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Florida Statute 316.081 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 316.081 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 316.081 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 316.081

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXIII
MOTOR VEHICLES
Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL
View Entire Chapter
316.081 Driving on right side of roadway; exceptions.
(1) Upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows:
(a) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement;
(b) When an obstruction exists making it necessary to drive to the left of the center of the highway; provided any person so doing shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles traveling in the proper direction upon the unobstructed portion of the highway within such distance as to constitute an immediate hazard;
(c) Upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes for traffic under the rules applicable thereon; or
(d) Upon a roadway designated and signposted for one-way traffic.
(2) Upon all roadways, any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
(3) On a road, street, or highway having two or more lanes allowing movement in the same direction, a driver may not continue to operate a motor vehicle in the furthermost left-hand lane if the driver knows or reasonably should know that he or she is being overtaken in that lane from the rear by a motor vehicle traveling at a higher rate of speed. This subsection does not apply to drivers operating a vehicle that is overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, or is preparing for a left turn at an intersection.
(4) Upon any roadway having four or more lanes for moving traffic and providing for two-way movement of traffic, no vehicle shall be driven to the left of the centerline of the roadway, except when authorized by official traffic control devices designating certain lanes to the left side of the center of the roadway for use by traffic not otherwise permitted to use such lanes, or except as permitted under paragraph (1)(b). However, this subsection shall not be construed as prohibiting the crossing of the centerline in making a left turn into or from an alley, private road, or driveway.
(5) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.
History.s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 104, ch. 99-248; s. 11, ch. 2013-160; s. 5, ch. 2014-216.

F.S. 316.081 on Google Scholar

F.S. 316.081 on CourtListener

Amendments to 316.081


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Civil Citations / Citable Offenses under S316.081
R or S next to points is Mandatory Revocation or Suspension

S316.081 WRONG SIDE OF ROADWAY - Driving on - Points on Drivers License: 3
S316.081 (1) Driving on wrong lane or side - failed to drive upon right half of roadway - Points on Drivers License: 3
S316.081 (2) Fail to drive to right when driving less than normal speed of traffic - Points on Drivers License: 3
S316.081 (3) Driving in left lane when being overtaken from rear - Points on Drivers License: 3
S316.081 (4) Driving left of center line on roadway having four or more lanes - Points on Drivers License: 3

Cases Citing Statute 316.081

Total Results: 6  |  Sort by: Relevance  |  Newest First

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Riley v. Willis, 585 So. 2d 1024 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991).

Cited 8 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 1991 WL 159168

...iled to use due care was for the jury to decide and the directed verdict motion was properly denied. JURY INSTRUCTIONS Riley asserts that an instruction governing a motorist's duty to avoid an obstacle was improperly given. The instruction contained section 316.081(1)(b), *1027 Florida Statutes (1987), which provides in relevant part: (1) Upon all roadways of sufficient width, a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway, except as follows: (b) When an obstruction exists making i...
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State Ex Rel. Miller v. Patterson, 284 So. 2d 9 (Fla. 2d DCA 1973).

Cited 5 times | Published | Florida 2nd District Court of Appeal

...[1] Relator was arrested on May 13, 1973 and charged by a Uniform Traffic Citation with "failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving injury in violation of State Statute § 316.027." Thereafter, such *10 citation was filed in the County Court of Pinellas County, there to serve, pursuant to § 316.081, F.S....
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State v. Rodriguez, 904 So. 2d 594 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005).

Cited 4 times | Published | Florida 5th District Court of Appeal | 2005 WL 1412065

...The state argued that Rodriguez violated two Florida Statutes: Section 316.125(2), which requires a driver of a vehicle emerging from an alley, building, private road or driveway within a business or residential district to stop prior to entering a roadway, and section 316.081, which prohibits driving on the wrong side of the roadway....
...ring a road from a private road or driveway in a business or residential district stop before entering the road. [1] Defense counsel pointed out to the court that section 316.003 defines residential and business districts. [2] Counsel also discussed section 316.081, which provides that a vehicle should be driven on the right side of a road if the road is of sufficient width....
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United States v. Reginald Wayne Gibbs, 917 F.3d 1289 (11th Cir. 2019).

Cited 2 times | Published | Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

violation under Florida law, Fla. Stat. § 316.081 (1), 2 one that posed a palpable
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State of Florida v. Allen Robert Boston, 267 So. 3d 463 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2019).

Cited 1 times | Published | District Court of Appeal of Florida

argues that Mr. Boston's violation of section 316.081, which prohibits the operation of a motor
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State, Dep't of High. Saf. & Motor Vehs. v. Jones, 935 So. 2d 532 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006).

Published | Florida 3rd District Court of Appeal | 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 8559, 2006 WL 1479640

no apparent reason. This was a violation of section 316.081 of the Florida Statutes which requires only

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. Attorney Syfert regularly works with Chapter 316 in the context of traffic and automobile accident law and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.