Colorado becomes the fifth state to legalize lane filtering, allowing motorcyclists to filter through stopped traffic. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Colorado has passed a bill to allow motorcycles to lane filter between stopped cars, becoming the fifth state to legalize it after California, Utah, Montana, and Arizona.
Lane sharing remains a controversial topic. In his article “Split Decision: Are Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Safe?” Eric Trow references studies to show the effects of lane sharing in states where it is legal and found that the practice reduces the risk of rear-end collisions and reduces injuries, although it also introduces some new risks. You can find a deeper dive into the topic of lane sharing by reading Trow’s article.
The Colorado bill goes into effect on Aug. 7, 2024, and it will allow motorcyclists to filter through stopped traffic at a speed of 15 mph or less. For more information on the bill, read the American Motorcyclists Association’s press release below.
Colorado Signs Motorcycle Lane-Filtering Legislation into Law
Colorado has become the fifth state to legalize lane filtering after Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB24-079 on April 4, allowing motorcycles to filter between stopped cars in traffic and at stoplights.
The bill passed through both the Colorado House and Senate behind strong bipartisan support. Colorado now joins California, Utah, Montana, and Arizona as states with lane-filtering legislation signed into law.
“The signing of SB24-079 is a significant win for motorcyclists in the state of Colorado,” AMA Central States Representative Nick Sands said. “With this new legislation, motorcyclists will now be allowed to filter through stopped traffic, giving riders the ability to legally remove themselves from vulnerable traffic situations before ever coming into contact with a distracted or inattentive driver.”
The bill — sponsored by Sens. Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo) and Jim Smallwood (R-Douglas), as well as Reps. Javier Mabrey (D-Denver, Jefferson) and Ron Weinberg (R-Larimer) — will go into effect on Aug. 7, 2024. It will allow all motorcycles to pass stopped motor vehicles in the same lane. Motorcycles will be required to travel 15 miles per hour or less when filtering and will only be allowed to do so if the road has lanes wide enough to pass safely. Conditions must also allow for “prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.”
For the next three years, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will collect safety data on lane filtering and issue a report to the Colorado General Assembly regarding the newly passed law.
The AMA continues to support efforts regarding lane-filtering legislation, as its success in several other states indicates its long-term viability in protecting motorcyclists on the open road.
To stay up to date on the latest lane filtering news, visit the AMA Action Center.
The AMA’s position on lane filtering, and lane splitting, can be found here.
Photos by Kevin Wing | Illustrations by Hector Cademartori
As part of the Stayin’ Safe advanced rider training program – a method that leads a small group of experienced motorcyclists on road tours and delivers real-time, real-world coaching via in-helmet communications – I’m often asked by participants to address specific aspects of road riding unique to the region where a training tour is being conducted. As part of our Southern California training tours, I’ve been routinely asked if I would be teaching techniques for safe lane splitting.
Although it is intriguing to consider, I always decline. While I agree it would be a valuable teaching opportunity for that riding environment, I also realize it would be impractical with a group of riders since traffic dynamics change rapidly – as would recommended tactics depending on the bike and the circumstances. But perhaps the bigger challenge would be to get consensus among the riders to do it in the first place. Even if all participants are from California (and they rarely are), there are always distinct and deeply polarized views about lane splitting. Riders are adamantly for it or against it.
Lane splitting allows motorcyclists to move efficiently through grid-locked traffic while avoiding the risk of a rear-end collision.
The term “lane splitting” gets tossed around outside of California more often these days as several other states – including Utah, Montana, Arizona, and Hawaii – have legalized some form of the practice, while others are considering it. As lane splitting becomes more widespread, the volume of polarized opinions is expanding as well.
But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start by defining what lane splitting is. For starters, it’s not a universal term. “Splitting” is one type of lane sharing motorcyclists have been doing for years on California freeways, but there are other forms (and terms) we should know.
Riding within 10 mph of traffic flow and actively scanning the scene ahead for potential threats, the rider safely advances between lanes.
In the broadest sense, lane sharing, lane splitting, lane filtering, white lining, and a handful of other terms are used to describe the act of advancing a motorcycle through slow or stopped traffic on a multilane road (all heading the same direction, of course) by riding between lanes at a slightly higher speed than the flow of other vehicles. That’s it, in a congested traffic nutshell.
Are We Lane Splitting or Lane Filtering?
While “lane splitting” is a term used broadly to describe riding between lanes of traffic, there are distinctions between lane splitting and lane filtering.
When riding on a multilane highway such as a limited-access freeway, a motorcyclist might “split” the lanes and ride between two lines of vehicles if the traffic has slowed or come to a stop due to congestion. That’s what’s specifically referred to as lane splitting.
When riding in multiple lanes of traffic where there are intersections and traffic signals, a rider might move forward or “filter” between rows of vehicles stopped at a light, enabling the rider to move to the front of the line. This is lane filtering.
With traffic stopped for a red light, the rider slowly filters to the front of the line.
