Truckers must stay right or pay big, under bill Assembly panel to mull Thursday

Big rig drivers who defy state law and loiter in the left lane on New Jersey’s roadways would face heftier fines under a bill legislators will consider Thursday.

Fines would double for operators of trucks weighing five tons or more who drive in the leftmost lane of roadways with two or more lanes under a bill introduced in September by Assemblymen Joseph Egan (D-Middlesex) and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer).

Current state law already bans such trucks in the far-left lane of roadways that have at least three lanes heading in the same direction, including the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway. Scofflaws face fines of $100 to $300.

If passed, the new bill would boost fines to between $200 and $600. It also would require violators to appear in court, instead of responding to citations by mail or online, and would direct officials at the state transportation department, turnpike authority, South Jersey Transportation Authority, and state courts to report annually on the number of tickets issued, violations committed, and revenue collected for such violations.

Truckers preparing for a left turn, those entering or leaving the roadway by a left entrance or exit, and those responding to emergency conditions would be exempted.

The Assembly’s transportation and independent authorities committee is set to consider the bill Thursday. The bill has no Senate companion.