A bill that would ticket drivers who hold up traffic by lingering in the left lane has been sent to Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The House gave final legislative approval June 10 to a proposal that would stop motorists from using the left-hand, passing lanes of multilane highways if they are not passing other vehicles.

Rep. Roy Quezaire, the bill’s House sponsor, said the proposal is aimed at stopping “rolling roadblocks.”

“Folks just stay in that left lane, and you can’t get around them,” Quezaire, D-Donaldsville, told The Advertiser. “You are taught in driver’s education that the left-hand lane is for passing, and the right-hand lane is for slower traffic.”

Under SB765, motorists who travel in the left lane at the same speed or slower than the vehicle in the right-hand lane could be fined as much as $175, get up to 30 days in jail, or both. Subsequent violations could result in a fine up to $500, as much as 90 days in jail, or both.

It would apply specifically to roads outside of municipalities where the posted speed is at least 55 mph.

The final version of the bill would require the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to post “Slower Traffic Keep Right” signs.