Why Do It?
The primary argument for lane splitting and lane filtering is that they are deemed safer practices that reduce opportunities for motorcyclists to be rear-ended in high-volume, stop-and-go traffic. Frankly, that’s a pretty strong argument since busy roadways are a high-risk environment for motorcyclists – perhaps even more so as increasingly distracted drivers are putting riders at higher risk.
Lane splitting is also claimed to give riders a better view through traffic as well as improved mobility. It’s contended that it allows riders to see farther ahead, actively separate themselves from threats, and strategically place their bikes in pockets of less congestion.
Lane splitting has been touted as helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by minimizing the time motorcycles sit in slow or stopped traffic. It also helps reduce traffic congestion because there are fewer vehicles sitting single-file in traffic lanes.
Does Lane Splitting Reduce Risk?
Yes and no. Motorcycle Lane-splitting and Safety in California, a 2015 study conducted by the Safe Transportation Research & Education Center at the University of California Berkeley, took a good long look into the matter to “increase our understanding of collisions involving lane-splitting motorcyclists and of how lane splitting impacts collision injuries.”
When the light turns green, the rider must quickly scan left and right before proceeding.
The study found that lane splitting appears to reduce certain types of crashes, specifically rear-end collisions. That’s great news. Lane-splitting riders were less than half as likely to be rear-ended than their non-lane-splitting brethren (2.6% vs. 4.6%). Those figures would look even better if some of those riders involved in a collision hadn’t been rear-ended by fellow riders who were following too closely (thanks, bud).
With fewer rear-end collisions, the analysis also showed that lane-splitting motorcyclists involved in a collision were injured less frequently than non-lane-splitters. They were half as likely to suffer a head injury (9% vs. 17%) and about a third less likely to sustain a torso injury (19% vs. 29%). Although fatalities are rare, even those were reduced by more than half (1.2% vs. 3.0%). Again, good news.
But with the good comes the bad (doesn’t it always?).
Lane splitting doesn’t eliminate crashes. Lane-sharing riders just crash differently and not as badly (provided speed is kept to a minimum).
While lane splitting and lane filtering can help a rider escape certain significant threats, it does introduce new ones. For example, there’s a smaller safety bubble. You’ll recall learning in your Motorcycle Safety Foundation or Total Control training course (you took one of those, right?) how important it is to maintain a safety cushion around your motorcycle. Riding between lanes puts motorcyclists significantly closer to other vehicles than they would be otherwise. That can make the rider more vulnerable from both sides (but less so front and rear) since there is less space to maneuver left or right – and therefore less time to react – if a driver makes a sudden move.
Wide handlebars, wide vehicles, and tightly spaced lanes can make filtering a challenge. Choose judgment over impatience when deciding whether to proceed.
The highest risk for any motorcyclist lane splitting in freeway traffic is other vehicles changing lanes. In suburban and city environments, lane filtering riders can find themselves among vehicles unexpectedly maneuvering into or out of traffic.
As a result, while lane splitting may reduce the likelihood of the rider being rear-ended, they are more than twice as likely to rear-end other vehicles (38% of lane-splitting riders vs. 16% of non-lane-splitting riders). That one’s on us.
Beyond the known hazards of riding too fast (surely you’ve heard, “speed kills”), the risk and severity of injury grows when there is an increase in the speed of the motorcycle compared to the pace of surrounding traffic – what’s known as “speed differential.” That speed difference between bike and traffic can play a significant role in causing a collision while lane splitting or filtering.
Perhaps the Greatest Challenge of All…
For the rider who is weighing the pros and cons of lane sharing, a serious consideration should be the low public awareness of lane splitting and the attitudes of other drivers.
Another U.C. Berkeley study from 2014 probed the minds of California drivers and motorcyclists. Even in California, where lane splitting and filtering have been common practices for decades, roughly half of all California drivers either believed that lane splitting was illegal (it wasn’t) or they were unsure about its legality. Such perceptions can contribute to negative attitudes about the practice. That study revealed 61% of non-motorcyclists in the Golden State disapproved of lane splitting.
Do drivers believe lane splitters are unwilling to play by the same rules others must adhere to, or that they are just acting as renegades?
The driver on his cell phone is hugging the center line and unaware of the approaching motorcycle, so the rider adjusts his position as he filters through.
I became particularly curious about the behavior of drivers and the potential impact (figuratively and literally) on motorcyclists as they consider the practice of lane sharing, especially in states where the concept has recently been introduced.
When it comes to driver behavior, I believe there are few better go-to resources than Tom Vanderbilt’s fantastic, well-researched book, Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). The author addresses the physical, psychological, and sociological aspects of traffic and how drivers, as human beings, interact with each other. I reached out to Vanderbilt to get his take on the potential challenges associated with introducing a practice like lane sharing into the general traffic environment.
