COLOMBIA – South Carolina interstate drivers who travel on the left lane for long periods of time may soon be sentenced to prison and increased fines as lawmakers seek to reduce a contributor to the wreckage of roads.
The House of Representatives unanimously voted this month on a bill that doubles fines to $ 200 and could send offenders to prison for 30 days. The measure limits fines to $ 50 for commercial vehicle drivers.
“Basically, you have drivers who are seriously impatient and try to go right and inject themselves back into the left lane,” said State Representative Jay West, R-Belton and the main sponsor of H. 3011, during recent committee meetings. “The purpose of this bill is to encourage security in our interstates.”
State Representative Cezar McKnight, a Democrat Kingstree who makes a 170-mile round trip to the Statehouse almost daily during the session, was delighted to have the chance to have a more enjoyable ride.
“I have been working not to use so many profanity and people who are violating the laws stated in their bill are preventing me from fulfilling my promise to myself,” he said in the House plenary on March 4.
The bill does not define how long a driver would need to stay in the left lane before getting the ticket.
If the proposal obtains final approval, police officers will not be able to issue fines for 180 days, giving drivers a period of warning to adjust to the law.
The state’s Department of Transportation is also required to raise signs at least every 35 miles on interstates warning slower traffic to keep to the right. The $ 24,000 cost for 128 plates will be covered by existing funds within the agency’s budget.
West said lawmakers agreed to an amendment that would reduce fines for long-distance drivers at the request of the South Carolina truck industry. The change is supported by the State Department of Motor Vehicles.
“We work very carefully with the truckers’ association and others to make sure that we consider those people who drive all day every day and therefore are more exposed to penalties and fines,” said West. “We depend a lot on these people for our logistics. They move the product from the ports … so it is crucial that we are aware of the fact that this is their office. “
Efforts to adopt a bill called “slowpoke” have been trying for years at the Statehouse, and a Senate-backed measure to do so failed in the last session as it was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I spend a lot of time on the road, whether coming here, traveling to the courthouse or anywhere else, and there’s nothing more frustrating than having two cars walking side by side as if they’re in love,” said McKnight.
The measure awaits action by the Senate Transport Commission.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 9 percent of all interstate accidents come from unsafe junctions and lane changes, although it is unclear how many come from drivers who do not wish to leave the left lane.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.