Arkansas has made left-lane cruising a fineable offense within city limits since 2021

Most drivers in Arkansas are familiar with the left-lane driving policy, and even those new to the state will see a sign informing them that the left lane is for passing only before they’ve been on the roads for too long. However, it may not be common knowledge that the policy is, in fact, a law within city limits and when traveling on roads with three to four lanes.

What does Arkansas law say about driving in the left lane?

In Arkansas and in many other parts of the country and the world, it’s common practice to reserve the use of the left-most lane on multi-lane roadways only when passing another vehicle, or vehicles. Once drivers have overtaken, they should move back over to the right.

Arkansas has taken this policy to the next level and made it a hard and fast law within the state’s city limits.

Road signs stating that the left lane is for passing only are dotted along all the two-lane interstates, so no driver has an excuse not to follow the guidelines when they are reminded so frequently. But this gets more intense when crossing over into city limits, and the law applies to all routes featuring three or four lanes.

If you are in the market for a vehicle, the most dangerous cars to drive in winter have been ranked and the models that made the list may surprise you.

Act 1090 of 2021 made the left-lane policy a law within city limits

ACT 1090 was passed and implemented for Arkansas drivers in 2021. The law states that drivers must abide by the left lane policy while traveling on multilane highways with lanes that all face in the same direction.

Arkansas State Police Captain Brad Lann explained that the law was implemented for safety reasons:

“Driving in the left lane, if you’re just over there and not moving over, it slows down the flow of traffic. If you slow down the flow of traffic, it’s liable to cause accidents behind you. So we want to keep that traffic moving the best we can, as smooth as we can, obviously, like on Interstate 630 there’s a lot of exits,” Lann said. “The best lane for you to be in would probably be the middle lane. That way, when traffic is merging on from all those entrance ramps, you won’t be in the way and you won’t have to move over.”

However, there are a few circumstances in Arkansas when you would exit to left and those would be treated as exceptions.

Once you pass a vehicle, you are required to move back to the middle or any lane to the right.

A press release from ARDOT (the Arkansas Department of Transportation) indicates that 411 citations and 3,100 warnings for left-lane driving were issued by state and local law enforcement since the law went into effect in 2021.

Captain Lann confirmed that driving in the left lane when not passing or exiting is a traffic offense and drivers could be issued a citation and a fine. However, the fine amounts vary depending on which court the ticket goes through.

Exceptions to the Arkansas left-lane law

Here’s the text about exceptions to the left-lane law out of the state code:

Arkansas Code Title 27. Transportation § 27-51-301. Vehicles to be driven on right side of roadway – Exceptions:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall not be driven upon the left half of the roadway, except as follows:

(1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing that movement;

(2) When the right half of a roadway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair;

(3) Upon a roadway divided into three (3) marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon;

(4) Upon a roadway designated and signposted for one-way traffic;

(5) When the right half of the roadway is in disrepair or is in an otherwise undrivable or unsafe condition; or

(6) When a vehicle is preparing to exit the roadway on the left.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a vehicle shall not be driven upon the left lane of a multilane highway, except as follows:

(1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing that movement;

(2) When all other lanes for traveling in the same direction are closed to traffic while under construction or repair;

(3) When all other lanes for traveling in the same direction are in disrepair or are in an otherwise undrivable or unsafe condition; or

(4) When a vehicle is preparing to exit the multilane highway on the left.

As long as you use the left lane for passing only while in Arkansas, you won’t be in violation of the law!

In other news about driving in a different state, motorists in New York need to prepare for changes in their licenses in 2025. The Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding New Yorkers that they are required to upgrade their license or identification cards to REAL IDs before the deadline, which is not optional.