“I am well aware of a dynamic that I am sure affects motorcyclists a lot, which I’ll call an ‘empathy imbalance,’” he said, defining the term as the phenomenon whereby people who drive cars may be unable to relate to motorcyclists since most car drivers don’t ride motorcycles and are unfamiliar with – and therefore unable to empathize with – the two-wheeled mode of transportation.
“So often drivers simply don’t understand the motives or behavior of the other mode,” Vanderbilt continued, “and they often translate their own confusion to some failing on the part of the other user. What might seem like rational or safe behavior on the part of a motorcyclist may seem reckless or like ‘cheating’ to a driver, who simply sees some ‘other’ they don’t fully understand.”
Vanderbilt’s advice? “Don’t think that your view of what is ‘commonsense behavior’ is shared by everyone around you.” In other words, until the practice is more common and drivers see enough people doing it – to a point where it no longer seems like strange and rebellious behavior – we should assume that lane splitting will be out of the norm for other motorists and may be viewed as unacceptable traffic behavior.
Stopped between lanes, the rider is in a tactical-ready stance, with the bike in gear and ready to go when the light changes.
The “empathy imbalance” is a compelling way to capture the mindset gap that exists out on the roadway and how that imbalance could be a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon in states where neither lane splitting nor lane filtering have ever been routine behavior. When it comes to lane sharing, especially where the practice is just being introduced, that empathy imbalance may be the greatest threat of all to motorcyclists.
Sidebar: What do Lane Splitters Look Like?
While some folks might expect lane splitters and filterers to be wild-haired outlaw rebels without causes, research paints a different picture. Contrary to the ruffian image, research reveals that lane splitters tend to be:
Regular commuters riding during weekday commuting hours
Wearing proper riding gear, including full-face helmets
Riding solo and riding sober
Splitting lanes only when traffic is at 30 mph or below
Can Lane Sharing Be Done Safely?
According to the U.C. Berkeley study, lane splitting and lane filtering appear to be relatively safe strategies and practices provided they are done in traffic traveling at 50 mph or less and motorcyclists stay within 15 mph of that traffic. Lower traffic speeds and a smaller speed differential between the bike and surrounding vehicles make it even safer.
The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) all align in support of lane sharing as a safe strategy. The American Automobile Association (AAA), on the other hand, opposes the practice.
Avoid filtering beside large trucks and buses. This rider paused in a safer spot to avoid blind spots and the potential of the bus swinging wide.
Beyond these authorities, I turned to another trusted source in California, my friend and fellow motorcycle proficiency expert Lee Parks. Among his many credentials, Parks owns and operates Total Control Training Inc. and authored the best-selling book Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques. He also runs the rider training program for California and several other states. I asked Parks for his take on lane splitting.
“Having moved here in 1992, I can’t imagine living in another state that didn’t have lane splitting,” he said. “It’s safer, saves time, reduces the chances of getting rear-ended by other road users, and reduces the travel time for everyone by taking riders out of the long lines of traffic.” Parks shared how, for him, a two-hour commute by car became a manageable 45-minute ride by motorcycle.
Is lane splitting for everyone? Parks and I share the same opinion, but he articulates it better: “It’s good for any experienced rider who has excellent situational awareness. Lane splitting is not for the faint of heart, nor those new to riding. It requires an extreme amount of focus and attention to be safe, and all riding functions must already be in your muscle memory so they don’t take away from your awareness.
“I’d add that lane splitting is only safely manageable for someone who is not impaired in any way. This includes drinking, drugs, fatigue, or being mentally distracted.”
Safer Splitting and Friendlier Filtering
Whether you’re new to the practice or have been lane splitting or filtering for years, here are things you can do to improve your odds while improving your position in traffic.
First, stick to these two speed factors when lane sharing:
1. Traffic speed is slow or stopped. The faster traffic is moving, the greater the risk of incident and injury. Choose to filter past other vehicles only when traffic is moving below 50 mph, and the slower the safer.
2. Your speed is within 10-15 mph of traffic. A small speed differential is safer. By keeping your own speed close to that of traffic, you buy critical time and space to respond to emerging threats. Work the physics in your favor!
Apply these techniques each time you move between lanes:
Look farther ahead, widen your view, and anticipate vehicles changing lanes.
Be “tactical ready,” poised to smoothly slow down or maneuver as necessary.
Stay to the left-most lanes on highways when lane splitting (between lanes #1 and #2).
Don’t linger in blind spots.
Beware of gaps that might invite other vehicles to change lanes just as you arrive.
Avoid splitting lanes near entrance and exit ramps (it’s illegal in California).
If riding with others, keep a safe distance between bikes to avoid rear-ending your buddy (or being rear-ended).
Lane-splitting riders must stay vigilant, especially when approaching gaps in traffic where a vehicle can suddenly change lanes.
Lane-splitting riders must stay vigilant, especially when approaching gaps in traffic where a vehicle can suddenly change lanes.
