Hello? Georgia State Patrol? Idaho Is Passing You On The Right
A brief refresher. In 2014, Georgia’s legislature passed and Governor Deal signed a “move over, slowpoke” law. It was designed and written specifically to make slower traffic move right, regardless of speed. That’s right. If you’re “going the speed limit”, you can (AND SHOULD) be ticketed if you don’t yield to faster traffic in the lane behind you. “Should”.
The law isn’t enforced. Anyone that takes a weekend/holiday trip on Georgia’s overcrowded interstates can vouch for this. Drivers are inexplicably programmed to get on the freeway, immediately move to the left-most lane, and cruise at the speed of the driver in front of them. I once passed 32 cars on the right in a row, but that required luck. There weren’t a half mile of semi-trucks clogging the right lanes, allowing me to do this.
All that is to say that Idaho now has a similar law. It only applies to cars moving at the speed limit or lower (WEAK!). And yet…they’re enforcing it.
Memo to Brian Kemp: If you want to win 157 counties again in the general election, campaign on nothing more than a commitment to open up the left lanes on Georgias freeways. This is an issue that transcends partisan politics. If mutual hatred for the morons that clog up the left lane won’t unite the citizens of this state, nothing will.
Labor Day weekend is coming. Lots of Georgians will have an up close and personal example of this phenomenon going into early voting to think about. Let’s get this done. Put some teeth and enforcement behind this four year old law.
About Author
Charlie
Founder of GeorgiaPol.com; Now weekly columnist Very interested in Georgia and Georginas. Interest in politics is waning daily.
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Gosh I’ve missed “Get off my lawn” Charlie. He should come out to play more often!
I need to read up on this again because ive never understood how you can ticket someone for NOT going OVER the speed limit.
Note: I do not disagree with the intent behind move over laws.
Because the left-most lane is the passing lane. If you aren’t passing you don’t belong there.
Personally, I think people find it easier to text in the left lane for some reason. Also, if they aren’t in the left they don’t have the option of cutting across multiple lanes when their exit comes up.
Hmm. I see the logic. It’s a bit of a stretch to justify the move over ticket. But Im no legal mind. Im a scientist. Lol.
I look at it like a “Pay More Attention to Other People” kind of law. God knows so many drive without communicating with or caring about other drivers.
I would love them to enforce this on city streets too.
1000% agree with this!
What do you care?
Mobility scooters aren’t allowed on the road anyways.
Are you saying you actually do that. Just to piss people off? Please tell ne that this is your sense of humor finally peaking out!
I-24 is constantly backed up. Mostly because semi’s try to pass in the left lane, then they hit a hill and don’t have the power or dont downshift so the two trucks next to one another back up traffic. I have been saying for years that on I-24 Semi’s should only be allowed in the right lane.
Did GA ever have mandatory Driver’s Ed in high school?
You learn to drive, your folks save $, the coach gets work done.
Win-Win-Win!
I had the same set-up without the errands.
My niece had drivers ed last spring semester, while I was simultaneously tasked with teaching her to drive. Her experience was similar to yours (a lot of Chick Fil A runs). When I asked “did they teach you this in Drivers Ed?”, the answer was almost always “no”.
My Drivers Ed teacher (in PA) was constantly talking about how the big car companies were suppressing fuel economy technology, especially the Fish Carburetor, and water injection. Fun times.
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I don’t think that move-over law should apply in metro areas. It’s too chaotic and like water, traffic will seek it’s own level if one lane is faster, but it can change from one mile to the next, so you’re going to be in violation if the lane to your right starts moving faster than yours?
Oh heck yea when I was in high school!
Funny story, the only B I got in high school was in Driver’s Ed! We used to cut up so much in that class and the teacher gave my buddies Bs! I went back to whine about it and he laughed and said that I earned that B! I have seen him years later and we both laughed about that story! I deserved it for smarting off so much in class! PS. This was a public high school and not exactly Westminster or Marist!
I was more impressed that he got a “B”.
Must have really stood out with all those C’s, D’s, and F’s.
I went to school in another state and classroom-based Driver’s Ed was required. Sad to say, but I sometimes feel like I learned the most from Driver’s Ed and Typing class out of all my classes.
Oh, so only conservatives drive in the left lane? So I guess all you LEFTIES are in the right hand lane with the Prius’s, grannies and scooters!?
Well the next time I see a goober driving a Prius in the left hand lane with Obama stickers all over it, at least I will know who it is! Thanks for the head’s up!
Hey NOWAY, does this surprise you at all?! Makes perfect sense to me! Awe naw!
Bless your heart.
Those “SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT” signs have never had an asterisk on them.
A coworker’s grandfather was ticketed for this. So there’s at least one GSP officer out there enforcing this law 🙂
If you can get me this officer’s name I will make sure he gets a “Georgia hero of the year” award.
One time my brother in law and I helped his uncle move some furniture from Macon to Atlanta. It was the uncle’s truck so he drove.
He drove 45 mph in the left lane all the way from Macon to Atlanta on I-75 in July. This was back when I-75 was only two lanes all the way. No air conditioning in the truck either.
I got so tired of hearing cuss words and seeing middle fingers as cars and trucks passed us on the right. The line behind us stretched as far as you see and all going 45 mph. I slid down in my seat until I was on the floorboard.
We suggested moving to the right lane but he said he had better vision driving on the left.
It was the longest two hours of my life.
Speaking of traffic laws, how about this: Allow DOT to set the speed limits on state and federal roads through out the state. The rational for this is traveling four lanes in South Georgia where the limit is 65 mph in one county, then suddenly 55 in the middle of the country when you cross the county line. I realize this is a major source of revenue for these rural counties, but it doesn’t help Georgia’s reputation as a speed trap.
GDOT is in fact in charge of setting speed limits on these state (and federal) roads Idoc. The state is also heavily involved in issuing permits to local governments for speed detection device (RADAR, LASER, etc) use on permitted roadways ( a permit to use) which requires a traffic engineering study. Add that to the “10 mile an hour plus rule” (not always a rule, but usually is for local speed enforcement) which also effects enforcement on certain roadways.
I’m just glad 55 nationwide was repealed, that was a travesty. States should be free to set their own speed limits.
Oh and I too wish the left lane hogs were ticketed more often. They really make traffic flow dangerous and unpredictable.
I have the solution to this problem. Just move all the steering wheels to the right. That way the left lane will be empty.