If you’re a slow driver in Arizona, you may want to look out — or at least consider driving faster or getting out of the left lane. Lawmakers in the state are putting forth a new bill that, if passed, would fine drivers for going too slow in the fast lane on highways.
The bill, affectionately called the “Slow Poke” bill, is being proposed by Arizona state representative Teresa Martinez (R-Casa Grande) according to Arizona’s ABC 15. Martinez says the idea for the bill came to her during her commute to Phoenix. She says this isn’t about getting drivers to speed, it’s about being safe.
“If you want to drive 70 mph on the right, beautiful, wonderful. If you want to drive 70 miles an hour on the left, no bueno,” Martinez said.
“You’ve got 5, 7, 10, 15 cars backed up...they’re getting frustrated. Then they pass on the right, speeding... that’s when you get accidents,” Martinez said. “We’re not writing a bill that says drive 85 mph.”
The bill would fine drivers $500 if they’re poking around in the fast lane. The law wouldn’t apply to all interstates, though, only on interstates with two or more lanes.
Drivers have mixed feelings about the bill. Some told ABC 15 they thought it was strange to ticket drivers for going too slow, while others thought there should be certain exceptions. “There should be some sort of limitations, like if someone is going 45 mph, that is a definite hazard,” one driver said to ABC. Another driver thought that the money made from fines should be taken and used on widening local interstates, like I-10, which many describe as too narrow.
The bill is currently on its way to the Arizona House after passing a committee. If passed, Arizona would join a number of states across the country that have restrictive left lane laws. Many of these laws either outright ban driving in the left lane for anything other than passing or restrict slow drivers from using the lane.