«Right Lane» bill will be passed in several US states
Virginia legislators are considering passing a «right lane» bill in response to bad weather and multiple accidents.
The law will restrict commercial traffic to the right lane of any roadway with two or more lanes during winter weather states. On Thursday, the Virginia Senate Transportation Committee supported Senate Bill 706 by voting 10 to 5.
Senator David Marsden says the bill is his reaction to the shutdown of Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg area, which left many truckers stucked for 24 hours or more. Many people were left without food, water or access to toilets.
«Earlier this week we faced extreme weather conditions in Virginia that caused large trucks to slip and stack, resulting in a complete blockage of I-95. I’m working on a bill that will help avoid this problem in the future,» Marsden wrote in a Jan. 8 tweet.
The Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management are now working on a full timeline of events to determine what led to the extended interstate road closures that left drivers stranded.
The bill will be presented to the 2022 legislative session on Jan.12.
There is similar law in Pennsylvania, it requires tractor trailers to drive in the right lane on roads where the speed limit is lowered due to severe weather.
