On July 1, 2009, a new Kansas law goes into effect that makes it illegal to drive in the left lane of a multi-lane highway outside city limits – unless you are passing another vehicle, or exiting the highway. (Other exceptions are construction zones and accidents.) The new law does not apply to highways inside city limits.
Motorists who are pulled over for lingering in the left lane will be given warning tickets until July 2010. After that, officers will begin issuing $60 tickets.
The intent of the law is to improve the flow of traffic on Kansas highways, and make them safer by reducing the incidents of tailgating and road rage caused by slower drivers who get in the left lane and stay there while traffic bunches up behind them.
If you aren’t passing, stay to the right and leave the left lane for passing. Whether you agree with it or not – come July 1st – it’s the law.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Thank you Kansas! It’s about time! No more “Kansas road blocks” And hopefully no more frustrated drivers zig zagging and cutting-off those traveling in the right lane to get past the slow lefters. I have always followed this rule that many other states adopted years ago. Let’s make it work for our safety and especially that of our children.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
But note the law does not apply inside city limits. This is presumably because where there are exits/ entrances every mile or so, thru traffic drivers SHOULD keep left to reduce congestion caused by cars exiting and entering. So please, don’t be aggravated by other cars in the left lane in the city. Just go with the flow and wait until you are out of town to put the hammer down.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
“Amen” to Paula H’s comments!!
May 16th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I think this is utterly stupid, I could understand inside city limits but outside city limits?
May 16th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Another assinine law – why don’t we just change USA to RUSSIA – everything you do is illegal anymore. It is turning into a dictatorship with so many laws about what you can’t do, that you can’t live anymore.
The PROBLEM with this law IS IT WON’T BE FOLLOWED. If you are already going the speeding limit, NOBODY should be passing you except for law enforcement and other emergency vehicles!
You KNOW what is going to happen.
Absolutely unjustified pure bull-hockey.
May 17th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Let’s see how many warning tickets I get between now and July ’10 before I remember to get my butt back over
May 19th, 2009 at 8:35 am
It is common sense to move over after passing another vehicle; it is sad that as adults and the most intelligent species on the planet we have to pass a law that would suggest we do not have common sense.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:40 am
So does this mean I can speed around someone so that I don’t get a “lingering” ticket? If nobody is behind me and I’m gaining on the person in front of me, how close do I have to get in order to move to the left lane? The state is passing more stupid laws but won’t enforce the DUI laws to keep the dangerous drivers off the road. DUI drivers get released from the jails, so they can continue making our roads dangerous, but the state of Kansas thinks driving in the left lane is dangerous. WOW.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I agree 100% with Dave B. is this what we pay are elected officials for to come up with ridiculas laws. I mean come on people we live in Kansas there is not that much traffic.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
It is strange to me that the state wants to improve the flow of traffic on Kansas highways but what about those that don’t wear there seatbelt. Kansas overall has been a state that doesn’t have a lot of influence on it’s people. Like forcing people to wear there seatbelt. I like this law but I think the state needs to look at other more important matters.
May 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
So the drivers who don’t think the speed limit applies to them will constantly be in the left lane, just as they are now! Too bad law enforcement doesn’t cite more of the speeders … they’re the real problem.
May 20th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
it’s not going to stop the idiots from driving the way they currently do. It’s just free reign to drive as fast as you want down the highway. Are more cops going to be on the road to catch the speeders now? And just how many multi-lane roads do we have in this state? 35 & 70… It won’t stop the person from jumping on my bumper before they decide to pull around and pass me, just to take off my front bumper as they pull back in. Ridiculous is absolutely right.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:23 am
It is so, about time, Thank you very much. It would be nice to post signs to stay in the left hand lane at the inter change area for folks entering & exiting 235 at the 235 & kellogg area to allow them room to do this. So many times there are people driving in the right lane, causing folks trying to enter 235 and backs up traffic, It is very dangerous trying to get in & out of there. If there were signs telling people if not exiting in this area to stay left. I am so hoping they will some day change that death trap area to make it safer.
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 am
exactly how is this going to work northbound 135 at K96 & 254 interchanges? Those two interchanges are just outside Wichita city limits and notorious for traffic back-ups.
How long EXACLTY is “lingering”? Doesnt this term leave too much to the discretion of an officer?
May 26th, 2009 at 7:04 am
When I took drivers education many years ago we were taught to only use the PASSING LANE for passing. People now days don’t know the laws or just don’t care. I my opinion law enforcement should crack down on things like the left lane driving along with all the other violations. Just think maybe the taxes would go down if law enforcement would start writing citations (ah all that money the state/cities could have).
May 26th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
To many driver’s ignore the signs out on 400 east
that say keep right except to pass.
May 27th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Its about time, wish other states would do the same
May 27th, 2009 at 7:00 am
This is for Dave B. and Fet Up.
Apperantly you don’t travel for a living, because this is a really big problem. I like the idea of this but I doubt that it will be effective because I can drive for hours every day and never see a police officer of any kind.
May 28th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Again KS legislators have screwed up a fairly good idea. Other states have regulations to keep big semi-trucks from blocking traffic by driving in the left lane. But KS decided to apply that to all drivers. Which will be a problem mostly for people who are trying to stay out of the right lane because of damage to the highways that are caused mainly by those big trucks.
