Colorado State Patrol Reminds Drivers: Move Right — Left Lane Law Enforcement Targets Lane Camping and Speeding

Description: Left lane loafers can slow traffic and create dangerous situations. Colorado State Patrol stopped more than 2,500 drivers last year for blocking passing lanes. Remember: on highways 65 mph or higher, the left lane is for passing — move right once you’re done. Read the Full Press Release from the Colorado State Patrol...

Be Polite, Move to the Right

Left lane loafers are a rolling roadblock

(COLO) – Multi-lane roadways are designed to keep traffic flowing, but sometimes bottlenecks occur when motorists fail to adhere to Colorado’s left lane law. Last year, Colorado State troopers pulled over 2,540 drivers traveling slower than the flow of traffic, often creating additional hazards for other motorists.

For Colorado, multi-lane roads with a posted speed limit of 65 mph or greater designate the furthest left lane as the “passing lane.” Slower traffic must move into the right nonpassing lane after a driver has completed a pass or finished allowing a vehicle to enter the roadway. "Lane camping" in the left lane is discouraged and often frustrates other motorists, sparking unsafe passing, tailgating, flashing lights, and other negative behaviors.

“Even if you are driving the maximum legal speed limit, the left lane is not intended to be a permanent travel lane on roadways 65 mph or greater in Colorado,” stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “Drivers are not legally allowed to obstruct traffic lanes in Colorado, so even if you don’t like the speed of other drivers, interfering with traffic flow is also unsafe driving behavior.”

The most common roadways that troopers pulled drivers over for “hanging out” in a passing lane in 2025 were:

1. I-70 (962 contacts)

2. I-25 (564 contacts)

3. Hwy 50 (297 contacts)

4. Hwy 160 (190 contacts)

5. E-470 (149 contacts)

The most common day of the week for troopers to pull people over was Friday (1-7 p.m.), followed by Thursday (2-5 p.m.).

Troopers are taking a low-tolerance approach to the top fatal crash factors, including lane violations and speeding while launching a three-month campaign called “Stop Speeding.” This campaign wants every Colorado driver to break the myth that speeding is a “victimless crime” and encourages you to drive like a trooper is riding with you.

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