On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:58:42 GMT, Steven Canyon
Hmmm ... at this point I think we need the actual text of the law to reference ... it's kinda long ...
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Abstract : Motor Vehicles: Creates the "Road Rage Reduction Act"; provides legislative intent; requires operators of motor vehicles in the left-most lane to yield the right-of-way to vehicles moving faster on certain highways; requires operators of motor vehicles to drive in the right-hand lane on certain highways; provides exceptions; provides penalties for violation; provides for the buttessment of points for violating specified provisions that require operators of motor vehicles to drive on the right side of the road; requires the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to provide an educational awareness campaign; provides a grace period when warnings and educational literature may be issued.
HB 157 2005 CS CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hb0157-01-c1
FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CHAMBER ACTION
1 The State Infrastructure Council recommends 1 the following: 2 3 Council-Committee Subsbreastute 4 Remove the entire bill and insert: 5 A bill to be enbreastled 6 An act relating to motor vehicles; providing a popular 7 name; creating the "Road Rage Reduction Act"; providing 8 legislative intent; amending s. 316.081, F.S.; requiring 9 operators of motor vehicles in the left-most lane to yield 10 the right-of-way to vehicles moving faster on certain 11 highways; requiring operators of motor vehicles to drive 12 in the right-hand lane on certain highways; providing 13 exceptions; providing penalties for violation; amending s. 14 322.27, F.S.; providing for the buttessment of points for 15 violating specified provisions that require operators of 16 motor vehicles to drive on the right side of the road; 17 requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor 18 Vehicles to provide an educational awareness campaign; 19 providing a grace period when warnings and educational 20 literature may be issued; providing effective dates. 21 22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 23 25 Reduction Act." 26 Section 2. It is the intent of the Legislature to decrease 27 the incidence of drivers interfering with the movement of 28 traffic, to reduce road rage and aggressive driving, to minimize 29 crashes, and to promote the orderly, free flow of traffic on the 30 roads and highways of the state. 31 Section 3. Effective January 1, 2006, section 316.081, 32 Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 33 316.081 Driving on right side of roadway; exceptions.-- 34 (1) Upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall 35 be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows: 36 (a) When overtaking and pbutting another vehicle proceeding 37 in the same direction under the rules governing such movement; 38 (b) When an obstruction exists making it necessary to 39 drive to the left of the center of the highway; provided any 40 person so doing shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles 41 traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion 42 of the highway within such distance as to consbreastute an 43 immediate hazard; 44 (c) Upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes for 45 traffic under the rules applicable thereon; however, upon any 46 limited access roadway having two or more lanes for each 47 direction of travel, any vehicle driven in the left-most lane 48 shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle traveling at a 49 higher speed by moving to the nearest lane to the right at the 50 first practicable and safe opportunity; or (d) Upon a roadway 51 designated designated and signposted for one-way 52 traffic. 53 (2) Upon a two-lane roadway providing for two-way movement 54 of traffic, a vehicle (all roadways, any vehicle proceeding at 55 less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and 56 under the conditions then existing shall-language removed) be driven in the right 57 hand lane then available for traffic or as close as practicable 58 to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except when 59 overtaking and pbutting another vehicle proceeding in the same 60 direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection 61 or into a private road or driveway. 62 (3) Upon any roadway having four or more lanes for moving 63 traffic and providing for two-way movement of traffic, no 64 vehicle shall be driven to the left of the centerline of the 65 roadway, except when authorized by official traffic control 66 devices designating certain lanes to the left side of the center 67 of the roadway for use by traffic not otherwise permitted to use 68 such lanes, or except as permitted under paragraph (1)(b). 68 plus 1 However, this subsection shall not be construed as prohibiting 70 the crossing of the centerline in making a left turn into or 71 from an alley, private road, or driveway. 