Good afternoon,
Delaware legislators found an issue everyone can get behind because we have all gotten behind a left lane slowpoke.
The resolution urges DelDOT and the Delaware State Police to look into the issue.
Other states have passed legislation that allows police to more aggressively ticket slow drivers hogging the left lane and goading frustrated drivers into making dangerous maneuvers.
While there is nearly universal agreement on the issue, a solution may prove elusive. Law enforcement is stretched thin in dealing with traffic issues and does have the power to pull over an individual driving too slowly.
Bigger problems in some areas come lane weavers who don’t use signals. tailgaters, loud-piped tuner and performance cars attempting to travel at high speeds, and distracted drivers glued to their mobile devices or large dashboard displays.
Father time is sometimes an issue as we have all gotten behind an individual driving to an appointment with a death grip on the steering wheel.
If we are lucky, the individual is in the right lane. Too often, we’re on a two-lane highway.
Another issue is the nature of many of Delaware’s four-lane roads which come with a multitude of curb cuts, developments, and turn lanes. Getting into a left-hand lane for an upcoming left-hand turn is not a given in a sea of inattentive or ill-mannered drivers.
Would a law that allows more slow left-hand lane drivers to be pulled over a good idea? Perhaps.
Hiring more State Police or redeploying troopers to highway enforcement and away from residential calls in rural areas in Kent and Sussex counties is another idea.
As it now stands, a resolution costs little and will likely have little impact on our slowpoke friends.
Agree or disagree? Let me know. Simply return this message and fire away – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