Of course, there is still the concern of other drivers and their response to lane-sharing motorcyclists, especially in states where the practice is not the norm. Until it is, riders should anticipate pushback from other motorists. Perhaps the best way to minimize that is to promote goodwill by being respectful, courteous, and empathetic to the other drivers who remain stuck in traffic (we’ve all been there).
Should You Do It?
It’s a personal choice – don’t ever let someone else force a lane-splitting decision for you. If you are still on the fence, here’s a little more filtering food for thought:
Not all motorcycles are created equal. While lane sharing is practiced by riders of all types, it is easier on a narrower, lighter machine. Remember, the wider your bike, the less space cushion you have as you filter between rows of cars, SUVs, trucks, and buses.
Not all riders are created equal. Experience riding in heavy traffic, ability to maneuver a motorcycle confidently at very slow speed, and maintaining a calm mind to avoid panic are important aspects of riding a motorcycle between lanes of congested traffic. Make an honest assessment of your own riding proficiency before attempting to split lanes.
Motivation matters. Lane sharing can be a valuable safety strategy to avoid rear-end collisions, and it can make commuting more efficient for all. But if your motivation is driven by impatience, resentment of other drivers who are holding up your progress, or simply because it seems that splitting might be an adrenaline rush, it may not be the best choice for you (it doesn’t do much to help driver attitudes toward the rest of us either).
Where is Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Legal?
Even if you are willing, lane sharing is still only a legal practice in a handful of states – and to varying degrees. Lane splitting on multilane highways? That’s still only legal in California. Yep, that’s it. Lane filtering in stopped traffic can now be done to some extent in Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, and Utah, but each state has distinct restrictions (see sidebar below).
If you’re the gambling type, the states of Delaware and Arkansas don’t have legal language that expressly prohibits lane splitting and filtering, but they do have an abundance of law enforcement officers who are authorized to interpret what a “safe and legal” practice is on a case-by-case basis.
Lee Parks said he believes the challenge in new states will be educating the car drivers more so than the riders.
“It will require a lot of public service announcements and driver education to make it as accepted and ubiquitous as it is in California,” he said. “The successes and failures of those states will help drive policy for new ones to adopt one of my favorite benefits of riding in California.”
A summary of current state laws specific to lane splitting and lane filtering
California: The only state where lane splitting and lane filtering on multilane roadways are both legal practices.
Arizona: Motorcyclists may ride between lanes of stopped traffic at a red light on a multilane roadway where the speed limit is 45 mph or less and the rider is traveling no more than 15 mph. No passing on median or shoulder.
Hawaii: Riders are permitted to use the shoulder of the road to pass stopped traffic on roads with at least two lanes in each direction and a shoulder wide enough to accommodate the rider.
Montana: Riders may filter between lanes to overtake stopped or slow vehicles traveling no more than 10 mph provided that the motorcyclist stays within 10 mph of surrounding traffic and does not exceed 20 mph.
Utah: Motorcyclists may travel between lanes of stopped traffic (not slow-moving traffic) on a multilane road having a speed limit of 45 mph or less. Motorcyclists may not exceed 15 mph and may not use the shoulder or bike lanes.
My Take?
Beyond being asked by Stayin’ Safe training tour participants if I would be teaching real-world tips and techniques for safer lane splitting and lane filtering, I’m most often asked for my professional opinion on the practice. “It’s great,” I say, followed by, “and it’s not.” Practiced responsibly, it can be an effective way to avoid collisions and severe injury. When practiced irresponsibly, it can be perilous for the rider and, at a minimum, harmful to driver/rider relations.
Even after examining the data, hearing the opinions of experts, and weighing the significant pros and cons presented here, a consensus may remain elusive. When it comes to splitting lanes and filtering through traffic, it might always be a split decision among riders. Fortunately, we all have the personal option to do it or not do it. As for me, I split lanes where it is legal to do so, provided the environment, my equipment, and my state of mind are suited for it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment and traffic is heavy, so I think I’d better split.
Episode 60 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast focuses on the controversial topic of lane splitting, also known as lane sharing. Motorcyclists tend to be strongly in favor of it or adamantly against it. Last year, Arizona became the fourth state to legalize lane sharing, joining California, Utah, and Montana. Contributing editor Eric Trow’s feature about lane sharing in the upcoming June 2023 issue of Rider provides a fair and balanced approach to the topic. Our host Greg Drevenstedt is much more biased in favor of lane sharing, and they have a lively discussion about the pros and cons.
Lane filtering, also known as lane splitting, where motorcycles share lanes with cars and trucks to reduce traffic congestion, is a widespread practice around the world. Two studies in 2014 showed that the practice is safe.
In the U.S., only California allowed the practice for many years, though it was not legally sanctioned until 2016. In 2018, Utah became the second state to legally recognize lane filtering, and Montana passed a similar law in 2021. Arizona is now the fourth state to allow lane filtering.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a law legalizing lane filtering after the bill cruised through both the Senate and House chambers with strong bipartisan support. The law now puts the state in the company of California, Utah, and Montana.
