As a matter of safety, and to help fund state budget shortfalls with traffic tickets, idiots will face higher fines on NJ highways.
The idiots, as George Carlin explains in the video below, are those people who are driving slower than you on the road; the maniacs are the ones driving faster.
The new law signed by Chris Christie doubles the fines for failing to stay right, a.k.a using the left lane for passing only to between $100 and $300; there is also a two point penalty.
For some, the law might not be very clear, as was the case for a Wyckoff college student being followed by a police car in the left hand lane. In this case last December, the police officer issued a summons to the driver. This was one of over 4,200 tickets issued throughout 2012 for violations of the stay-right law.
The Record’s “Road Warrior” column describes the situation the young driver found herself in, and; it also offers some helpful advice from an unidentified state trooper,
“Anyone in the left lane should immediately yield to an overtaking vehicle as soon as practical. If you’re not traveling the speed of the cars around you, get the hell out of the way. But on summer weekends on the parkway, for example, there are way too many cars and not enough space. So, out of necessity, the left lane must be used and rules go out the window. On balance, the totality of circumstances should be considered when issuing a summons.”
These increases in fines to idiots going too slow in the left hand lane is a breath of fresh air for the maniacs who must drive around them. Statistics show that the more frequently lane changing occurs, the more opportunity there is for an accident to occur.
The increase in fines is expected to bring greater awareness to NJ drivers that doing the speed limit in the left hand lane still leaves you vulnerable to a hefty fine and two points on your license.
Awareness of the stay right law should also discourage tailgating. This is a more dangerous infraction reflected in a five point penalty on a drivers license.
New Jersey is not alone in trying to improve traffic conditions, improve safety, and encourage more civil behavior. This summer in Britain, a similar effort is underway concerning “lane hogs”. People in Britain drive on “the wrong side” of the road, but experience the same frustrations of many drivers not understanding that on “motorways” the lanes serve different purposes – one being designated for passing.
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23081699/nj-boosts-fines-for-left-lane-hogs