Originally Posted by Altavia (Post 2304359)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that seeks to prevent motorists from cruising in left lanes of highways is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate on Thursday voted 37-0 to pass the bill (HB 317), which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher.

The House voted 113-3 last week to pass the bill. Senate sponsor Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said the measure is intended to improve highway safety.

"If someone in the left lane is going slower, and you pass them (on the right), you are creating an infraction and you can get ticketed," Perry said.

Under HB 317, drivers on a road, street or highway "with two or more lanes" where the speed limit is "at least 65 miles per hour... may not operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle; when preparing to exit... or when otherwise directed by an official traffic control device."

The purpose of the bill is to make it clear when motorists can use the left lane.

The bill's sponsor said he wanted to prevent drivers from using the right lane to pass slower-moving traffic using the left lane.

The bill sets non-criminal moving violation fines of up to $158.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will talk with law enforcement officials before deciding whether to sign the bill, according to News Service of Florida.

During an appearance Friday in Pensacola, DeSantis said he wants to hear the practical implications to law officers of enforcing the measure, which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher. “Are we going to be pulling people over for that? How would that work?” DeSantis said.

He added, "So, I'm going to actually talk to people that do this for a living, whether they think it would be a benefit, both in terms of safety but also we want convenience. We want people to be able to get where they can go as quickly and as safely as possible. But then also enforcement, is that going to radically change how they (officers) do their job, in terms of enforcement?"

Originally Posted by Altavia (Post 2304359)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that seeks to prevent motorists from cruising in left lanes of highways is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate on Thursday voted 37-0 to pass the bill (HB 317), which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher.

The House voted 113-3 last week to pass the bill. Senate sponsor Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said the measure is intended to improve highway safety.

"If someone in the left lane is going slower, and you pass them (on the right), you are creating an infraction and you can get ticketed," Perry said.

Under HB 317, drivers on a road, street or highway "with two or more lanes" where the speed limit is "at least 65 miles per hour... may not operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle; when preparing to exit... or when otherwise directed by an official traffic control device."

The purpose of the bill is to make it clear when motorists can use the left lane.

The bill's sponsor said he wanted to prevent drivers from using the right lane to pass slower-moving traffic using the left lane.

The bill sets non-criminal moving violation fines of up to $158.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will talk with law enforcement officials before deciding whether to sign the bill, according to News Service of Florida.

During an appearance Friday in Pensacola, DeSantis said he wants to hear the practical implications to law officers of enforcing the measure, which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher. “Are we going to be pulling people over for that? How would that work?” DeSantis said.

He added, "So, I'm going to actually talk to people that do this for a living, whether they think it would be a benefit, both in terms of safety but also we want convenience. We want people to be able to get where they can go as quickly and as safely as possible. But then also enforcement, is that going to radically change how they (officers) do their job, in terms of enforcement?"

Originally Posted by Altavia (Post 2304359)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that seeks to prevent motorists from cruising in left lanes of highways is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate on Thursday voted 37-0 to pass the bill (HB 317), which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher.

The House voted 113-3 last week to pass the bill. Senate sponsor Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said the measure is intended to improve highway safety.

"If someone in the left lane is going slower, and you pass them (on the right), you are creating an infraction and you can get ticketed," Perry said.

Under HB 317, drivers on a road, street or highway "with two or more lanes" where the speed limit is "at least 65 miles per hour... may not operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle; when preparing to exit... or when otherwise directed by an official traffic control device."

The purpose of the bill is to make it clear when motorists can use the left lane.

The bill's sponsor said he wanted to prevent drivers from using the right lane to pass slower-moving traffic using the left lane.

The bill sets non-criminal moving violation fines of up to $158.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will talk with law enforcement officials before deciding whether to sign the bill, according to News Service of Florida.

During an appearance Friday in Pensacola, DeSantis said he wants to hear the practical implications to law officers of enforcing the measure, which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher. “Are we going to be pulling people over for that? How would that work?” DeSantis said.

