move over. And it was obvious he had no idea the car behind him was a cop.
After a few miles of this, Mr Mini Van decided he didn’t like the car on his rear bumper so he started tapping his brake lights - LOL! Mr Cop didn’t like this one bit so flipped on his lights and pulled the guy over.
YAY! There is a God! ;)”
Fantastic! I wish this would happen more often...
This is really much ado about nothing.
Come on, making criminals out of staying in a lane? Perhaps to POLITELY LET PEOPLE IN FROM THE RIGHT RAMP?
But then, we stoppeople for *gasp* not wearing a seatbelt!
I am such a scofflaw.
Agreed.
Truth is being out of the way is best, period. Regardless of stupid hand-wringing laws.
“Tell that to people trying to merge onto the freeway.”
The rule still stands. If someone is trying to merge, I’ll move into the left-hand lane, because (typically) - I’m passing them.
Or - perhaps I’ve missed your point...
I completely agree, sir.
For those left lane lollygaggers who are doing that as self-appointed speed monitors, there should be summary execution. NO APPEAL!
I don’t care if you’re not wearing a seatbelt, but if you are moving more slowly than the people to the right of you, Houston, we have a problem.
I sometimes flash my lights or beep my horn at such people, but they usually don’t give a sh!t.
So you’re cruising I-70, and if you tried to pass this idiot on the right, he would SPEED UP???
What an a-hole piece of Obama.
North Carolina Legislature please take note
Left lane lingering is a pain in NC and in Tennessee where they often visit
Slow left lane drivers are some of the dangerous people on the road because when people pass the on the right they are in a blind spot.
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