It’s a common frustration for B.C. drivers: Cars that camp out in the left-hand lane – even when they’re not passing another vehicle.
But there’s some good news on the way. The provincial government is planning to crack down on these so-called left-lane hogs.
Transportation minister Todd Stone says he’ll introduce legislation in the spring giving police forces more tools to go after slow drivers in the left lane.
“One of the key things that we heard from British Columbians all over the province was this frustration related to left-lane hogs, people who tend to camp out in that lane and seem to think that the left lane and the right lane are there to serve the same purposes. They’re not,” Stone told reporters at the Legislature Tuesday.
The legislation comes as a result of a 2014 rural and safety speed review by the transportation ministry.
Stone said police data shows a “good number” of collisions are caused in part by driver frustration over left-lane hogs.
In addition to giving police more power to deal with the nuisance, the government is also pondering more highway signs that ask drivers to move to the right except to pass.
“The challenge is that a lot of British Columbians don’t seem to know that and don’t seem to respect that requirement,” he said.
Stone wouldn’t specify what changes will be included in the new legislation, but the province is examining what works in other parts of the country.