The passage of Senate Bill 1273, sponsored by Sen. Tyler Pace (R-Mesa District 23) and championed by ABATE of Arizona, allows riders to cruise slowly between lanes at speeds no faster than 15 mph if the other vehicles are stopped. Modeled off Utah’s legislation, the practice can only be done on roads posted at 45 mph or less. It does not allow riders to pass on the shoulder or on the median.
“This law has been four years in the making,” said Michael Infanzon, legislative director for ABATE of Arizona. “But we had a really great sponsor for the bill this year with Senator Pace. He is an active motorcycle rider and it was key to have someone who understood the danger of being rear-ended. This is all about safety and nothing more than part of the plan to reduce motorcycle fatalities in Arizona.”
With the law set to be in effect 90 days after adjournment, likely to be mid-September, ABATE of Arizona and the Arizona Motorcycle Awareness and Safety Foundation will be working with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the Department of Public Safety to educate riders and the public on the new legislation.
“Once the legislation was sent to the Governor’s desk, we started collaborating with the government to get PSAs and TV spots moving,” said Infanzon.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s most recent data, 30 percent of all motorcycle crashes in 2020, including 11 out of 106 fatal motorcycle collisions, were the result of rear-end collisions.
“ABATE of Arizona put up a strong showing to successfully get this law signed,” said the American Motorcyclist Association’s (AMA) Western States Representative Nicholas Haris. “It is a welcome sight to see more states adopting commonsense safety laws that protect motorcyclists when they are most vulnerable to a collision. The AMA is committed to working with riders nationwide on efforts to pass similar legislation and educating the public about its benefits.”
Meanwhile, Utah has extended the authorization for motorcyclists to lane filter for an additional five years to allow state officials to review the practice and gather data on its safety benefits. With the passage of H.B. 10 on March 22, the state is affirming that its initial experience has been a success worth continuing.
“With the signing of H.B. 10 Utahans have recognized the benefits of lane filtering,” said AMA On-Highway Government Relations Manager Tiffany Cipoletti, “which allows motorcyclists the choice to filter in traffic when it is safe to do so.”
Utah legalized lane filtering in 2018 with the initial bill and now the extension sponsored by state Rep. Walt Brooks (R-St. George District 75).
“I am very happy to have the support of the Department of Public Safety and of the legislature to extend lane filtering for an addition five years,” said Rep. Brooks. “The original sunset of three years, and dealing with COVID, did not provide the data needed to remove the sunset. I am confident that as riders use lane filtering properly over the next five years, the general public will become familiar with the practice and the data will prove this is a good policy for Utah, and will become permanent.”
Rep. Brooks has been a vocal supporter of the practice as a motorcyclist himself, and has assisted efforts in other states like Arizona to legalize the practice. The AMA is grateful for Rep. Brooks’ support of motorcyclists and the safe practice of lane-filtering.
“We are fortunate to have motorcyclists in elected office like Representative Brooks and Senator Pace,” said AMA Director of Government Relations Michael Sayre. “Brooks’ firsthand experience as a rider and work to gain the support of law enforcement in Utah were very important and have helped lay the groundwork for success in other states.”
The AMA endorses lane splitting, given the long-term success in California and the University of California-Berkeley research study showing that the practice enhances motorcycle safety. The AMA will assist groups and individuals working to bring legal lane splitting and/or filtering to their state.
“As lane-splitting support continues to gain traction across the country,” the AMA’s Cipoletti said, “we are eager to help more motorcyclists engage their state legislatures on this issue.”
Currently, the AMA is actively engaged in supporting a lane filtering bill in Oklahoma (H.B. 2667), too.
Aussie commuting traffic is fastest and safest in Perth and the worst in Sydney, according to a new statistical analysis of 100 major cities in the world.
The 2019 Driving Cities Index, commissioned by European car parts retailer Mister Auto, considers commuting traffic speeds, road condition, congestion, road rage, fatality rates, air pollution and costs such as parking and fuel.
Best commuting traffic
The best city for commuting traffic was Calgary in Canada, a country which had several cities in the top 10.
It was followed by Dubai, Ottawa, Bern and El Paso.
Perth was 13th, Brisbane 66th, Melbourne 83rd and Sydney 86th.
Perth commute is best even in the rain!
That is despite Melbourne rating much worse than Sydney for fatalities and road rage.
Canberra and Adelaide were not included as the study “focuses on the largest cities in each country”. However Mister Auto will “consider including these cities in expanded future iterations”.
Worst
Worst cities were mainly in Asia and Africa led by Mumbai in India followed by Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, Kolkata in India and Lagos in Nigeria.
It rated Perth the best place in Australia for commuting at 19th, followed by Brisbane at 45th, Melbourne 55th, Adelaide surprisingly at 57th and Sydney worst 61st.
The Mister Auto survey found the state capital cities’ road conditions and fuel costs were the same rating them at 75th worst roads in the world and 78th for fuel costs.
