Colorado House passes slowpoke drivers bill

DENVER • Road hogs are one step closer to being a hunted species in Colorado.

With only one Democrat voting against and a lone Republican voting in favor, the House voted 37 to 27 in favor of a bill cracking down on slow drivers proposed by state Rep. Michael Merrifield, D-Colorado Springs.

But the measure still faces possible defeat in the Senate, where one of Merrifield's fellow Democrats has already sworn to oppose it.

"I already had one Democratic senator furiously tell me she was going to vote no. Her reason was, she drives an RV and pulls a trailer and just can't get out of the way," Merrifield said.

The bill would require any driver with at least five cars behind him to pull over, or face a $50 fine and three points on his license. The bill was amended in the House to exempt big rigs carrying hazardous materials. Commercial vehicles are exempt unless the highway shoulder is at least 12 feet wide.

In the Senate, the bill will be carried by Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, who said Monday that he believes the measure will help improve the flow of traffic in his mountain district.

"What I really hate is when I'm heading back home and you've got one truck going 30 mph in the right lane and another going 32 mph in the left lane," said Gibbs, an avid skier.

But Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, says he'll be a no vote.

"It's trying to legislate common sense," Schultheis argued. "What, are we going to have to be taking our eyes off the road to count how many cars are behind us?"