More States Look to Pass Lane Splitting

More States Look to Pass Lane Splitting / Filtering Legislation

August 19, 2022

Even though lane splitting /filtering is widely practiced throughout much of the world, many in the United States have looked at it as a crazy idea that would remain forever confined to California. This has now proven not to be the case.

Each year, the number of states that consider some form of lane splitting / filtering legislation increases. With the relatively recent passage of laws in Utah, Montana, and, most recently, Arizona, that trend is likely to continue at an accelerated rate. It is expected that motorcycle rights organizations in more than half a dozen states will introduce some type of lane splitting/filtering bill in the upcoming year.

Let’s address the obvious question. What is lane splitting and lane filtering, and what is the difference? Ask that question a dozen times and you are likely to get a dozen different answers.

Generally, lane splitting is riding a motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane. Lane filtering is often described as allowing motorcyclists to trickle down between or around rows of stopped/ slow-moving vehicles, usually at stop lights, in order to allow the rider to navigate towards the front of the line, which allows them to take off safely without being rear ended. Both practices allow motorcyclists to take advantage of the slimmer profile of motorcycles in order to maneuver them more effectively through traffic.

Laws being passed in the United States are generally a hybrid of these two practices. For instance, both Utah and Arizona allow motorcycles traveling on a roadway with two or more lanes in the same direction to pass stopped traffic in the same lane so long as the speed limit of the road is not greater than 45 miles per hour, and the motorcycle travels at a speed of 15 miles per hour or less. In Montana, motorcyclists may pass other vehicles in the same lane of travel that are stopped or traveling at a speed of 10 miles an hour or less, so long as the overtaking motorcycle is not operated at a speed in excess of 20 miles an hour.

A 2012 Belgian study found that if just 10 percent of drivers were to switch to motorcycles and filter through traffic, travel times would decrease for the remaining car drivers by some eight minutes per journey. This benefit would not exist if motorcyclists ignored the inherent advantages of their smaller, narrower vehicles and sat in line like cars. The same study found considerable environmental benefits to lane splitting—not because bikes emit less carbon (many larger bikes are as bad as cars), but because every bike that lane splits actively reduces the amount of time every other vehicle on the road spends sitting in traffic jams.

Lane splitting or filtering shouldn’t be confused with reckless riding. Weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds isn’t allowed in any fashion anywhere in the United States.

way patrol specifically endorses the practice under controlled conditions such as those in the states mentioned above. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) endorses lane splitting, citing the long-term success in California, and a study by University of California Berkeley researchers showing that the practice enhances motorcycle safety by reducing rear end collisions which can often be catastrophic for motorcyclists.

The benefits described above are among the reasons why we will continue to see lane splitting/filtering legislation introduced in states throughout the country. As more states realize the benefits of such legislation, the practice will become more accepted, just as it is throughout Europe and most of the rest of the world. So keep an eye out. It may be coming to your state next.

As usual, if you have any questions or comments concerning this or any other matters concerning laws affecting motorcycling, please feel free to reach out to me.

Matt Danielson

McGrath, Danielson & Sorrell The Motorcycle Law Group 1-855-LAW-RIDERS 1-855-529-7433 Motorcyclelawgroup.com

Matt Danielson is a partner at Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group, a personal injury law firm whose attorneys all ride motorcycles and practice in VA, NC, SC, GA and WV. Matt has successfully represented clients in cases from simple property damage to complex multi-million dollar personal injury claims. He is also a lobbyist, lecturer, and works with motorcycle rights organizations throughout the country. To learn more about the Motorcycle Law Group, visit MotorcycleLawGroup.com.