Nevada makes it illegal to travel slowly in the fast lane

HOW’S this for a fresh blast of common sense to the face?

The US state of Nevada has made it illegal to not travel “at least” at the speed limit in the fast lane on the highway.

The new legislation, which came in force on July 1 earlier this year, is beautifully simple. If you aren’t doing the speed limit, you can’t drive in the fast lane on the highway.

It is a nice addition to the existing ‘keep right unless overtaking’ law (in the US the fast lane is to the left).

The intent of the law is to clear the fast lane of dawdling drivers, and keep it for the exclusive use of overtaking.

"It's the law here that if you're going to be in that lane, you need to be going at least at the speed limit," Nevada Trooper Jason Buratczuk told TV station KTNV.

Now, the highway patrol has stressed that it isn’t encouraging or endorsing speeding, simply that the fast lane on the highway should be reserved for overtaking slower drivers. Even if you are doing or exceeding the speed limit, you are not permitted to stay in the fast lane in the state unless overtaking.

Lawmakers hope this will lower congestion, as well as road rage, as Trooper Dan Gordon of the Nevada Highway Patrol told TV station KOLOTV.

He explained drivers who drive lower than the limit in the fast lane slow down traffic, and create unneeded frustration for drivers following, which can boil over.

“What [following drivers] will do is move over to the second [slower] lane, or middle lane. They will pass and then as soon as they clear the car, they will cut back in the fast lane, cutting the driver off that is going below the speed limit,” he said.

“And next thing you know, they are showing each other that they are number one, and they are holding up the finger.”

First-time offenders will be hit with a $US50 ($A62) fine, $US100 ($A125) for the second offence, and $US250 ($A314) in the third instance.

In an era of overly-bureaucratic nonsense, dumbing down of road laws, and ignorance of proper driver etiquette, this new piece of legislation is a beacon of hope that perhaps the future of driving isn’t going to hell in a dumpster fire.