Is driving slow in left lane illegal in South Carolina? What to know about Move Right Law
It can be especially frustrating when a slowpoke driver moves in front of you, the arrival time on the GPS increasing minute by minute.
However, what most Palmetto State drivers fail to recognize is that the left lane is not intended just for putting your pedal to the metal.
If you are not using the left lane to pass another vehicle, expect to receive a fine, according to S.C.'s Move Right Law.
What is the Move Right Law?
The Move Right Law requires drivers only to use the "far left-hand lane on controlled-access highways when overtaking and passing another vehicle," per South Carolina's Department of Public Safety. Controlled-access highways include common interstate highways and S.C.'s highways SC-22, SC-31, and SC-277.
When did the Move Right Law go into effect?
The Move Right Law took effect on August 15, 2021. Warning tickets were issued within the first 90 days the law took effect.
Is driving in the left lane a criminal offense?
Although driving in the left lane is not categorized as a criminal offense within the state, it is still a civil law violation. Breaking it may result in a fine of $25. Court costs will not be assessed in addition to the fine, and a violator will not be arrested for the offense. Even so, residents should adhere to this law regardless of safety reasons.
When can I drive in the left lane?
S.C. state law outlines the following exceptions for driving in the left lane:
When no other vehicle is directly behind the car in the left lane.
When traffic conditions and congestion make it impractical to drive in the right lane.
When snow and other inclement weather conditions make it safer to drive in the left lane.
When obstructions or hazards exist in the right lane.
When, due to highway design, a vehicle must be driven in the left lane while preparing to exit.
To law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles engaged in official duties, as well as vehicles involved in highway maintenance and construction operations.
When a driver of a tractor-trailer commercial motor vehicle combination is unable to move into the right lane safely due to another vehicle overtaking or passing his truck to the right.
When a driver of a vehicle requiring a commercial motor vehicle license to operate is unable to move into the right lane safely due to a highway grade or another vehicle overtaking or passing his vehicle on the right.
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Is it illegal to drive slow in the left lane in South Carolina?
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Donald Trump announces trade deal with Japan
US President Donald Trump has announced a trade framework with Japan, placing a 15% tax on goods imported from that nation. 'This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs – There has never been anything like it,' Mr Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the United States 'will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan'. The president said Japan would invest 'at my direction' 550 billion dollars into the US and would 'open' its economy to American cars and rice. The 15% tax on imported Japanese goods is a meaningful drop from the 25% rate that Mr Trump, in a recent letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said would be levied starting on August 1. Early Wednesday, Mr Ishiba acknowledged the new trade agreement, saying it would benefit both sides and help them work together. With the announcement, Mr Trump is seeking to tout his ability as a dealmaker — even as his tariffs, when initially announced in early April led to a market panic and fears of slower growth that for the moment appear to have subsided. Key details remained unclear from his post, such as whether Japanese-built cars would face a higher 25% tariff that Mr Trump imposed on the sector. But the framework fits a growing pattern for Mr Trump, who is eager to portray the tariffs as a win for the US. His administration says the revenues will help reduce the budget deficit and more factories will relocate to America to avoid the import taxes and cause trade imbalances to disappear. The wave of tariffs continues to be a source of uncertainty about whether it could lead to higher prices for consumers and businesses if companies simply pass along the costs. The problem was seen sharply on Tuesday after General Motors reported a 35% drop in its net income during the second quarter as it warned that tariffs would hit its business in the months ahead, causing its stock to tumble. As the August 1 deadline for the tariff rates in his letters to world leaders is approaching, Mr Trump also announced a trade framework with the Philippines that would impose a tariff of 19% on its goods, while American-made products would face no import taxes. The president also reaffirmed his 19% tariffs on Indonesia. The US ran a 69.4 billion dollar trade imbalance on goods with Japan last year, according to the Census Bureau. America had a trade imbalance of 17.9 billion dollars with Indonesia and an imbalance of 4.9 billion dollars with the Philippines. Both nations are less affluent than the US and an imbalance means America imports more from those countries than it exports to them. The president is set to impose the broad tariffs listed in his recent letters to other world leaders on August 1, raising questions of whether there will be any breakthrough in talks with the European Union. At a Tuesday dinner, Mr Trump said the EU would be in Washington on Wednesday for trade talks. 'We have Europe coming in tomorrow, the next day,' Mr Trump told guests. The president earlier this month sent a letter threatening the 27 member states in the EU with 30% taxes on their goods to be imposed starting on August 1.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edmunds: Five expert tips to make cross-country EV driving easy
The idea of a cross-country road trip in an electric vehicle might seem daunting. After all, it's not hard to envision getting stranded on the side of the road with a depleted battery or being stuck in a parking lot, charging for hours. But there are ways to easily avoid these worst-case scenarios. The experts at Edmunds have plenty of experience driving electric vehicles, and here they share their five best tips on how to make cross-country driving in an EV easy. Use EV route planning applications Minimizing the number of charging stations you visit and your time at them is key to efficient road-tripping in an EV. To accomplish this, use a route planning application. A route planner helps you determine where and when you should stop to charge to reach your destination. The navigation system in most new EVs typically has this functionality built in. You simply enter your destination, and the navigation system automatically calculates where you will need to charge along your route. In our experience, Tesla vehicles have the best route planning capability. EVs that utilize Google Maps as their onboard navigation system have a similar capability. Many of the latest EVs from General Motors, such as the Chevrolet Equinox EV, have Google Maps integration. Alternatively, you can use an EV