South Carolina General Assembly
120th Session, 2013-2014

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

H. 4391

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Putnam, Cobb-Hunter and McCoy
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5016cm14.docx

Introduced in the House on January 14, 2014
Currently residing in the House Committee on Education and Public Works

Summary: Driving on multilane highways

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   12/3/2013  House   Prefiled
   12/3/2013  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
   1/14/2014  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 59)
   1/14/2014  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 59)
   1/15/2014  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: McCoy

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

12/3/2013

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-1885 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN IT IS LAWFUL TO DRIVE A VEHICLE IN THE FARTHEST LEFT LANE OF A MULTILANE HIGHWAY; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-1-720, RELATING TO THE SYSTEM OF POINTS ASSESSED AGAINST A PERSON'S DRIVING RECORD FOR THE VIOLATION OF CERTAIN TRAFFIC OFFENSES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT DRIVING A VEHICLE AT LEAST FIVE MILES LESS THAN THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IN THE FARTHEST LEFT LANE OF A MULTILANE HIGHWAY IS A TWO POINT VIOLATION.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Article 13, Chapter 5, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 56-5-1885.    (A)    A vehicle may not be driven in the farthest left lane of a multilane highway except when overtaking and passing another vehicle.

(B)    Subsection (A) of this section does not apply:

(1)    when no other vehicle is directly behind the vehicle in the left lane;

(2)    when traffic conditions and congestion make it impractical to drive in the right lane;

(3)    when snow and other inclement weather conditions make it necessary to drive in the left lane;

(4)    when obstructions or hazards exist in the right lane;

(5)    when because of highway design, a vehicle must be driven in the left lane when preparing to make a left turn or exit; or

(6)    to law enforcement vehicles, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles engaged in official duties and vehicles engaged in highway maintenance and construction operations.

(C)    A vehicle may not be driven in the farthest left lane of a multilane highway at a speed of at least five miles less than the posted speed limit.

(D)    A driver of a vehicle may not operate the vehicle while using any hand-held electronic communications device in the farthest left lane of a multilane highway. A person who violates this subsection must be fined twenty-five dollars."

SECTION    2.    Section 56-1-720 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-1-720.        There is established a point system for the evaluation of the operating record of persons to whom a license to operate motor vehicles has been granted and for the determination of the continuing qualifications of these persons for the privileges granted by the license to operate motor vehicles. The system shall have as its basic element a graduated scale of points assigning relative values to the various violations in accordance with the following schedule:

VIOLATION        POINTS

Reckless driving     6

Passing stopped school bus     6

Hit-and-run, property damages only     6

Driving too fast for conditions, or speeding:

(1) No more than 10 m.p.h. above the

posted limits     2

(2) More than 10 m.p.h. but less than 25

m.p.h. above the posted limits     4

(3) 25 m.p.h. or above the posted limits     6

Disobedience of any official traffic control

device                 4

Disobedience to officer directing traffic     4

Failing to yield right of way     4

Driving on wrong side of road     4

Passing unlawfully     4

Turning unlawfully     4

Driving through or within safety zone     4

Failing to give signal or giving improper

signal for stopping, turning, or suddenly

decreased speed     4

Shifting lanes without safety precaution     2

Improper dangerous parking     2

Following too closely     4

Failing to dim lights     2

Operating with improper lights     2

Operating with improper brakes     4

Operating a vehicle in unsafe condition     2

Driving in improper lane     2

Improper backing     2

Driving at least five miles less than the

posted speed limit in the farthest

left lane of a multilane highway     2"

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 15, 2014 at 5:16 PM