A bill in the South Carolina Senate that would fine people who drive too slowly in the left lanes of state highways has died.

Senate lawmakers failed to vote on the proposal prior to the May 1 deadline for bills to pass their originating chamber, essentially killing the bill for the year. The bill previously passed the Transportation Committee.

The bill, S860, would give troopers the flexibility to ticket drivers who go too slowly in the left lane, blocking the normal flow of traffic.

Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, intended for the bill to help cut down on road rage and ease traffic woes on the state’s highways.

“This is a safety issue and a law-enforcement issue,” Peeler told The Post and Courier prior to the bill’s demise. “If you travel along the interstates at all, you see cars poking along in the left lane. This causes problems because it backs up traffic and causes road rage.”

Under the bill, those who lag in the left lane could be ticketed and fined between $75 and $150 with no points off the driver’s license if they are impeding the flow of traffic.

The law would not apply when there are no other vehicles in the left lane.