Few things are more annoying than someone driving along in the far left lane of a highway, or even a residential street, below the speed limit, obvious to the fact that drivers behind them are trying to get around someone in the right lane going just as slowly. In fact, this scenario is one of the leading causes of road rage incidents.<\/p>\n
Many people don\u2019t realize that the left lane is considered a \u201cpassing\u201d lane unless they\u2019re on one of those roads where it\u2019s marked as such or a sign says \u201cSlower traffic keep right.\u201d While it\u2019s often illegal in Oklahoma to drive in the far left lane unless you\u2019re passing another vehicle, police don\u2019t typically cite people for doing that unless they\u2019re causing a serious traffic backup.<\/p>\n
Some Oklahoma state lawmakers hope to make the purpose of the far left lane more clear to drivers and cut down on road rage and other safety concerns by putting time limits on how long vehicles can remain in that lane before violating the law. They also hope that by having these time limits, it will be easier for police to enforce the law \u2013 and that they\u2019ll be more likely to pull people over and ticket them.<\/p>\n
A bill that has passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and is now being considered by the Senate, would allow tractor-trailers to be in the left lane for two minutes and all smaller vehicles to stay there for one minute. That\u2019s typically long enough to pass a slower vehicle in the right lane. The legislation would also significantly lower the current fine of $550 to $250, which could also make police more willing to stop a driver who remains in the left lane too long.<\/p>\n