COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – The South Carolina House passed a bill that would allow the police to issue a fine to those who drive very slowly in the left lane.
The House voted 108-0 to approve the bill on Thursday, which would make it illegal for a driver to stay in the left lane if he knows or should know that he will be overtaken by a faster vehicle and can safely change lanes.
Violators may face a $ 200 fine or 30 days in prison. The Chamber removed a two-point penalty on the offender’s driver’s license before the vote on Thursday.
The bill now goes to the Senate.
Similar proposals have been debated frequently in recent years at the General Assembly, but have not been approved. House Speaker Jay Lucas called it a “frequently debated, rarely approved” bill when calling for a vote.
Supporters have been passionate about this.
“I’ve been working on not using so many bad words,” said Rep. Cezar McKnight, a Democrat who runs from Kingstree to Columbia almost every day during the session. “Did you know that people who violate the laws stated in their bill are preventing me from keeping my promise to myself?”
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