The bottom line is that patience, courtesy, and common sense are essential while traveling the highways of this or any other state.
Alas, because drivers often do not embrace those qualities, the Washington State Patrol recently undertook a concerted effort to provide scofflaws with a gentle reminder. Troopers engaged in a three-day, statewide program targeting people who drive slower than the speed limit in the left lane of multilane highways and, considering the thankful public response that engendered, the program was much needed.
“The left lane is intended for passing vehicles only,” Trooper Will Finn told The Columbian. “The law states that you have to get over and allow traffic to move freely in that left lane. … By having that left lane open, you’re allowing the successful flow of traffic on the interstate system or on a state route.” You also are allowing for a reduction in frustrated fellow motorists, maddening slowdowns, and potential road rage.
Getting stuck behind a left-lane driver who is traveling at a slow rate and refusing to move over can be frustrating, and that feeling is exacerbated these days by increased congestion that turns any stretch of open road into a welcome respite. In Southwest Washington, the issue is particularly problematic because Oregon does not have a similar left-lane law, which can lead to confusion for drivers who cross the state line. “The fact is, we have an education issue,” Finn said. “We’ve got one large community that stretches two states.”
So, troopers set out to educate the populace. And along the way they brought a relatively minor source of aggravation to the forefront. According to media reports, last year the Washington State Patrol stopped about 14,000 drivers for hogging the left lane in violation of state law. And this year, the Legislature has considered a measure — Senate Bill 6105 — that would enhance the penalties for being a tortoise in the hare lane.
Lawmakers apparently will decline to pass that bill this year, and an argument can be made that the last thing the public needs is a sliding scale of fines depending upon how slowly someone is driving in the left lane of a highway. Not every inconvenience needs to result in a new law that adds to the bureaucracy of enforcement.
But there are, indeed, problems that come with drivers who inconsiderately hog the left lane. The action can hamper emergency vehicles if a driver declines to get over, and it can present a danger if other drivers feel compelled to pass on the right side of the slow car. There are, however, other highway dangers that appear to be more problematic — such as inattentive drivers fiddling with their cellphone or their GPS system or otherwise being distracted.
In recent years, about 33,000 people in the United States have been killed annually in car accidents. Thankfully, that number is roughly 25 percent lower than it was a decade ago, despite an increase in the number of miles driven on U.S. roads. And, yet, history demonstrates that many of those deaths are the result of driver error and could have been prevented.
That brings us back to the gist of the issue — patience, courtesy and common sense are essential when behind the wheel of a car. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and motorists must be considerate of their fellow drivers. Staying out of the left lane unless you are passing another car is one simple way to do that.
