Quote:The state of Florida is set to crack down on life in the fast lane.

The Florida legislature has passed a bill that would ban motorists from cruising in the left lane of highways, sending it to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature. The bill passed unanimously in the state Senate 37-0.

"If someone in the left lane is going slower, and you pass them (on the right), you are creating an infraction, and you can get ticketed," bill sponsor state Sen. Keith Perry ® said Thursday, according to The News Service of Florida.

Under HB 317, drivers on a road, street or highway "with two or more lanes" where the speed limit is "at least 65 miles per hour … may not operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle; when preparing to exit … or when otherwise directed by an official traffic control device."

The legislation was sponsored by Republican state Reps. Jenna Persons-Mulicka and Melony Bell in the House and Perry in the Senate.

FLORIDA PAIR CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER SEX-FOR-HIRE CAR THEFT PLOT WENT AWRY: DEPUTIES

Anyone found to be in violation of the law would face fines for a moving violation, with fines up to $158, according to the bill text.

There is an exception for authorized emergency vehicles and vehicles "engaged in highway maintenance or construction operations."

FLORIDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONFIRMS 6TH CASE OF MEASLES AMID OUTBREAK

Perry said the measure is intended to improve highway safety. "Last year we had 247 instances where people were either incapacitated or deaths that happened from improper passing on the right-hand side on someone’s blindside," he told Action News Jax last week.

Should DeSantis sign the bill, Florida would join eight other states where it is currently illegal to drive in the left lane except for turning left or passing, according to AutoInsurance.org. States with those restrictions include Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

"Driving is a pretty uniform practice across the United States, so most of us don't think twice before crossing new state lines. However, many states have their own traffic laws that pose legal penalties and physical dangers if not obeyed," said Jeffrey Johnson, an insurance lawyer.

For that reason, 27 states require drivers to stay right if they are moving slower than the cars surrounding them.

Quote:IN THE POST'S news clipping files -- what they used to call "the morgue" in pre-computer days -- is a tidy little packet of stories about a local man named John O. Nestor. Although he had a distinguished career as a pediatrician and medical officer with the Food and Drug Administration, he is described on the file simply as "Left Lane Bandit," an appellation that stems from a letter he wrote The Post in 1984, which read as follows:





"On divided highways I drive in the left lane with my cruise control set at the speed limit of 55 miles per hour because it is usually the smoothest lane. I avoid slower traffic coming in and out from the right and I avoid resetting the cruise control with every lane change. Why should I inconvenience myself for someone who wants to speed?"

From the letters that followed in response, you might have thought the doctor was an ax murderer. His driving practices were described as "illegal," "dangerous," "arrogant" and "putative vigilantism." The man's name became a verb ("Nestoring") and the correspondence that he began nearly 15 years ago has continued to be a source of accusation and recrimination. It flares up every few years and is currently burning brightly, as you may have noticed if you follow our letters pages, which have recently been enlivened by several submissions from people who apparently would also like to have their names become verbs. The argument is as circular as the Beltway. Nestorer: I am entitled to the left lane, for which I pay taxes. Anti-Nestorer: It is illegal for slow traffic to drive in the left lane. Nestorer: It is illegal to drive at over 55 mph, which is the speed I am traveling.

(02-23-2024, 05:42 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: I hope there's a special place in hell for people that putz along in the left lane, and then speed up when you try to pass them.

And their close cousin the "I don't use cruise control and intermittently speed up until I pass you before slowing down again".

(02-23-2024, 05:42 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: I hope there's a special place in hell for people that putz along in the left lane, and then speed up when you try to pass them.

And their close cousin the "I don't use cruise control and intermittently speed up until I pass you before slowing down again".

(02-23-2024, 06:11 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Every time I have to go around one of those jackasses, I expect to see Nellie Olson glaring unapprovingly at me.

(02-23-2024, 06:25 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I was just complaining about this to my wife the other day. "Go slow or go fast, just pick one!"