route planning smartphone app such as A Better Route Planner (ABRP) or PlugShare. We prefer ABRP because it's available as an app or through an internet browser. It also shows more details at each stop, like the expected battery percentage. When using a route planner, stick to Level 3 fast charging stations when driving. Slower Level 2 stations will take hours but are ideal for overnight charging. Use Tesla charging stations The Tesla Supercharger network of fast charging stations is the largest in the country. We recommend using them on a cross-country trip because they are usually very reliable and have more charging stalls per location than most networks. Teslas have access to them and certain non-Tesla EVs are also eligible to use them, but most non-Tesla EVs need an adapter to charge at a Tesla Supercharger. Check with your local service center or search online to determine if your EV is compatible. If you have a non-Tesla EV that has access, change the settings in your route planner to include Tesla stations. If your EV cannot charge at Tesla stations, you'll need to utilize other third-party charging station networks. Some of the largest networks include Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint. Have a backup plan, and leave a range cushion When planning a route that does not use Tesla Superchargers, it's best to have a backup charging station for each stop. Charging stations can sometimes be out of order, and in some cases, like during a holiday or on busy highways, there could be long lines. To find the status of a specific charging station, download the app of the company the station belongs to. Make sure to leave yourself enough range to make it to your backup station as well. Stay in hotels with on-site charging stations Staying at hotels with on-site charging stations can save time and money. Hotel charging stations are typically Level 2 stations that can fully charge your battery overnight, allowing you to start your trip immediately instead of charging before you hit the highway. They are usually more affordable than fast charging stations, and in some cases, are free. One way to find hotels with charging stations is by using the PlugShare app. This app contains a database of charging stations, and you can filter it to show stations connected with lodging locations. Use charging stations that have amenities It's fair to expect that each charging stop you make in your EV will take 20-45 minutes. To make the most of that time, charge at stations with a convenience store, retail store or restaurant nearby. That way, you can use the bathroom, grab some stacks or even get a full meal while your vehicle is charging. Many charging stations are located near stores or restaurants, but not all. You can use Google Maps or similar smartphone apps to find out what's within walking distance of the charging stations you plan on using. You can change the stations your route planner recommends as long as they aren't too far away. Edmunds says Planning a cross-country trip in an EV takes extra effort, but doing it properly can make the journey nearly as smooth as in a gas-powered car. Give yourself access to as many fast charging stations as possible by choosing an EV that's capable of using Tesla Supercharger stations. ____ This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Michael Cantu is a contributor at Edmunds. Michael Cantu, The Associated Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tesla's quarterly results: what are investors and fans looking for?
By Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy (Reuters) -Tesla is likely to post its biggest drop in quarterly revenue in more than a decade on Wednesday, as the EV maker grapples with issues including increased competition, a lack of new models and consumer backlash against CEO Elon Musk. Here are the top five issues investors, analysts and Tesla fans are watching closely. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You Great Rates and Award-Winning Service WILL MUSK BE DISTRACTED BY POLITICS? Musk formed a new U.S. political party, the America Party, earlier this month, after a public feud with President Donald Trump over a tax-cut and spending bill. Three months ago, when he was still allied with Trump, Musk said he was pulling back from working in the president's administration. Founding the party has rekindled worries that Musk will be distracted from business as it faces mounting competition, especially in its key China market, and as he tries to turn Tesla into a robotics and AI company. Musk said on Sunday that he was back to working seven days a week and sleeping in the office when his small children were away. HOW FAST CAN ROBOTAXI SERVICES EXPAND? Last month, Tesla launched a small trial of its self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, with roughly a dozen of its Model Y SUVs and several restrictions, including safety supervisors in front passenger seats. Tesla enthusiasts lauded the efforts, although videos showed some driving mistakes. Musk has said the service would reach the San Francisco Bay Area "in a month or two," depending on regulatory approvals, but Tesla has not applied for necessary permits to test or deploy driverless vehicles, regulators in California told Reuters this month. Investors will want to know how the expansion can go forward. WHERE IS THE CHEAPER TESLA? When Musk shifted his focus to robotaxis, he cancelled plans to build a new, cheaper EV platform. Tesla had promised to start producing the first of more affordable EV models by the end of June, but the company has not yet confirmed if it has met that target. Investors are keen for an update on those plans. Sources had told Reuters in April that a stripped-down version of the Model Y was likely to be delayed by months. Analysts have already cut their 2025 delivery estimate for the cheaper car to below 50,000 vehicles, from 63,500 at the start of the year, according to eight of them polled by Visible Alpha. CAN THE MODEL Y REFRESH BOOST SALES? Tesla rolled out a refreshed version of the Model Y this year, a move investors hoped would recharge flagging sales. Deliveries of the SUV and its Model 3 compact sedan - Tesla's volume drivers - plunged in the second quarter. While Tesla blamed a January production pause to retool plants, some analysts have said the re-styling - including new front and rear light bars and a touchscreen for back-seat passengers - was not enough to boost demand. Investors will want to know Musk's view of the rollout to date and going forward. With total deliveries falling 13.5% to 384,122 units in the second quarter, the second straight quarterly decline, revenue is expected to fall 11.2% year-on-year, despite aggressive discounting and low-cost financing. HOW SOON WILL REGULATORY CREDITS DWINDLE? Sales of regulatory credits - a silent profit engine for Tesla - are set to dry up after recent legislation. Tesla earned $2.8 billion in 2024 from such credits sold to legacy automakers to help them comply with emissions rules. Without them, the company would have reported a loss in the first quarter of this year. Analysts expect pressure on Tesla and they are already resetting their revenue estimates for the year.
