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New Jersey Looks To Toughen 'Keep-Right' Law

RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- New Jersey is looking to increase fines against drivers who fail to keep right on the roads.

The Garden State already has one of the nation's toughest "keep-right'' laws which requires motorists to stay out of the left lane except to pass. Trucks and buses are forbidden to travel in the far-left lane on highways with three or more lanes in one direction.

Violators currently face a two-point penalty on their driving records and a possible insurance surcharge.

1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reports

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A new bill, which passed the state Senate Transportation Committee last week, would boost the maximum fine for hogging the left lane from $200 to $300 and raise the minimum fine from $50 to $100.

Some of the proceeds from the fines would be used to post more signs alerting drivers of the law.

1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon spoke with some turnpike drivers who said anything that discourages drivers from hanging out in the left lane is a great idea.

"I try not to, but I know somebody who does, and I tell her very often I think it's not right," one driver said.

"People that hang out in the left lane really create a backlog of traffic which is a potential for an accident," another driver said.

The proposal could make it to the Senate floor in a couple of weeks.

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