Northwest Iowa — An Iowa Senate Committee has given its approval to new fines for drivers who loiter too long in the left lane on an interstate or four-lane highway.
Senator Zach Whiting of Spirit Lake has been given the task of steering the bill through the senate.
Whiting travels both Highway 20 and Interstate 35 on his commute to the state capitol and sees drivers who fail to yield the left lane to faster-moving vehicles.
If the bill becomes law, Whiting expects it will include a requirement that the DOT use its digital signs or add some highway signs to alert drivers to move out of the left lane if they’re not passing.
Last year, a bill that would have established a $100 fine for drivers who linger too long in the left lane stalled in the Iowa House. This past summer, the ILLINOIS State Police deployed unmarked vehicles to catch drivers misusing the left lane and handed out tickets that carry a $120 fine.
Photo of Senator Zach Whiting from KIWA Archives
