Some Florida lawmakers want to ban drivers who do not travel at least 65 mph in the left lane.
The bill is similar to one proposed last year that Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed. But this time, two Lee County leaders are backing the plan.
Many drivers say they try to avoid highways due to slow drivers in the left lane. Florida is trying to get left-lane cruisers to move over.
“A lot of chaotic drivers, a lot of them don’t use their signals whenever they’re merging,” Lee County resident Aleksui Bilak said. “There’s a lot of speeding going on.”
Drivers are not the only ones who see highway driving as a hazard.
Two state lawmakers from Fort Myers sponsored the bill, which would prohibit drivers from staying in the left lane on two-lane highways with a speed limit of 65 mph or higher.
Sen. Jonathan Martin issued this statement: “For far too long, Floridians have been seriously injured or killed when passing vehicles on the right. Due to the steering wheel placement on the left of the vehicle, it is much more dangerous to pass on the right and safer to pass on the left. This bill will save lives immediately upon implementation.”
Many say this change could be beneficial.
“There are a lot of mostly older people who sit in the fast lane and don’t move over, and they’re driving about 60 miles an hour — very, very slow — so other drivers are not able to get around,” Bilak said. “So other drivers are forced to go to the right, and that causes more accidents.”
DeSantis vetoed a similar bill last year, saying it was too broad and would result in motorists being pulled over, ticketed, and fined even if they were not impeding traffic.
This bill could be signed into law during this year’s legislative session, which begins March 4.