ATLANTA — Drivers who refuse to pull out of the left lane for a faster car - even one that is speeding - could be charged with a misdemeanor under legislation the House passed 162-9 Wednesday.
The measure, House Bill 459, was sponsored by Rep. Bill Hitchens, a Rincon Republican who is the previous head of the Georgia State Patrol.
"This is the good manners your mother should have taught you," he said, comparing it to golfers letting faster foursomes play through.
Penalties could be as much as $1,000 fine and 12 months in prison, but Hitchens acknowledged it would be hard to enforce.
"My reason for doing it is for education purposes," he said, saying angry drivers could react with road rage or spur accidents in an effort to get around slower motorists.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.