Geelong police target drivers not keeping left unless overtaking

Police are cracking down on drivers who are breaking a simple road rule, with one woman caught fined almost $200. HAVE YOUR SAY

Geelong police busted this driver not keeping left unless overtaking.

Police are targeting drivers who are breaking a simply road rule and hogging the right lane.

Senior Sergeant Aaron Riches said a majority of drivers were triggered and concerned by motorists that were failing to keep left unless overtaking.

“The safety issue causes undue merging and lane changes resulting in collisions and or road rage,” he said.

According to VicRoads, when travelling on a multi-lane road with a speed limit of more than 80km/h, drivers must keep out of the right lane unless they are overtaking, turning right or if all lanes are congested.

If the right lane is a transit lane — designated for vehicles carrying multiple people or public transportation — the rule applies to the lane immediately left of it.

Sergeant Riches said a 49-year-old Ocean Grove woman was fined $198 and lost two demerit points after she was spotted by police on Friday afternoon failing to keep left unless overtaking from Moolap Station Rd and Maluleka Rd in Leopold.

She was also travelling between 76 and 84km/h.

“This safety aspect will be strictly enforced on our roads with rolling shift blitzes targeting our roads,” Sergeant Riches said.

In August last year, Torquay police targeted drivers hogging the right lane along the Surf Coast Highway.

At least five drivers, who failed to keep left for more than a kilometre, were fined during the blitz.

The crackdown caused a stir with Addy readers, with one local describing it as the “best policing ever”.

“Keep the fines coming for the Surf Coast Highway clowns,” they wrote.

“It’s about time this rule was actually enforced. Well done Surf Coast police,” another said.

“(They are) a menace on our roads,” a third wrote.

Originally published as Geelong police target drivers not keeping left unless overtaking