Proposed law would increase penalties for left lane camping

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Drivers who hog the left lane on Louisiana interstates could soon face tougher penalties, under a new bill aimed at making roads safer and reducing frustration for motorists.

Senate Bill 11, filed by State Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, proposes hiking fines for drivers who block the left lane by driving under the speed limit. The bill will be considered during the Louisiana legislative session beginning April 14.

What the bill would change

If passed, SB 11 would:

• Increase the fine from $100 to $150 for a first offense.
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• Impose a $250 fine for a second offense within 12 months of the first violation.
• Impose a $350 fine and the possibility of up to 30 days in jail for a third offense within 12 months of the first violation.

The bill also removes the requirement that a driver must be going at least 10 mph below the speed limit to be in violation. Instead, it would apply to any vehicle traveling below the posted speed limit in the left lane on a multilane highway.

Luneau’s reasoning for the bill

Sen. Luneau said he drafted the bill after speaking with Louisiana State Police officers, who said the current law is difficult to enforce because troopers have to run radar on two vehicles to confirm a 10-mph speed difference.

“Troopers told me that to enforce the law and write tickets, they would have to actually run radar on the two vehicles and make sure there was a ten-mile-an-hour differential,” Luneau said.

He added that drivers camping out in the left lane often cause accidents and increase congestion by forcing frustrated motorists to swerve around them.

“There are a lot of accidents that are caused because of this, and it pains drivers, especially commercial drivers, and causes them to take a lot longer to get where they’re going,” Luneau said.

The senator said his intention is not to make money for the state but to deter repeat offenders.

“I wanted to not so much make it a moneymaker, but to capture the people who are repeat offenders,” he said.

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