South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 3011


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-1810, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REQUIRING A MOTOR VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN UPON THE RIGHT HALF OF A ROADWAY, SO AS TO PROVIDE RESTRICTIONS ON DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A ROADWAY HAVING AT LEAST TWO LANES ALLOWING MOVEMENT IN THE SAME DIRECTION, PROVIDE A PENALTY, AND DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PLACE SIGNS ALONG THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS DIRECTING SLOWER TRAFFIC TO MOVE RIGHT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 56-5-1810 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding the following appropriately lettered subsections at the end to read:

    "( )    On any controlled access roadway having two or more lanes allowing movement in the same direction, a driver may not continue to operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane if the driver knows or reasonably should know that he is being overtaken in that lane from the rear by a motor vehicle traveling at a higher rate of speed. This subsection does not apply to a driver operating a vehicle that is overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, or when a driver of a tractor-trailer commercial motor vehicle combination is unable to move into the right lane safely due to other vehicles overtaking or passing his vehicle on the right, or when a driver of a vehicle requiring a commercial drivers license is unable to move into the right lane safely due to a highway grade or other vehicles overtaking or passing his vehicle on the right.

    ( )        A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine of two hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, and assessed two points against his motor vehicle operating record as provided in Section 56-1-720 for driving in an improper lane, except that a driver of a vehicle requiring a commercial drivers license may not be fined more than fifty dollars and no points may be assessed against his driving record for failing to comply with this section.

    ( )        The Department of Transportation must place signs along the interstate highways directing slower traffic to move right. These signs must be placed at intervals of no greater than every thirty-five miles."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect one hundred eighty days after approval by the Governor.

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