Truck Driving and Left-Lane Restrictions
Posted on Thu, May 26, 2011 @ 11:23 AM
A bill is on route to being passed in the Louisiana Senate that will
prohibit truckers from using the left lane on multi-lane highways. Bill SB139 moves to the senate floor after last Thursday’s vote. The Senate Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee voted 4-3 to advance a bill so now it is on to the senate where the bill already has much support. Many other states already have similar bills in place such as Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Georgia, California, and New York.
Other states have restrictions on certain stretches of road and not state-wide bans. There is a lot of discrepancy when it comes to these bans so knowing where and when to avoid a fine can be difficult.
First, let’s see why the left lane is so off limits to truckers in the first place. The far left lane (not HOV) on most major highways in the country is supposed to be used for passing only. Anyone who’s driven for even 5 minutes on a highway knows this is mostly ignored. So if driver’s can ignore that rule then why can’t truckers get away with simply driving to pass in the left lane? It has to do with truckers’ blind spots. Most trucks have warning stickers on the back to make drivers aware of their blind spots but those often are not followed due to traffic conditions or go ignored altogether. The biggest blind spot is on the right hand side so when trucks travel in the left lane that leaves only the blind side facing traffic. For left-hand lane and improper-lane-use-related crashes involving all vehicles, there were more than 15,000 accidents in 2008. In these, 178 people died.
Trucks also take longer to stop so combining that with higher speeds in the left lane can lead to more accidents. However, the main issue when it comes to passing bills is the blind spot.
There is no doubt that truckers’ blind spots make the roads less safe but do they make the road less safe in every case? Many drivers say there are times where it makes no difference which lane they are in, especially depending on traffic conditions. This is why some states only prohibit trucks from using the left lane in and around major cities. “I've lived and driven in Illinois all my life and never seen or heard anything about no trucks being in the left lane. I avoid Chicago like the plague so it might be that way up there, but in the rest of the state we've got the stay right except to pass laws, but as long as you're passing someone the hammer lane is legal.” When it comes to the new Louisiana law that is still under debate, Cathy Gautreaux, executive director for the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, had this to say: “A blanket application to all highways is not appropriate.” She believes lane restrictions are only beneficial in certain instances and could be harmful in others.
Both sides of the bill have support however Senators seem to be less sympathetic toward truckers. Sen. Rob Marionneaux (D-Grosse Tete) said, “Quite frankly I’m not interested in the opinion of the person driving (the truck).” The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) responded with a plea to citizens to contact their senators to voice concerns about the bill.