(Sponsored post on lane splitting for our North American readers)
Lane-splitting is the act of riding a motorcycle between the lanes of traffic on a freeway or city road. It’s a controversial topic in motorcycle safety, with a variety of opinions and different laws on whether it benefits motorcyclists or puts them in more danger. Many riders advocate for lane-splitting, out of fear that they’ll be sandwiched between two vehicles in a rear-end accident in stop-and-go traffic. They claim it’s safer to travel between lanes, and eases traffic during a busy commute. Those against it argue lane-splitting increases the likelihood of a crash if a driver isn’t paying attention, and doesn’t notice the rider along his or her side.
Motorcycle injury attorneys at Cannon & Dunphy, S.C. claim motorcyclists face a greater risk than any other vehicle on the road. If involved in an accident, riders are are also more likely to suffer serious or catastrophic injuries. Lane-splitting has come up a lot in legislation about motorcycle safety, with a lot of gray area in different parts of the nation. So what is safer, splitting lanes or staying within the lines? A study at UC Berkeley suggests splitting reduces the likelihood a motorcyclist will be hurt in a crash, and the findings could change motorcycle laws across the country.
Lane-Splitting Increases Safety
The study, shared by the American Motorcycle Association, showed that riders who split lanes were significantly less likely to be struck from behind in a crash. Researchers reviewed nearly 6,000 motorcycle-involved collisions between 2012 and 2013. In 997 of those cases, the motorcyclist was splitting lanes at the time of the crash. Overall they found riders who split lanes were 6% less likely to suffer a head injury, 10% less likely to suffer an injury to the torso, and 1.8% less likely to die in a crash.
A few significant findings include:
Lane-splitting motorcyclists are less likely to be rear ended than those that don’t lane split, from 2.6% to 4.6%
Riders who lane split are 14% more likely to wear a full-face helmet and proper protective gear
Lane-splitting is safe if the rider travels at 50 miles per hour or less, and no more than 15 miles per hour above the flow of traffic
Authors of the study cite stop-and-go traffic as the main reason motorcyclists are in danger on the road. The American Motorcycle Association agrees, stating,”reducing a motorcyclist’s exposure to vehicles that are frequently accelerating and decelerating on congested roadways can be one way to reduce rear-end collisions for those most vulnerable in traffic.”
Which States Allow Lane-Splitting?
Despite being a common practice on other continents like Australia, Europe and Asia, only California has legalized splitting for motorcyclists. California passed a bill known as AB-51 in 2017, ensuring that the practice is legal across the state.
After the bill was passed, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association released data showing an almost 30% decline in fatal motorcycle accidents since lane-splitting was legalized. The data failed to highlight a specific trend across the United States, with numbers ranging from a 66.7% decrease in Washington D.C. to a 175% increase in fatal accidents in Rhode Island. However, the national average dropped by 8.6%, 30 states saw a general decline in fatal motorcycle accidents, and there were decreases of more than 20% in 14 states.
Other states are working on their own legislation, but no other states have fully legalized lane-splitting like California. Utah has passed some legislation in May 2019, legalizing lane splitting with specific modifications for “lane-filtering”. Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, DC, and Maryland are currently considering new lane-splitting legislation as of October 2019. Many states don’t have any specific mention of lane-splitting within their legislation, meaning it’s not necessarily prohibited by law. This list includes Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and North Carolina. All other states have laws in place to specifically prohibit lane-splitting for motorcycle riders.
As more information begins to come out about lane splitting safety, it will be interesting to see if more states choose to legalize the practice in hopes of keeping motorcyclists safer.
If you think Australian road rules and lane filtering rules vary substantially between states, how about the USA where the only two states with lane splitting have completely different rules!
California has now been joined by Utah which has recently legalised lane splitting, while several more states are considering lane-splitting rules.
Lane splitting
It’s called lane splitting in the USA and lane filtering in Australia.
While lane filtering is slow movement between lanes of traffic, lane splitting is usually performed at higher speeds as in California.
However, the new Utah rules are actually lane filtering as it is only permitted in stationary traffic on a road posted at no higher than 45mph (72km/h) and at a maximum speed of 15mph (24km/h).
That’s even more restrictive than Australia where traffic does not have to be stopped and the maximum speed is 30km/h.
The most liberal rules are in California where it is allowed when traffic is travelling under 30mph (48km/h) and riders must travel no faster than 10mph (16km/h) more than surrounding traffic.
Some are considering allowing riders to use the road shoulder only and not between lanes of traffic, while others have varied maximum speeds for riders and surrounding traffic.
In Texas, where you can ride without a helmet under certain conditions, they are considering making it mandatory when splitting lanes.
Is it any wonder riders become confused and inadvertently break some of these arcane rules when travelling from state to state?
So if someone tells you it is legal to lane filter or lane split in their state or country, find out the rules first or you could run foul of the law.
Roadside signs, advertising billboards or electronic mobile signs on busy commuter routes advising motorists that lane filtering is legal would be an effective education campaign for motorists, say rider representatives.
