Texas Expanding Truck Left-Lane Laws

According to the Star-Telegram, Texas is adding more highways to the list that prohibits trucks from driving in the left lane.

Beginning in the next couple of months, TxDOT plans to ban trucks with three or more axles from the left lane on nearly all Dallas-Fort Worth highways.

“Among the places where a new left-lane ban is planned: Interstate 35W in Fort Worth from 28th Street to the Tarrant-Johnson county line; Texas 121 “Airport Freeway” from downtown Fort Worth to East Loop 820 near Richland Hills; Loop 820 from Interstate 30 in west Fort Worth to Blue Mound Road; and Texas 360 from Texas 183 to I-20 in Arlington,” the Star-Telegraph reported.

Although Texas already has a state-wide left-lane law, the state has recently started doubling up on the law and taking aim directly at trucks.

“Trucks have no business in the far left lane,” Richard Kevin Hager of Granbury told the Star-Telegram. “It’s already working great in the areas that have it, when it is enforced. Not only safer for everybody but definitely improves traffic flow.”

Highways that are included in the ban will soon start sporting signs that say, “No trucks, left lane.”   The signs will be posted when the ban takes effect.

According to the Star-Telegram, transportation officials say they have data that shows that when trucks are kept out of the left lane, the number of accidents and congestion decreases.