Indiana State Police Want To Clear Up New Law For Slow Left Lane Drivers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Indiana State Police were clarifying a new law taking effect next month, allowing police to ticket drivers who fail to move out of the left lane for approaching traffic.
The law would allow police to issue $500 fines to drivers in the fast lane if they fail to move to the right lane when another vehicle is trying to pass them.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Rich Myers said there has been some misinformation about the left lane law.
"You mean if somebody comes up behind me going 80 miles an hour, I'm going to get the ticket because they're behind me, and I need to get out of the way? That's not actually what it's designed to do," he said.
Capt. Dave Bursten said the vast majority of state troopers will be giving verbal or written warnings, "unless the violation is so egregious. What do I mean by egregious? If somebody's hanging out in the left lane, driving below the posted speed limit, they're probably going to get a ticket."
Bursten said the textbook example would be two vehicles driving side-by-side on a two-lane highway, holding up everyone else behind them, because they're both driving below the speed limit, with a clear road ahead of them.
He said motorists should drive in the right lane, and use the left lane only to pass slower vehicles, and they'll have no problem if they're not speeding.
The law would not apply if the far-left lane is a designated carpool lane, is exiting the road to the left, paying a toll at a toll plaza, if another traffic law requires them to be in that lane at the time, or if a driver is in the left lane due to traffic congestion, inclement weather.