He added, "So, I'm going to actually talk to people that do this for a living, whether they think it would be a benefit, both in terms of safety but also we want convenience. We want people to be able to get where they can go as quickly and as safely as possible. But then also enforcement, is that going to radically change how they (officers) do their job, in terms of enforcement?"

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2304364)

Huh? Based on other TOTV threads, I understood that this was already the law. But, it sounds like the law is being downgraded to only apply to the Turnpike and the Interstate, where speed limits are 65 mph or higher.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2304616)

Coming to Florida I was pretty surprised that passing on the right, on a 2-lane highway, was common and acceptable. Up north, a 2-lane highway's right lane is the travel/exit lane, and the left lane is the passing lane. If you're not planning on passing someone, you get back to the right lane. If you want to pass someone in the right lane, you move to the left lane and pass them.

On a three lane highway, the right lane is the "local" lane - for entering and exiting the highway and for people who want to drive slower than the rest of traffic. The middle lane is the through-lane, and the left lane is the passing lane.

It was this way in Boston, and Connecticut, and New York, New Jersey - pretty much everywhere. It applied only to highways that had exits, not to 2-lane state roads with cross streets.

And obviously if the left lane was backed up due to an accident, everyone shifted over to the right. But when traffic's moving, you pass on the left, cruise in the center or right if there's no center lane.

On highways where there are 4 lanes going in the same direction, the left-most lane is still passing only. Right lane is local (enter and exit), and the center two lanes are for cruising.

No idea why Florida never caught up with this concept, considering how many accidents there are on the highways down here.

Originally Posted by Altavia (Post 2304359)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A bill that seeks to prevent motorists from cruising in left lanes of highways is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate on Thursday voted 37-0 to pass the bill (HB 317), which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher.

The House voted 113-3 last week to pass the bill. Senate sponsor Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said the measure is intended to improve highway safety.

"If someone in the left lane is going slower, and you pass them (on the right), you are creating an infraction and you can get ticketed," Perry said.

Under HB 317, drivers on a road, street or highway "with two or more lanes" where the speed limit is "at least 65 miles per hour... may not operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle; when preparing to exit... or when otherwise directed by an official traffic control device."

The purpose of the bill is to make it clear when motorists can use the left lane.

The bill's sponsor said he wanted to prevent drivers from using the right lane to pass slower-moving traffic using the left lane.

The bill sets non-criminal moving violation fines of up to $158.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he will talk with law enforcement officials before deciding whether to sign the bill, according to News Service of Florida.

During an appearance Friday in Pensacola, DeSantis said he wants to hear the practical implications to law officers of enforcing the measure, which would apply to drivers on highways with at least two lanes in the same direction and speed limits of 65 mph or higher. “Are we going to be pulling people over for that? How would that work?” DeSantis said.

He added, "So, I'm going to actually talk to people that do this for a living, whether they think it would be a benefit, both in terms of safety but also we want convenience. We want people to be able to get where they can go as quickly and as safely as possible. But then also enforcement, is that going to radically change how they (officers) do their job, in terms of enforcement?"

Originally Posted by srswans (Post 2304553)

I want to hear more about if I will get ticketed for passing on the right. Drivers need to be able to pass on the right because, even with this new law, there will be ppl camping in the left lanes.

Originally Posted by Robojo (Post 2304692)

Did I grow up in a different world? Keep right except to
pass has always been the law. It’s just not been enforced in decades.

Originally Posted by RcCalais (Post 2304676)

Why waste money on a bill for something like this. As mentioned, this seems to water down the already known. It is just as aggravating getting behind a slow driver with a speed limit of 45 as it is for 65 mph.

Originally Posted by Oneiric (Post 2304743)

Many decades ago, my state with a lot more traffic had signs which read: "Keep right except to pass". Worked very well.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2304536)

Answer to first part of question: It achieves the goal of keeping slugs out of the left lane at 55 mph in a 70 zone, which in turn increases safety because everyone won't have a mad dash to get around them on the right.

Second part: It applies to all vehicles. And on most highways with 3 lanes trucks are totally barred from the left lane anyway.