TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida bill that would make it illegal to drive continuously in the left lane cleared another Senate committee on Wednesday.
SB 464 cruised through the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development with a vote of 11-1.
Current Florida law encourages left-lane drivers to move over for faster traffic; this new legislation would make driving in the left lane illegal for anything other than passing or preparing to exit.
According to the text of the bill, drivers would need to keep to the right side of the road on a street or highway that has two or more lanes and a speed limit of at least 65 mph.
Supporters of the Senate bill, and its companion HB 421, point to statistics that show drivers having to slow down and change lanes is more dangerous than speeding.
However, critics of the bill argue that Florida's roads would only become more congested by taking away a whole lane.
There are currently just eight other states where cruising in the left lane is illegal except when passing slower traffic.
Florida's proposed legislation still needs to pass through the full Senate and House before making it to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
If the bill is signed into law, it would take effect as a non-criminal traffic infraction starting Jan. 1, 2024.
10 Tampa Bay's Eric Glasser contributed to this report.