The Mossos d’Esquadra have denounced a truck driver for inappropriately overtaking on the AP-7 motorway, heading south, near the Girona municipality of Vilobà d’Onyar. It is a section in which there are three lanes in each direction and the offender positioned himself in the one on the left to pass a truck that was doing the same for the center with another heavy vehicle. This maneuver caused three trailers to be in parallel, occupying the entire road and hindering the circulation of the rest of the cars.
The events occurred last Monday around 9:45 a.m. A Catalan police patrol recorded the infraction -disseminated on its social networks- and then stopped the driver to report it. The traffic regulations establish that, outside towns, on roads with three or more lanes in the same direction of travel, drivers of trucks or vans with a maximum authorized mass of more than 3,500 kilograms, must drive normally on the right, and they can use the adjoining one to overtake without compromising road safety or hindering the fluidity of circulation.
The video shared by the Mossos d’Esquadra on Twitter has generated reactions from other users of the social network. “Finally, fines for going in the wrong lane, you should do it more. It would be safer to drive on the roads. Every time I take the car I see many who drive in the wrong lane, which shows that you fine little”, pointed out one of the comments.
Others made reference to what is known as left lane syndrome: “Apart from trucks, many cars do not move from it. Many times you see the lane(s) on the right empty and on the left one that goes at 80 or lessâ€, “And the number of cars that circulate in the lane in the middle? The best thing is that they think they do it right. Drive to the right!!!” or “And for when are those who go to 80 for the one in the middle”, said some users.
It is common to see vehicles on motorways and dual carriageways traveling on the one on the left despite the fact that those next to them are free. This bad habit, which can be fined with a penalty of up to 200 euros, increases withholdings, braking and the risk of having an accident.
Although there is no specific infraction for driving in the left lane, this action can be considered a serious infraction when its practice hinders the flow of traffic. Based on the Law on Traffic, Motor Vehicle Circulation and Road Safety, it can be included in the framework of non-compliance with “the provisions regarding priority of passage, overtaking, changes of direction or direction and reversing, direction of traffic , use of lanes and shoulders and, in general, any violation of special traffic regulations for reasons of safety or fluidity of trafficâ€.
