Cruising in the Left Lane Can Get You a Ticket: Here’s Why – Jalopnik

The left lane in the US generally has a specific purpose: to pass slower traffic on the right. Those who plod slowly in the left lane make travel less safe for everyone. Many cruisers in the left lane may be unaware of the traffic behind them. Most annoying, however, are those who loiter in the left lane trying to coach other drivers to reduce their speed. According to a study by Progressive34% of respondents admitted to knowing they were stuck in the left lane and, worse, 7% claimed their reason for doing so was to punish others who tried to speed.

With the exception of South Dakota, every state has a law prohibiting traveling in the left lane to varying degrees. The legal wording varies by state, with some, such as Florida, stating that the left lane is only for turning or passing. Others, like Oregon, stipulate that you must stay in the right lane if you’re driving slower than the speed limit, and these aren’t just suggestions; There may be fines if you ignore the rules.

Arizona’s “Slow Poke” bill would fine drivers $500 if they drive slowly in the left lane, and the Grand Canyon State isn’t alone in imposing fines for left lane violations. In Wisconsin, violating the left lane law can result in fines of up to $300 and four license points, while in Alaska you can be fined up to $150 and add two license points. Safe driving goes a long way in avoiding tickets, but checking local laws regarding driving in the left lane is also critical.

The problem is that blocking both the left and right lanes reduces the efficiency of traffic flow. Regardless of whether you are going over the speed limit or perhaps driving slightly over it, chances are that another motorist will want to go faster. The longer a vehicle stays in the left lane without passing traffic on the right, the greater the buildup of motorists behind them.

Why don’t you just drive in the right lane? Canada has similar left lane rules, and Ward Vanlaar, COO of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), explained The globe and the mail“If you don’t have track discipline [where slower traffic keeps right and faster traffic passes on the left] and you have cars on both sides driving past slower cars, potentially causing more conflict.”

There’s also the issue of road rage Consumer Affairs reports that approximately 92% of American drivers have witnessed a road rage incident in the past year alone. People can get weird behind the wheel, and we’ve even rounded up some of your wildest road rage stories. The point is that blocking a fellow motorist from the left lane can, among other things, lead to escalating emotions.