Proposed law targets 'left lane lingerers' in Delaware

Proposed law targets 'left lane lingerers' in Del. 

Drivers who just sit in the left lane can be the worst and one lawmaker says it's getting especially bad in Delaware. A new proposed law is looking to change that. FOX 29's Jeff Cole reports.

DELAWARE - Drivers who just sit in the left lane can be the worst and one lawmaker says it's getting especially bad in Delaware. A new proposed law is looking to change that. 

"Left lane lingerers" that’s what a Delaware senator calls motorists who poke along in the left lane at or below the speed limit. The “lingerers” he says cause other motorists to slip in and out of lanes to avoid or get around them.

State senator Bryan Townsend wants the "lingerers" to linger no longer, especially on limited-access sections of busy Route 1 south of the Christiana Mall to just south of Dover.

His bill would hit motorists with a $100 fine if they linger in the left lane on the first offense and $200 if they’re caught again.

The new law, which was proposed over the summer allows motorists to use the left or speed lane to pass another vehicle or take an exit only. If approved, the law would apply to all Delaware highways, but tickets would only be handed out on Route 1. The senator says there are too many “on and off ramps” along routes like 95 for Delaware State Police to know if a motorist is a “left lane lingerer."