Category Archive: Legislation

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed a new bill banning texting while driving in New Mexico. Read more: Gov. Martinez signs texting while driving ban bill

A little known law went into effect in Florida on July 1, 2013 that should make a lot of frustrated drivers very happy. The law, part of a larger transportation bill amended Chapter 316 of the motor vehicle code making it illegal to linger in the left-hand lane of multi-lane highways.

We’ve all been there; driving on a multi-lane roadway when traffic ahead slows. You don’t want to speed but you would like to at least do the speed limit. You pull over into the left lane to pass only to meet another driver in the left lane who is driving slower than the speed limit and holding traffic back. It’s frustrating and, in some instances, dangerous.

A lot of people refer to the left lane as the “fast lane” but there is actually no such thing as a “fast lane”. There is however a passing lane and it’s the far left lane. It exists to allow drivers who want to get around slower moving traffic to pass. The only reason for a driver to be in the left lane is to pass or to make a left turn. Once you have passed the slower traffic, you should move, as soon as it is safe to do so, back into the right hand lane so that others may pass.

Some drivers have the feeling that, “As long as I’m doing the speed limit, I have a right to be in the left lane and anyone who wants to pass me is speeding and needs to slow down.” That’s a dangerous attitude to have. Unless you’re a police officer, you shouldn’t take it on yourself to try to make others obey the traffic laws. Even if and especially if other drivers are speeding, you should move to the right and allow them to pass.

When a driver drives slower than the flow of traffic in the left lane, it tends to frustrate other drivers and could lead those other drivers to engage in risky behavior such as tailgating, lane weaving, or passing in no-passing zones. In extreme cases, it can lead to incidents of deadly road rage. Aggressive driving and road rage are reaching epidemic proportions in the US and safe drivers should do whatever they can to avoid those situations and allow the aggressive driver plenty of room to pass by.

Under Florida’s law, a driver traveling more than 10 mph under the posted speed limit can be given a ticket for obstructing traffic. However, drivers shouldn’t have the attitude that as long as they are doing less than 10 mph under the speed limit or even if they are doing the speed limit that they can remain in the left lane. Use the left lane only for passing and, unless you’re passing someone else or preparing to turn left, stay in the right lane.

Florida isn’t the only state with a left-lane slowpoke law. Illinois has had a similar law since 2004. In New Jersey, the fine for lingering in the left lane increased up to $300 in 2012. A similar law is under consideration in the Georgia legislature.

An article published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs shows that the minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives. “The evidence is clear that there would be consequences if we lowered the legal drinking age,” said lead researcher William DeJong, Ph.D., of Boston University School of Public Health. Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140224081655.htm

A new law is making its way through the Florida legislature that will close a loophole that many feel has been open too long. Many feel that drunk or drugged drivers have gotten the word that it’s better to flee the scene of a collision and escape the severe penalties of a DUI and wait until they’re sober to turn themselves in on the less severe charge of Leaving the Scene of a Collision.

The bill is known as the “Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act.” Aaron Cohen was a bicyclist who was struck and killed by a motorist who fled the scene of the collision in February of 2012. The driver turned himself into authorities a day later and was charged with leaving the scene of a collision. There is no way to know if the driver had really been under the influence but, if he was, the period between the collision and turning himself into authorities gave him plenty of time to sober up. He was eventually sentenced to just under a year in jail. Had he been charged with DUI Manslaughter, under Florida law, he would have had to serve a minimum of four years in prison.

The new law seeks to prevent drivers from fleeing the scene of a collision by making the penalties just as harsh as the DUI laws. Under the new law, a driver who flees the scene of a collision will have to serve a mandatory prison term of:

• Three years if the crash results in injury to a person;
• Seven years if the crash results in serious bodily injury to a person; or
• Ten years if the crash results in the death of a person.

In addition to the above, the driver will:

• Have his or her driver license revoked for a minimum period of at least 3 years
• Participate in a victim’s impact panel session in a judicial circuit if such panel exists; or
• Participate in a driver education course relating to the rights of vulnerable road users relative to vehicles on the roadway.
• Serve 120 community service hours in a trauma center or hospital that regularly receives victims of vehicle accidents.
• Pay restitution to the victim or victim’s family (this is in addition to fines, court costs, etc.).

The bill, so far, has made it through both the Criminal Justice Committee and the Transportation Committee with unanimous support. It now goes on to the House and Senate for approval. For anyone wishing to voice support of the bill, you can write to your legislator at: https://secure2.convio.net/madd/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=F595F92F3D08EFACD9B029BEFAADB248.app263b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1345

For more information on the bill visit the Aaron Cohen Law website.