Left-Lane Slowpokes May Be Georgia's Newest Criminals

If you've ever been stuck behind a person driving too slowly in the fast lane, the Georgia Legislature is here for you: Its "slowpoke" bill would require anyone driving on a divided highway to move to the right when a faster car approaches from behind—even if the "slowpoke" is actually going the speed limit. Not doing so would be a misdemeanor, if Gov. Nathan Deal signs the bill into law, USA Today reports. "Slowpokes" would face as much as a year in prison and $1,000 in fines.

But Rep. Bill Hitchens, the bill's sponsor and a former state trooper, says he doesn't expect the penalties to be nearly that high—nor does he expect them to be meted out that often, as he acknowledges the law would be difficult to enforce, since a police officer will need to witness it. But he says it's all about education: "I don't think a lot of people understand ... that slower traffic is supposed to keep right," he says. Last month, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that too-slow drivers are often "the spark that ignites road rage." (More Georgia stories.)