What's happening
This bill establishes lane usage rules and fines to promote safer driving and reduce road rage on New York roadways.
Why it matters
The bill requires drivers to use the rightmost lane when available, except when passing or preparing to turn left. , which aims to reduce unnecessary congestion in faster lanes and improve overall traffic flow.
Drivers are explicitly required to stay within a single lane unless it is safe to change lanes. , potentially reducing sudden swerving and unsafe lane changes that contribute to accidents.
Special lane usage rules are set for three-lane highways and for lanes designated for slow or fast traffic. , meaning slower vehicles must keep right, and vehicles in faster lanes must not impede the flow—addressing common causes of road rage and bottlenecks.
Violations of these lane-usage rules carry fines between $100 and $300. , introducing a tangible deterrent that may encourage better compliance and safer driving behavior statewide.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Increase Lane Violation Fines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2742
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to penalties for certain traffic violations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 1132 to read as follows:
§ 1132. Lane safety. To decrease road rage, when a roadway is divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following:
(a) A vehicle shall normally be driven in the lane nearest the righthand edge or curb of the roadway when that lane is available for travel, except when overtaking another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn.
(b) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement can be made with safety.
(c) Upon a highway which is divided into three lanes, a vehicle shall not be driven in the center lane except when overtaking or passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or unless the center lane is at the time allocated for traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is signposted to give notice of that allocation.
(d) The commissioner shall, by regulation, or local authorities shall, by resolution or ordinance with respect to highways under their jurisdiction, designate right-hand lanes for slow moving traffic and inside lanes for traffic moving at the speed designated for the district, and when the lanes are signposted or marked to give notice of the designation, a vehicle may be driven in any lane allocated to traffic moving in the direction in which it is proceeding, but when traveling within
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04641-01-9
A. 2742 2
the inside lanes, the vehicle shall be driven at approximately the speed authorized in such lanes and speed shall not be decreased unnecessarily so as to block, hinder or slow traffic.
(e) The penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of not less than one hundred dollars or more than three hundred dollars.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.