72 (a) Upon a four-lane highway, an interstate highway, or a 73 highway with fully controlled access, or the Florida Intrastate 74 Highway System, a vehicle may not be driven in the left-hand 75 lane except when overtaking and pbutting another vehicle. 76 (b) Paragraph (a) shall not apply: 77 1. When no other vehicle is directly behind the vehicle in 78 the left-hand lane; 79 When traffic conditions and congestion make it 80 impractical to drive in the right-hand lane; 81 3. When inclement weather conditions make it necessary to 82 drive in the left-hand lane; 83 4. When obstructions or hazards exist in the right-hand 84 lane; 85 5. When, because of highway design, a vehicle must be 86 driven in the left-hand lane when preparing to exit; 87 6. On toll highways when necessary to use Sun-Pbutt and on 88 toll and other highways when driving in the left-hand lane is 89 required to comply with an official traffic control device; or 90 7. To law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, and other 91 emergency vehicles engaged in official duties and vehicles 92 engaged in highway maintenance and construction operations. 93 (4) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic 94 infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in 95 chapter 318. 96 Section 4. Paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 97 322.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 98 322.27 Authority of department to suspend or revoke 99 license.-- 100 (3) There is established a point system for evaluation of 101 convictions of violations of motor vehicle laws or ordinances, 102 and violations of applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b) when 103 such violations involve the use of motor vehicles, for the 104 determination of the continuing qualification of any person to 105 operate a motor vehicle. The department is authorized to suspend 106 the license of any person upon showing of its records or other 107 good and sufficient evidence that the licensee has been 108 convicted of violation of motor vehicle laws or ordinances, or 109 applicable provisions of s. 403.413(6)(b), amounting to 12 or 110 more points as determined by the point system. The suspension 111 shall be for a period of not more than 1 year. 112 (d) The point system shall have as its basic element a 113 graduated scale of points buttigning relative values to 114 convictions of the following violations: 115 1. Reckless driving, willful and wanton--4 points. 116 2. Leaving the scene of a crash resulting in property 117 damage of more than $50--6 points. 118 3. Unlawful speed resulting in a crash--6 points. 119 4. Pbutting a stopped school bus--4 points. 120 5. Unlawful speed: 121 a. Not in excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted 122 speed--3 points. 123 b. In excess of 15 miles per hour of lawful or posted 124 speed--4 points. 125 6. All other moving violations (including parking on a 126 highway outside the limits of a municipality)--3 points. 127 However, no points shall be imposed for a violation of s. 128 316.0741 or s. 316.2065(12). 129 7. Any moving violation covered above, excluding unlawful 130 speed, resulting in a crash--4 points. 131 8. Any conviction under s. 403.413(6)(5)(b)--3 points. 132 9. Any conviction under s. 316.081--4 points. 133 Section 5. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor 134 Vehicles shall provide an educational awareness campaign 135 informing the motoring public about the Road Rage Reduction Act. 136 The department shall provide information about the Road Rage 137 Reduction Act in all newly printed driver license educational 138 materials after July 1, 2005, and in public service 139 announcements produced in cooperation with the Florida Highway 140 Patrol. 141 Section 6. Effective July 1, 2005, a driver of a motor 142 vehicle who does not violate the then-existing provisions of 143 section 316.081, Florida Statutes, but whose conduct would 144 violate those provisions as amended effective January 1, 2006, 145 may be issued a verbal warning and given educational literature 146 regarding the changes in this act by a law enforcement officer. 147 Section 7. Except as otherwise provided herein, this act 148 shall take effect July 1, 2005.
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Now we know why the lawbooks are so thick. You don't suppose "Slow-buttes need to stay the hell out of the leftmost lane" would have done the trick ... ?
Anyway ... as best I can interpret, the proposed law as sent to the state senate only seems interested in 'faster' vehicles. No overt mention is made of whether 'faster' is 'illegally faster' or not. If you're in the leftmost lane and someone faster is coming up behind you - even if you are doing 75 already - you're obligated to move over. I suppose 'speeding' is to be dealt with as a seperate issue entirely. If the 'faster' vehicle is well over the posted limit then it's YOUR job to move aside and the COPS job to intercept the speeder.
Fortunately, the polishing-up committee added some sensible exceptions to the left-lane policy. There are times and circumstances when one SHOULD or MUST occupy that lane even if you're not going very fast.
