B.C.'s left-lane hogs to face tougher rules, transportation minister promises

The B.C. government is planning a crackdown this spring on drivers who hog the left lane, preventing other vehicles from passing.

• VOTE | Do we need to crack down on left lane hogs?
• B.C. raises speed limit on some highways to 120 km/h.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone said Monday he plans legislation to give more power to police to ticket drivers who aren't using the lane to pass.

Drivers who clog up the fast lane aren't just a nuisance, said Stone. They also cause some serious problems on the road.

"Whether it's ICBC, collision information or RCMP traffic reports, failure to keep right except to pass is a cause of many collisions across British Columbia," he said.

Stone said police already ticket drivers who don't move into the right lane to let other drivers pass, but those tickets are often overturned in court.

"The way that the legislation is currently written, it does not provide them with the tools that give them the high degree of confidence that actually pulling someone over and giving them the ticket will stand up in court."

The government will also plan a publicity campaign reminding drivers that driving in the left lane while not passing is against the law, Stone said.

Stone first promised to introduce new penalties for left lane hogs last year when he announced changes to raise the speed limit on some sections of B.C. highways to 120 km/h.

VOTE | Do we need to crack down on left lane hogs?