Big trucks move over; smaller vehicles are coming through. That's what some legislators at the Capitol want to happen. They are backing a bill to make 18-wheeler drivers stick to the right-hand lane on all state highways. Surprisingly, many of the truck drivers are all for this bill because they agree with legislators that it would make roads safer. However, there are a few we spoke with who say the bill unfairly punishes them.

Truck drivers face challenges on the roadways that small cars and sport utility vehicles don't have to face. They sit higher, steer more equipment, and maneuver slower. "They can hurt you in a heartbeat," one trucker says. "You can't have them slow trucks in the fast lane," says another. "It actually is a safety issue." State Senator Dale Erdey of Livingston has a bill to make all 18-wheeler drivers drive in the right-hand lane of state highways at all times, unless they are making room for mergers, avoiding something in the shoulder, or trying to exit to the left.

"It's not difficult. What's so hard about staying in the right-hand lane?" a trucker tells us. "A lot of states are like that, so I guess I can live with it," says another. "In the long run, it will probably be better," echoes another. Most of the truck drivers we spoke to say they already try to avoid small cars, so this new bill will only help. "Let the small cars go. We'll take our time and get where we want to go," says Troy Fraizier, a truck driver from South Carolina. "It ain't gonna slow me down. I got to go. And when I got to go, I got to go. You got to make that money," says Israel Taguilas, a truck driver from Texas.
Of course, we did find one driver who says the bill will weigh heavy on his wheels. "In the right-hand lanes, it just slows us down," he says. He says driving on the left side of the road is the best way to get through major cities as fast as possible and out of people's way. Senator Erdey says his research shows just the opposite. "It does have a positive impact on public safety," Erdey says.

His bill passed out of a Senate committee Thursday afternoon and next goes to the Senate floor for another vote. If the bill does become law, truck drivers found driving in the left-hand lane without a valid excuse will have to pay a $500 fine. We'll let you know what happens with this bill.

Source: Caroline Moses, WAFB