HOUSE BILL NO. 2597 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 A BILL to amend and reenact § 46.2-803.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to travel in the left-most lane by commercial motor vehicles. ---------- Patron-- Rapp ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 46.2-803.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.2-803.1. Commercial motor vehicles limited to use of certain lanes of certain interstate highways.

Except where the posted speed limit is less than 65 miles per hour, no person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-341.4, on the left-most lane of any interstate highway having more than two lanes in each direction.

Furthermore, within the Eighth Planning District and on Interstate Route 81, no person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-341.4, on the left-most lane of any interstate highway having more than two lanes in each direction, regardless of the posted speed limit. Every commercial motor vehicle shall keep to the right-most lane when operating at a speed of 15 miles per hour or more below the posted speed limit on an interstate highway with no more than two lanes in each direction.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, on that portion of Interstate Route 64 between the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the City of Richmond, regardless of the number of lanes in each direction, no person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle, as defined in § 46.2-341.4, in the left-most lane.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) buses or school buses or (ii) other commercial vehicles when (a) preparing to exit a highway via a left exit or (b) being used to perform maintenance or construction work on an interstate highway.