Arizona, Utah laws permit lane splitting
Travel on congested highways is the topic of two new laws in Western states. Both involve motorcycles driving between lanes of cars, or lane filtering or lane splitting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed into law a bill that covers the state’s lane-filtering rule.
Existing law allows motorcycles to move between stopped vehicles on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less.
A 2019 law allows motorcycles traveling 15 mph or less on roadways with two adjacent lanes to split travel lanes when traffic is stopped. The lane-filtering rule had a sunset date of July 1, 2022.
HB10 extends the sunset date five years to July 1, 2027.
The extension was recommended by the Utah Department of Public Safety to gather more data.
During House floor discussion, Rep. Walt Brooks, R-St. George, told legislators that state data shows that related vehicle accidents and deaths have decreased since the rule took effect, but the extension is necessary to get better data about how the rule is working.
“It is a safe, and life-saving policy,” Brooks said.
The rule also permits motorcyclists to move to the front of a traffic light. Motorcyclists can only move to the front when vehicles are stopped.
Advocates say that lane splitting is beneficial because it saves motorcyclists time and fuel. They say the practice also helps many motorcycles avoid overheating while sitting in traffic.
Some people in the trucking industry have raised concerns about motorcyclists attempting the maneuver around large vehicles.
Arizona
A nearly identical bill has been signed into law in Arizona.
Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a bill to allow motorcyclists to move between vehicles up to the intersection.
SB1273 permits the maneuver to be completed on roadways with two lanes of traffic in the same direction with a speed limit up to 45 mph. Vehicles must be at a complete stop.
Additionally, motorcycles could only travel up to 15 mph to complete the maneuver.
Arizona and Utah are the third and fourth states to act to permit motorcyclists to bypass congestion. Two states acted previously to legalize the maneuver.
California first to act
In 2016, the state of California adopted a rule to permit so-called lane splitting with motorcycles. Previously, state law neither allowed nor forbade the practice of riding motorcycles between rows of stopped or slowed traffic.
The Golden State’s law allows motorcycles to travel between lanes at speeds up to 10 mph, provided that traffic is moving at 30 mph or less.
The California Highway Patrol offers tips for motorcyclists on how to safely perform the maneuver.
Montana
In 2021, a Montana law legalized filtering when “on a road with lanes wide enough to pass safely.”
Two-wheeled motorcycles soon will be permitted to overtake stopped or slow-moving traffic at a speed up to 20 mph. Filtering between lanes of stopped traffic traveling in the same direction is permitted as conditions permit. LL
More state trends
Keith Goble, state legislative editor for Land Line Media, keeps track of many trends among statehouses across the U.S. Here are some recent articles by him.
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