SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Pass or move over. A unanimous vote from South Carolina’s House is showing support for a bill that would make it illegal for a driver to stay in the left lane if they’re not passing.
A traffic dilemma well known to frequent drivers.
“They’re either speeding, they’re driving too slow. If it’s a hazard on the right side, they don’t let the drivers over,” said Truck Driver, Chabria McDowell.
“It is annoying and yes, it is a safety issue I feel,” says Frequent Driver, Tom Rybicki.
At least that’s the case for Kevin Jacobs who spends a lot of his time behind the wheel. He told 7 News, he has seen pretty much everything.
“I’ve seen a truck run over the top of a car, I’ve seen one hit one and put it in the median and caught on fire,” said Kevin Jacobs.
That especially includes left lane hogs, drivers using the left lane for longer than just passing.
“If you’re going to pass, get over, pass, get back over. That don’t mean stay over there,” Jacobs said.
A South Carolina bill is looking to crackdown on these kind of drivers.
“It increases the penalty to $200, it does not provide any points against someone for being in the left lane but it also only provides a $50 penalty for our commercial drivers,” South Carolina Rep. Jay West said.
It would also include new signage on the interstates, reminding slower traffic to keep to the right.
Truck drivers like Chabria McDowell believe the penalty should be even harsher.
“$500, a fine,” McDowell said.
Same goes for Tom Rybicki. However, he told us for now, he has found his own method for dealing with other drivers.
“I put the smooth jazz on so I don’t get any road rage, I just want to keep the peace out there,” Rybicki said.
The bill heads to the senate next. Other bills like this have been pushed before but haven’t made it into law. However, Rep. West told us they’re optimistic about this one and have already seen interest from the Senate.
