Left-lane hogs face fines in Okla. under new law | Aggregate, Excavation, Dump Truck Company
The Oklahoma DOT playfully alerts drivers to its new law on traveling slowly in the passing lane.
Source: ODOT
Tired of traveling down the highway and seeing slow drivers hogging the left lane?
The Oklahoma legislature is too, and on November 1, its new law took effect to prevent slow drivers from using the passing lane as a travel lane.
Signs began appearing on Oklahoma highways’ digital monitors with such statements as “Camp at the lake not in the left lane.”
The state is among several others that have recently added laws to keep the left lane clear for passing and left turns, according to The Associated Press. Some say camping in the left lane is as dangerous as speeding, because it leads those being stalled in the left lane to anger and erratic behavior.
Oklahoma’s law carries a $200 fine for violations.
The AP reports that similar laws are in effect in Virginia, Nevada, Georgia and Tennessee. Meanwhile, states such as Michigan and Missouri have opted for public-education campaigns against left-lane driving instead of tickets.
But not all states favor such a law. The Maryland legislature decided against it, with opponents fearing it would lead to overly aggressive law enforcement and people being pulled over for no reason.