This law needs to be revised to apply to big trucks, not cars.
May 31st, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Kansas Legislators wouldn’t of had to put this in a “Law” if people would have paid attention to their drivers manual and followed the drivers etiquette. It plainly state’s that the Left Lane is for passing ONLY. So it’s accually pretty pathetic that we as adult’s can’t follow a simple rule that was put in place to help us in the first place. Those that linger in the passing lane are rude and ignorant and deserve to be punished. And those that think they “If I stay in front of them and keep them from speeding I’m helping them.” Remember they’ll get the speeding ticket not you, that’s there problem, not yours. So let them pass and get on their way. KEEP RIGHT!!!
June 4th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I’m both for and against this law. there is sense in it, and yet there is not. However, i think a more appropriate law would be the following. Wear a helmet if your not in a 4 wheeled vehicle. I see entirely too many motorcyclists who are on the highways without a helmet. If were going to quabble over such silly lasws as don’t linger in the left lane, lets but some laws on the books that SCIENTIFICALLY ARE PROVEEN TO SAVE LIVES!
June 10th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Great idea!!! Many other states already have this law and I think its wonderful. I hope law enforcement actually enforces this, hopefully $60 will make people think twice
June 19th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Don’t we have laws regarding speeding and tailgating?
If the speeders want to exceed the speed limit and force other drivers to move over, then they should get the tickets.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:11 am
As a driver from another state, I’ve noticed that Kansans are really, really bad about this already-commonplace practice in other states. It is INCREDIBLY frustrating to drive in Kansas because Kansans don’t use the “passing lane” for passing (on the highway). This totally makes my day. Wish this would’ve been the case when I moved to KS five years ago…
July 1st, 2009 at 10:17 am
To Dave B:
What do you know about RUSSIA? Everything you do is illegal here in the USA, the country of freedom, not in Russia. In Russia people are much freer in many aspects of life!
As far as the law, it is reasonable. It would be more accurate if you are allowed to stay in the left lane if you are driving faster than any other vehicle in the current traffic whatever the circumstances are. You can even have a legitimate reason for speeding. Once a faster driving vehicle appears behind you in the left lane, you should move to the right.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
OMG! This should be a law in the entire country. They USED to teach it in driver’s education, but obviously not anymore. Idiots like Dave B are the reason the rest of us who are following the rule are so frustrated on the road 90 percent of the time! If you are going the speed limit & there’s no one behind you, MOVE THE HELL OVER!!! Let other people worry about if they’re breaking the law by speeding or not, mind your own damn business! But do it in the RIGHT lane!!!!! I guarantee you that you break multiple laws on a DAILY basis.
July 14th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Stupid
Pointless
Useless.
This will not make traffic flow better, this is going to make worse, much much worse. Because everybody will be in the right, slow drivers and speed demons. This will not make the roads safer, in fact, highways are even less safe now that is in effect.
But it is the law and will follow it eventhough i think its stupid.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Three cheers for Kansas! Left Lane Passing Only laws make driving safer. I teach high performance driving and sports car racing so I can drive triple digit speeds all day long, safely. It’s done in Germany every day and their per-mile-driven fatality rate is sometimes lower than ours. Why? Because they strictly enforce lane dicipline. They have a “plan,” unlike our chaotic system here where some drive in the left lane, some in the right lane, etc. I’ve had a clean driving record since 1989 and I don’t drive more than 6-8 over the speed limit, just because I don’t want a ticket. And I drive in the right lane 95% of the time. Most drivers don’t realize that cars tend to hit each other much more often when they are bunched-up and left lane blockers create this situation. While a car may be traveling over the speed limit, it is much safer when this is done, if cars are spread-out, which is what Left Lane Passing Only does. Cars driving the speed limit or even below, will hit each other more often when bunched-up. Plus, emergency vehicles can pass more safely when the left lane is clear. And if you can’t safely move left if another car is merging, you need to go back to drivers ed. Think about the times that you have either been hit, or hit another vehicle. Were you driving on an interstate, 11 mph over the limit, with no other cars around? No…but you will get a ticket for what is really a safe activity. The only times that I have almost been involved in a crash on an interstate is when a car was blocking the left lane and several cars got bunched-up, and cars started changing lanes to get by. Some don’t signal, some wait until a closing car is too close, etc. If the moron in the left lane had stayed in the right lane, or signaled and moved right after passing a slower car, none of this would have happened. Everyone would have safely cruised by. While there is an occasional idiot driving faster than his abilities, (trust me, most of you don’t know nearly as much about driving as you think you know) about 90% of drivers pick a safe and reasonable speed for conditions, regardless of the speed limit. While we still have the freedom to pick our speeds (I trust most people to make the right decision) keeping slower traffic in the right lane will help create a driving plan which will make driving safer.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
This law will cause a lot of head-on collisions with fatalities. As an out-of-state driver, I nearly had a head-on with a truck drive from oncoming traffic because he thought my lane should be opened to him for passing. This lane should be used for passing by traffic going the same direction. If you want passing lanes, give them to both sides of the yellow line.