DOVER, Del.- Allan Bradbury of New Jersey was making his way on Tuesday to southern Delaware by way of State Route 1.
It's a road Bradbury said is frequently the site of one behavior he doesn't like: people driving slower in the left-hand passing lane than the right one.
"It does make you want to move over to the right, which I know you're not supposed to do. When there's a long line of traffic, it's not just annoying. I think it's dangerous," he said.
Some Delaware lawmakers agree and are backing a Senate bill introduced this summer that explicitly makes it clear in state law that drivers generally "must" travel in the right-most lane when they are not overtaking slower-moving vehicles or preparing to make a left-hand turn, particularly on highways like Del. SR 1 or Interstate 95.
"We've heard plenty from constituents that indicate a lot of frustrations voiced by constituents along Route 1 in regards to driving safety," said Sen. Bryan Townsend (D-Newark/Bear), the bill's primary sponsor.
The legislation also creates civil penalties for drivers on the limited access portions of Route 1, located between I-95 to south of Dover, who do not abide by the change. Fines range from as high as $100 for first offenders to as much as $200 for repeat offenses.
Additionally, Senate Bill 185 mandates that, with some exceptions, trucks over 10,000 pounds of registered gross weight must drive in the right-hand lane when driving on the limited access section of Route 1.
Delaware law currently states that vehicles "shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway," except during some circumstances like overtaking and passing a slower-moving vehicle. SB 185 replaces the word "shall" in that statute with "must."
Under the current law, it is illegal, in many cases, for motorists driving in the left lane to impede at least one vehicle from passing traffic in the right lane by traveling at a speed lower than the posted limit.
Essentially --- drivers in the left-hand lane could be cited under the existing law if traffic is being held up behind them and they are being passed by motorists in the right lane.
Brenda Robinson of Smyrna welcomed the proposed change in law, saying it could reduce dangerous situations in which people cut off other drivers trying to pass vehicles in the left lane by using the right lane.
"Especially in cases where traffic is heavy --- like rush hour," she said.
Many law enforcement and state transportation officials have said slower-moving traffic in the left lane can also lead to increased incidents involving road rage.
But Rep. Steve Smyk (R-Milton), a retired state trooper, said the legislation is well intended but he has concerns about how well the proposal could even be enforced.
"The burden of proof will be difficult for enforcement agencies to establish without a lengthy tracking history of the problem vehicle," he said.
Even though people lingering in the left lane can be frustrating, Betty Schwarz of Lewes said she felt the changes under SB 185 go too far.
"I don't think law enforcement's time should be spent on pulling people over because they're clogging up the left lane," she said.
Lawmakers would not likely vote on the legislation until January at the earliest, once the 150th General Assembly resumes its work.
But Townsend said he hopes to see the legislation pass, a step he believes could make some of the state's busiest roads more safe.
"We're really trying to have in Delaware what's a driving culture in other states that's safe," he said. "We're trying to fundamentally drive into the minds of young drivers in particular that you pass to the left and stay to the right."