Nebraska considers law against leftlanedriving

Article says lots of people in the left lane do under the speed limit!! What a lie that is.

Area truckers favor bill to limit driving in left lane

By Jim Brazda Reporter

A bill was introduced in the Unicameral Thursday, January 5, by Sen. Marian Price, Lincoln, that could change the way Nebraskans drive. The bill, LB 909, would make it illegal to drive in the pbutting lane on interstates and highways in Nebraska where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour or more. The bill would allow exceptions when the volume of traffic makes it unsafe to merge into the non-pbutting lane.

Many times, people driving in the left lane are traveling under the speed limit, said Ron Madsen, Blair. Madsen drives for Innovative Window & Door, and has driven a commercial truck for nearly 30 years.

If this bill pbuttes, Madsen said he hopes people will be more aware of staying in the right lane so others can pbutt easily and get back into the non-pbutting lane. It will keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly, he said.

ãItâs just too bad they have to pbutt a law for something thatâs just common sense,ä Madsen said.

The left lane being open is a good thing for the flow of traffic, sometimes people drive as slow as 65 mph in the pbutting lane on the interstate which can back traffic up, he said.

People drive on the interstate between Omaha and Lincoln as if it were Dodge Street, Madsen said. If people are going to go slower than the speed limit, they need to be in the right lane, he said.

Truckers get frustrated sometimes when they have to get somewhere and traffic is backed up by someone putzing along in the pbutting lane, he said.

Rick Jasa, vice president of Jasa Transit, said he thought the bill was a wonderful idea.

ãNothing drives me nuttier than people that drive in the left lane,ä he said.

The only problem would be enforcing a potential law, he said. It would be difficult to tell if someone was driving in the lane, or merely pbutting slowly. But if the blatant abusers are stopped, it will make it easier for everybody, he said.

Sen. Mick Mines said although he has not yet read the bill, he is not sold on the idea, mainly because it is unclear how it would be enforced. It would place law enforcement officers in a position where they would have to make a subjective call as to whether or not someone is cruising in the left lane, or slowly pbutting, making enforcement problematic, he said.

Jasa said he likes the bill because of its safety worth. When a trucker drives in the left lane, other motorists will pbutt on the right, which is the driverâs largest blind spot.

When people learn that they have to drive in the right lane, or get a ticket, they will comply, he said.