In an effort to increase safety, allow first responders quicker passage and just for less congestion on the highways, the Connecticut Department of Transportation pushed the Connecticut General Assembly to clarify and strengthen a law that stopped cars from ‘camping’ in the left lane.
The statute is a part of Substitute Senate Bill No. 1377; it was signed by Governor Ned Lamont on June 23.
This clarifies the statute that was already on the books. This law includes all multi-lane highways and the new provision will take effect on Oct. 1, 2026, to allow signage to be produced and installed as well as a public awareness campaign from the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
“We see it on (our) own and hear it from the first responders, who we partner with, that people are camping out in the far-left lane, which is creating traffic congestion,” Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “It’s blocking response vehicles from getting to a scene more quickly.”
As of Oct. 1, 2026, the law prohibits driving any motor vehicle in the extreme left lane “on any divided limited access highway that provides more than two lanes for traffic proceeding in the same direction,” the law reads.
The law that was already in place prohibited motor vehicles with commercial registrations, motor buses, vehicles with trailers, and school buses from driving in the extreme left lane on limited access highways with three or more lanes going in the same direction.
“I’m sure you and your colleagues see it and we at the DOT encounter people in the far left lane going less than the speed limit, which then creates unsafe conditions because people that start trying to pass on the right and weaving in and out of traffic and that leads to really dangerous conditions and can result in crashes and injuries and fatalities,” Morgan said.
According to the law, the exceptions include overtaking or passing another vehicle, on a police officer’s direction, when the entrance or exit is on the left (only for the time period necessary to enter or exit), when the vehicle is an emergency vehicle, when maintaining, repairing, or constructing the highway or when traffic congestion makes it necessary.
“When we looked at state statue, it was a little unclear where it applied,” Morgan said. “It definitely applied to two-lane routes, but it was a little unclear in our reading if that extended to three or more lanes.
“So, we wanted to make sure that it was very clear that it was any multi-lane road on a limited access highway – like I-84 or Route 9. And that clarification and statue is what’s going to allow us to put up federally approved signage. Anything that we put up on the highway has to conform when what’s called the MUCD (The Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices).”
This is a federal requirement to have all highways throughout the country to look the same for consistency purposes.
Infractions under the current law are $88.
“The troopers have a very important job, a very dangerous job, a very hard job. It’s something that they can enforce and issue tickets for,” Morgan said.
“I would not expect it to be something that is going to be their primary day in, day out responsibility and focus, given how much they already have on their plates, going to do something that they’re going to be able to enforce when they notice it, when they see it. But I certainly wouldn’t expect it to be like a safety campaign like we do with Drive Sober, Get Pulled Over. But it’s a tool in the toolbox.”
This summer, in addition to roads made much busier and often jammed and backed up with traffic by seasonal travel, the DOT also has 532 active capital projects planned for this year. By a recent count, there were 181 in construction, 185 in planning, 110 in final design, 40 in predesign and 16 in contract processing, according to DOT.
For the next year and updated left lane law, the DOT will be preparing signage and raising awareness to state drivers for the rollout in Oct. 2027.
“We’re going to develop some public service announcements over the next year to have that education component, and then also when the law becomes effective, October 1, 2026, that’s when we’re going to have the runway to, you have our science produced, get them installed on highways around Connecticut,” Morgan said. “So, the public is aware that if they’re in the extreme left lane, they should just be passing a slower vehicle. That’s not their primary traveling.”
Tracy E. Noble, the Manager, Public and Government Affairs at AAA Corporate travel in New Jersey and Connecticut said many states have laws that require traffic to stay right with the left lane just being used to pass.
“That’s what it was designed for, and oftentimes you see signs that say slower traffic keep right, “Noble said.
“It’s just about people, maintaining speed and not slowing up traffic, which unfortunately, if you have somebody that is camped out in the left lane, not doing the speed limit or doing under the speed of regular traffic, it sometimes causes a problem.”