Many riders tell us there is a lack of public education that lane filtering is now legal, sparking road rage toward motorcyclists.
So we contacted roads Ministers and departments in each state to find out exactly what advertising they have tried and have planned.
Despite rider impressions of a lack of public education there seems to have been a fair bit of activity.
Most seem to involve notices in registration reminders, radio ads, websites, social media and YouTube such as this.
State advertising
Tasmania is the most recent state to introduce lane filtering, starting in October 2018.
Tasmania Motorcycle Council president Paul Bullock says he raised the issue of advertising with the Road Safety Advisory Council in November.
“RSAC is about to run lane filtering advertisements between 18 March – 12 April 2019 and will include radio advertisement and access to the video from the online newspapers,” he says.
NSW says lane filtering will feature in this year’s Road Rules Awareness Week beginning on 8 April.
And Queensland is developing social media content for next month to educate drivers about lane filtering, including posts targeting drivers.
“These posts will be boosted to increase their reach beyond our 143,500 StreetSmarts social media followers,” a Main Roads spokesperson says.
VicRoads says they started with a community education campaign in 2015, followed by a refresher campaign in early 2018.
“Other advertising channels included metro and regional radio, video screening and social media,” a spokesperson says.
“The video that was produced had strong social media engagement and was viewed over 1 million times.
“To ensure ongoing behaviour change, VicRoads is currently developing additional collateral to communicate the rules to riders and the general public.”
So clearly there isn’t a lack of advertising education campaigns about lane filtering.
Roadside signs
Maybe the problem is that the ads are misguided as they do not seem to have made a big impact on the motoring public.
They’ve been sporadic at best and not exactly targeted where lane filtering is most likely to occur – on busy multi-lane roads that become congested in peak commuter times.
Roadside signs (like our Photoshopped image at the top of this article) in these locations would surely be the right message at exactly the right time and in the right location.
Yet there has been little if no roadside advertising advising motorists lane filtering is legal.
It should be noted that Victoria has signs in some no-filtering zones indicating the start and end of the zone. But that does not advertise that lane filtering is legal elsewhere.
Motorcycle Council of NSW chairman Steve Pearce says we need roadside signs like the ones that remind motorists to leave a 1m buffer with cyclists.
He suggests lane filtering laws be changed to put the onus on drivers like the cyclist buffer law.
“Under the cyclist buffer rule, the legal onus is on the driver to move over a metre, but there is no onus on the driver to make motorcyclists safe in the lane filtering rules,” he says.
“Drivers should be doing everything they can to make the rider safe. Moving over half a metre would mean nothing to them.
“When I lane filter, some people pull over, but some make it hard for you. That should be illegal.”
Former No 1 member of the Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia, Rodney Brown, agrees.
“Look at all the exposure pushbikes have received regarding leave a metre or so road space for them,” he says.
“Gee, we have had that rule pushed down our throat!
“What is the TAC (Traffic Accident Commission) doing with all of our motorcycle safety levy money?”
MRA Victoria spokesman Damien Codognotto says there is still millions of unspent safety levy money available.
“So there is no excuse for not running a campaign right now,” he says.
Tim Kelly from the South Australian Ride to Review group says there needs to be more awareness around the practice of lane filtering being legal.
“I’ve not experienced road rage whilst filtering, but I’ve had plenty of drivers try and make it hard but; that’s the way it was before legalisation,” he says.
“Signage is a good idea for main thoroughfares, or even those mobile billboards,” he suggests.
However, he says politics could quash any advertising campaign for lane filtering.
“It is important to note that this government was not in power when filtering was legalised,” he says.
Damien also suggests a “simple message” about sharing the road.
“The message should be positive telling car drivers that for every motorcycle or scooter that passes them on the way to work/home there’s less traffic and more parking ahead of them,” he says.
Filtering laws
Lane filtering has now been around in most states since NSW launched a trial in late 2012.
Yet riders continue to say there are many motorists who have no idea filtering it is legal.
Some have taken the advertising campaign into their own hands with small “lane filtering is legal” stickers on their bikes and/or helmets.
There is no mention in the official lane filtering rules for Queensland, NSW, SA, Victoria or Tasmania.
However, they all suggest in their explanatory notes riders “should avoid” filtering next to buses and heavy vehicles.
It should also be noted that an overriding rule is that riders must lane filter only “when safe to do so” (or similar words).
This is mentioned in Victoria, SA, ACT, Queensland and Tasmania, but not NSW,
It not only puts the onus on the rider to act responsibly and safely, but also provides police with some latitude to fine riders based on their judgement.
Onus on trucks
While riders should always take responsibility for their own safety, there is also an onus on truck drivers and other motorists to share the road with all vehicles, including motorcycles.
London has taken it further, banning trucks (lorries) over 3.5 tonnes that do not have special extended mirrors to reduce blind spots.
Drivers with a non-complaint vehicle face a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice and potential fine of £1000 in the Magistrates Court.
