Enforcement of New Louisiana Highway Safety Law Begins Today

Starting today, if you are pulled over by a Louisiana State Police trooper in violation of several new highway safety laws, you will be issued a citation instead of the warning they have been doing for the last 45 days. The new laws that State Police are now actively enforcing:

• Require both the driver and front and rear seat passengers to use seatbelts.

• Require motorists to leave at least three feet of clearance when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction.

• Restrict the use of the left lane on multilane roadways. Left lane use allowed only if they are:

1. preparing for a left turn at an intersection, private road or driveway; passing another vehicle traveling in the same direction below the posted speed limit;
2. right lanes are congested;
3. emergency vehicles are parked on or near the right shoulder and have their emergency lights activated; or otherwise directed by law enforcement.
4. drivers who must use the left lane must do so at a speed not less than vehicles traveling in the right lane.

Hopefully enforcement of these new highway safety laws will reduce car crashes resulting in unnecessary injuries and loss of life and improve overall roadway safety for all of us.