CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – A new AAA poll shows that slow drivers hanging out in the left lane are causing serious problems on Virginia’s highways. Almost half of drivers reported seeing slower vehicles clogging the left lane, leading to dangerous behaviors like tailgating and aggressive lane changes.

Virginia’s Left Lane Law, updated in 2017, requires drivers to use the left lane only for passing, with a $100 fine for those who don’t move back to the right after passing. Despite this, only 26% of Virginians know the law exists, according to the AAA survey.

The poll found that 49% of drivers often see slow drivers in the left lane creating backups, and 23% report seeing it happen daily. Additionally, 50% of respondents think staying in the left lane longer than necessary is dangerous, and 57% have seen risky behaviors like tailgating and passing on the right because of it.

To address the issue, AAA Mid-Atlantic has launched the “Don’t Fumble the Pass” campaign, reminding drivers to keep right after passing. The campaign was recently promoted at a Virginia Tech football game.

While there isn’t specific crash data linking left lane violations to accidents, improper lane usage and aggressive driving contributed to 10% of all fatal crashes in 2021, according to the National Safety Council. In Virginia, 1,568 crashes in 2022 were caused by improper passing.