Similar legislation would be most welcome here in Australia.
RACQ safety officer and Suzuki Bandit fan Steve Spalding says blind spots around large vehicles are “a very risky situation for riders”.
“If there are ways to improve the types of mirrors fitted, or have better placement of existing ones, then we’d like to see heavy vehicle operators make those changes,” he says.
“Riders have to be aware of their vulnerability at all times but particularly when in congested traffic and around large and heavy vehicles because it can be difficult for truck drivers to cover all the blind spots.”
However, the truck mirror legislation would not have helped the London rider in this video which has gone viral. He was in front of the driver!
More blind spots
One of the big problems with riding near trucks, buses and other big vehicles is that their blind sports are not the same.
Fixed vehicles such as vans and buses/coaches have different blind spots to B doubles or prime movers with trailers. There are also extra blind spots for trucks with hoods (eg Mack) rather than cab-over trucks (eg Hino) with flat fronts.
We spoke with several bus and truck drivers and they say they don’t have a lot of problems with riders, but agree that there is potential for riders to get lost in blind spots.
For fixed vehicles, the worst blind spot is close on the inside (left in RHD countries and right for LHD countries) of the vehicle. Most heavy vehicles have blind-spot mirrors, but fast-accelerating bikes can zoom into view so quickly on a slow-moving vehicle, the driver may not have had a chance to see them.
Prime movers also have the problem that when they turn, their mirrors, which are fixed to the prime mover, show only a view of the trailer on one side and a wide view on the other, creating a massive blind spot area.
For trucks with a big bonnet, almost every near position from the mirrors forward is a blind spot, especially by the inside fender.
Drivers say riders can slip into the gap in front of a truck without them seeing the bike, which could result in a rear-ender as they approach a red traffic light.
They also claim that when the lights turn green, a gap opens up in front of slow-moving trucks and riders tend to slip into that gap where they may not be seen.
Wide berth
Motorcycles need to give trucks a wide berth on all angles in all traffic situations.
And don’t hope that your loud exhaust will alert the truck driver to your presence.
Most truck cabins are loud because the driver is sitting over the engine and is probably playing music or their CB radio over the top.
They will not hear you until you have passed them.
Sucked in
Bus and truck drivers also warn about the aerodynamic effects of following and riding too close to their vehicles.
Vehicles such as buses and some trailers with carriages low to the ground tend to create a vacuum at highway speeds that can suck a light bike toward them and potentially under their wheels.
Other trailers can push riders away into oncoming traffic. Some trailers, such as those carrying vehicles, create so much turbulence it can send a light bike into a tank slapper.
The effect is worse if the rider follows too closely before overtaking as they cop a sudden blast as they draw up alongside.
Oakey truckie Brad Shannon advises: “If you can see our mirrors we should be able to see you. But I always look twice, anyway.”
The father of a young rider who was rammed from behind by a driver who had previously tried to block him from legally lane filtering says road rage against riders is on the rise.
Daniel Lee of Brisbane says his 23-year-old son, Lucas, was “rammed up the butt” by the driver who had “earlier and deliberately tried to block my son from filtering”.
“My son told him that it was legal but was met with a tirade of expletives,” Daniel says.
“This driver drove up my son’s back twice.
“My son walked away with just a scratch. His bike (BMW S 1000 RR) was totalled.
“The driver was charged for malicious driving and got three months’ suspended licence.”
Daniel says road rage against motorcyclists is on the rise.
“Me and my two sons commute almost daily on our bikes through city traffic where you will tend to encounter frustrated drivers,” he says.
Daniel claims he was recently chased by a “clown in a ute because I lane filtered to the front”.
“I got off the line but he tried to keep abreast of me to intimidate,” he says.
“I moved off to allow him to overtake. At the next set of lights he kept watching and waiting for me to start filtering up to his side but my spidey sense told me he was up to something and I deliberately slowed down and about to filter when he suddenly closed the gap real tight by turning into the median.
“I flicked off to the left side and entered a bicycle green box. When the light turned he tried chasing me but failed.
“Instead he tailgated me as I deliberately kept abreast with a car to my left.
“Eventually I had to move ahead so as not to hold up traffic. He sped up to the lights and as I took the right lane and he on the left, he wound down his window and spat at me.”
Daniel and riding friends
Good Samaritan
Not all drivers are intimidating toward riders, Daniel says.
“Another ute came and wedged himself between me and him to protect me from the wanker trying to run me off the road when the lights turned green,” he says.
“The Good Samaritan told the wanker to stop his cursing and grow up.
“Wanker took a left and I went straight. Samaritan gave me a wave and a thumbs up for which I am really grateful.”
Daniel says some drivers become road ragers because they have a negative attitude towards bikers.
“No amount of reasoning and explanation would ever convince them to be patient and be more accommodating,” he says.
“Half a second after the lights turn green and a bike can easily get ahead and not hold drivers up, but ragers will push their cars to intimidate. Nothing will stop them from getting even.”
