ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A bill ready for a vote in the N.C. House would penalize drivers for holding up traffic in the left lane on highways. House Bill 827 would create a $200 fine for drivers who are "impeding the steady flow of traffic" in the left lane.
A driver impeding traffic is defined in the law as a person who "knows or reasonably should know that he or she is being overtaken from the rear by a vehicle traveling at a higher rate of speed." "I just drive the speed limit," said Cynthia Lawless, who despite her name claimed she always drives the speed posted on the sign. "I'm not comfortable with driving in the left lane, so I usually only do it when I'm passing someone who's driving slower than I am, which seems hard to imagine."
It's already illegal to drive slower than the speed limit in the left-most lane of a highway. This law would make it illegal to drive in the left lane even if drivers are going the speed limit.