In Louisiana, it is now legally possible to get pulled over for driving like your grandma… even if you’re going almost the speed limit. Starting this week, the state has declared war on left-lane lurkers who treat the passing lane like a slow parade route.
So if you’re the kind of person who sets your cruise control to 64 in a 65 and settles in with a podcast, congrats… you might now be eligible for a $150 fine and a confused conversation with a state trooper.
The new law targets drivers going under the speed limit in the left lane of multi-lane highways. Previously, you had to be driving at least 10 miles per hour under the posted limit to get cited. Now, going just one mph under is enough to get you busted. And yes, this includes Priuses and big rigs.
Fines escalate quickly: $150 for the first offense, $250 for the second, and $350 for the third… at which point you could also face jail time.
On most divided highways in the state, 65 mph is the standard speed limit, and this law applies to the left lane only. It’s meant to reinforce the idea that the left lane is for passing, not poking along and blocking faster drivers. But to be clear, this doesn’t mean you can speed… it just means you can’t drive slower than the limit in that lane.
The old rule allowed more wiggle room, only penalizing people going 10 mph below the limit. The updated version gives law enforcement broader authority to ticket drivers who are disrupting the flow of traffic, even slightly.
Will it be heavily enforced? That remains to be seen. But if you’re the type who likes to coast in the left lane with no one in front of you and a mile-long line behind you, it might be time to slide on over.