It’s a problem that many drivers cause on freeways without knowing it’s illegal.
It’s against the state law to go slow in the left lane of highways and back up traffic. Violators could face a fine of $124.
Troopers rarely issue a ticket, State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said. They try to educate drivers that the fast lane is meant to be used for passing, Leary said. Once a driver finishes passing another vehicle, they need to return to the right lanes.
“It’s something people forget about,” Leary said.
Slow drivers in the fast lane frustrate others, Leary said.
“It could definitely be a trigger for road rage,” he said.
Tom Santeford of Camano Island said that sometimes he see drivers going too slowly in the passing lane. Many drivers also go much faster than the speed limit in that lane and stay there after passing other vehicles.
Allowing drivers to go faster along the passing lane than in other lanes would improve traffic flow, Santeford said.
His wife Kelly Santeford said that some drivers seem to be using carpool lanes for passing. The state finished widening I-5 with new carpool lanes in Everett this year to move traffic faster.
“It’s little confusing sometimes,” she said.
Carpool lanes aren’t to be used for passing, Leary said.
Herb Durant and Tasha Nagy often drive from Abbotsford in British Columbia to Seattle to spend a weekend. Slow drivers back up traffic in the left lane in that province as well, but it’s legal do so there.
The couple said they didn’t know it’s illegal in Washington. Durant said he usually drives in the very right lane along I-5.
“I have a lot of patience for driving. I love to drive slow,” Durant said.
He said he can see why going slow in the passing lane is dangerous.
“They should get a ticket,” he said. “They are as dangerous as going at 120 (mph).”
State lawmakers say they are not considering changing the law. They want the State Patrol to focus on education rather than ticketing for enforcement.
Rep. Liz Loomis, D-Snohomish, the vice chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, said that she hopes the State Patrol is emphasizing the “common courtesy” involved in slower drivers getting out of the fast lane so the flow of traffic isn’t impeded.
“I wouldn’t be running around giving people tickets,” Loomis said “I would be out educating people about why it’s the law and why it’s just common courtesy to stay in the right lane to let faster traffic pass you.”
The law’s intent is to make sure the flow of traffic is maximized and bottlenecks prevented, said Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, a member of the House Transportation Committee.
“If there are people creating a hazard you want the State Patrol to do what’s appropriate,” she said. “I would expect the State Patrol will use common sense.”
Danise Bell of Marysville said that she tries to avoid driving in the passing lane where drivers go too fast or too slow.
“I see them a lot,” Bell said. “It causes traffic problems. It becomes a mess.”
Troopers should ticket those drivers, Bell said. A law without enforcement is worthless.
Troopers don’t plan to crack down on drivers in the left lane, Leary said. They want drivers to know the law and follow it.
“This is not an old law we are dusting off to come after you,” he said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
