Dear Editor,
On March 23, 2015, the B.C. government introduced the “Keep Right, Let Others Pass” law.
This law designates the left lane of all provincial highways with a speed limit of 80km/hr and above as a passing lane.
This includes the stretch of Lougheed Highway running through Pitt Meadows.
This means that if you are in the left lane and someone comes up behind you, you have to move over and let them pass, regardless of your speed or theirs.
Yet, in the 11 years since this law went into effect, I have not seen any sign of this law being followed or enforced on that stretch of highway. There aren’t even any signs on that portion of the highway to remind drivers of this law.
This needs to change.
The left lane on Lougheed through Pitt Meadows is always chock full of traffic, and almost no one will move over to let you pass even though there are three open traffic lanes for the majority of the day.
It’s getting worse every year.
Vehicles will get on the Pitt River Bridge coming east out of Port Coquitlam and will remain in the left lane of the highway all the way to 203rd, refusing to move over.
As such, the amount of cars weaving through traffic to get around the left lane blockers on this stretch is staggering. And I’m not talking about during rush hour or times of high traffic volume. This is happening 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
I work shift work in Port Coquitlam, and even driving home at 9:30 at night, or driving in at 9 a.m. on a Sunday, almost all the cars are driving in the left lane.
And god forbid you attempt to make the left lane driver aware that you want to pass, because in my experience, the vast majority of drivers on this road respond to a headlight flash by instantly slamming on their brakes.
It’s frightening that most people would rather purposely cause a traffic accident than simply change lanes for two minutes.
It’s a dangerous stretch of road made even more dangerous by these clueless, reckless drivers.
The complete lack of community awareness of and enforcement of this law since it was passed has directly contributed to an increase of this dangerous behaviour.
This law was put in place for good reason, and I think it’s time we remind the public, the RCMP, and local governments about this law by putting up proper traffic signage, educating the community, and actually enforcing it.
This is for everyone’s safety.
Michelle Roden, Maple Ridge