Left-lane slowpokes would have to get out of the way of faster drivers under new language inserted in a broad highway safety bill in Tallahassee Thursday. It revives an eight-year-old controversy but its sponsor says it's been watered down.
Eight years ago, the Legislature came close to passing a bill that would require anybody in the left lane of a highway, traveling at whatever speed, to get out of the way if a faster driver coming up behind wanting to pass. Better to ticket someone driving the speed limit, backers reasoned, then endanger the road with an enraged speeder's desperate passing maneuvers.
And that's what Lake Worth Democrat Jeff Clemens tried to insert in to the highway safety bill in the Senate Transportation Committee. But Tampa-area Republican Tom Lee had the same problem former Governor Jeb Bush had when he vetoed the original left-lane bill in 2005.
"Your amendment would require the law abiding citizen to yield to the individual that's breaking the law", Lee said.
Yes, Clemens agreed…but for safety reasons
"This particular bill deals with the orderly flow of traffic, not whether somebody is speeding or not", Clemens explained. "We have laws to deal with somebody speeding or not."
But Lee prevailed, and the committee agreed that the left-lane driver would have to be going at least 10 miles below the speed limit to trigger enforcement. Clemens says that will do nothing to keep frustrated tailgaters from weaving, swerving and passing on the right.
Four more committees are scheduled to consider the highway safety bill.