A bill has been introduced in the Virginia House of Representatives that would prohibit trucks from traveling in the left lane of Interstate 64 in the counties of Albemarle, Agust and Nelson in the area commonly referred to as Afton Mountain.
If passed, a driver who is found to be driving in the left lane could be found guilty of reckless driving and face a fine of up to $500.
House Bill 178 states:
On Interstate 64 in the Counties of Albemarle, Augusta, and Nelson, commercial motor vehicles, as defined in § 46.2-341.4, may travel in the left-most lane except while in the area commonly known as Afton Mountain. The operator of a commercial motor vehicle who travels in the left-most lane while in the area commonly known as Afton Mountain is guilty of reckless driving punishable as provided in subsection A of § 46.2-868 and shall include a mandatory minimum fine of $500.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) buses or school buses or (ii) other commercial vehicles when (a) preparing to exit a highway via a left exit or (b) being used to perform maintenance or construction work on an interstate highway.
Virginia representative Richard “Dickie” Bell wrote bill.
Bell told NBC 29, “Over the years, I’ve seen what used to be a small problem get worse and worse as the volume of truck traffic has grown…it’s a lot like coming out of the pits at the NASCAR race everybody gets real aggressive then, I think we’re talking about a very hazardous situation, It’s something we can fix, and I think we need to fix it.”
The Virginia Trucking Association’s president P. Dale Bennett spoke out against the bill, stating, “I am concerned about creating a wall of trucks in the right-hand lane and the safety impacts for passenger car drivers trying to merge onto I-64, especially at exit 99.”