If you're speeding, or fail to use your blinker, you probably won’t be too surprised if a cop gives you a ticket, but what about getting pulled over for the lane you’re driving in?
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is cracking down on drivers who stay in the left lane on the highway.
“What happens is we see people get in that left lane and it creates a significant backup, which leads to tailgating, aggressive driving, and that's what we try to avoid,” Sgt. Collin Stosberg said.
In the state of Missouri, if there are two or more lanes going in the same direction, that left lane is used only for passing.
“If you're not passing anyone, you'll need to get in the right lane, which is in the driving lane,” Stosberg said.
Stosberg says last year, more than 5,000 citations were issued across the state for lane violations and tailgating.
“Our whole goal of enforcement and education is to keep people safe and unfortunately we have to do that through strict enforcement that we're going to be doing over the next few months with these aggressive driving campaigns,” Stosberg said. “Our goal, we want people to make it to their destination safely and without having it crash.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol stated fatalities statewide are back up due to distracted driving, not wearing a seatbelt, following too close and aggressive driving.