The Calvert County Commissioners are preparing a list of legislative requests for the 2013 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The board discussed possible measures to be forwarded to the Calvert County and Southern Maryland delegations during the Tuesday, Oct. 23 meeting.
One proposal that prompted discussion comes from Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans [R]. The sheriff’s proposal would change state traffic laws to require motorists traveling on four-lane roads to only use the left lane for passing. “Vehicle traffic operating in the left lane with traffic backing up behind them is a leading cause of road rage when a vehicle will not move from the left lane to the right lane to allow faster traffic to flow through,” Evans stated. “This proposal amends the traffic laws to require drivers to travel in the right lanes of a multiple lane highway and pass in the left lane.”
Evans’ plan received a tepid response from the commissioners. “I think it’s misplaced,” said Commissioner Evan K. Slaughenhoupt Jr. [R], who declared he won’t support the proposal. “It should be focused on the person having the road rage.”
“It would be very hard to enforce,” said Commissioner Pat Nutter [R], a retired deputy sheriff.
“A lot of times on Route 4 you have to get over early to make a left turn,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R].
Commissioners President Gerald W. “Jerry” Clark [R] stated the proposal is more of a state issue and Lt. Dave McDowell of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division indicated the plan is to implement the policy statewide through a change in the Maryland Annotated Code. McDowell also told the commissioners he did not think the policy would encourage speeding.
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