Is It Really Illegal To Drive in the Left Lane On the I-95 in Maine?

If you spend a lot of time driving the I-95 through Maine there is a good chance that you have broken the law without even realizing it.

Is It Illegal To Drive In The Left Lane On The I-95?

Without hashing out the specifics of how fast you drive, I think we can all agree that many of us frequently drive faster than the posted speed limit.  A lot of times this happens when we're on the highway.  This often causes us to drive faster than the flow of traffic.  When that happens we tend to camp in the left lane of the highway.

Is it legal to do this?  Technically, no.

According to the Maine Legislature website:

An operator driving on a limited-access way with a speed limit of 65 or more miles per hour is restricted in ordinary operation to the right-hand lane and may use adjacent lanes for overtaking and passing another vehicle, but must return to the right-hand lane at the earliest opportunity. This requirement does not apply to an authorized emergency vehicle, or to a vehicle otherwise directed by posted signs, a law enforcement officer or a highway maintenance crew.

So, will you get pulled over for riding in the left lane?  As long as you are actively passing a line of cars, probably not.  But, you're going to want to slip back into that right lane as soon as you can.

A view from inside a car driving on a misty highway at night

If you do get pulled over for camping in the left lane you could be facing a $152 ticket!

You can read more about the laws HERE.

It is just another reminder to always be aware of the rules of the road in the states where you travel.