Colorado has passed a bill allowing motorcycles to filter lanes between stopped cars, becoming the fifth state to legalize the practice after California, Utah, Montana and Arizona.
Lane sharing remains a controversial topic. In the article “Lane Splitting Decisions: Are Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Safe?” Eric Trow consulted 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 injuries, although it also causes some new risks. You can dig deeper into the topic of lane sharing by reading Trow’s article.
Read “Lane Splitting Decisions: Are Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Safe?” This
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The Colorado bill takes effect on August 7, 2024, and will allow motorcyclists to filter through stopped traffic at speeds of 15 mph or less. For more information about the bill, read the American Motorcyclists Association press release below.
Colorado became 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 when participating in traffic and when stopping at traffic lights.
The bill passed both the Colorado House and Senate with strong bipartisan support. Colorado now joins California, Utah, Montana and Arizona as states with lane filtering laws signed into law.
“The signing of SB24-079 is a significant victory for motorcyclists in the state of Colorado,” said Nick Sands, AMA Central States Representative. “With this new law, motorcyclists will now be allowed to filter through stopped traffic, giving riders the ability to legally remove themselves from vulnerable traffic situations before when exposed to a distracted or inattentive driver.”
The bill — sponsored by Sens. Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo) and Jim Smallwood (R-Douglas), as well as Representatives Javier Mabrey (D-Denver, Jefferson) and Ron Weinberg (R-Larimer) — would effective August 7, 2024. It will allow all motorcycles to pass stopped motor vehicles in the same lane. Motorcycles will be required to travel at a speed of 15 miles per hour or less when filtering and will only be allowed to do so if the road has a lane wide enough to pass safely. Conditions must also permit “cautious operation of the motorbike when passing or overtaking”.
Over the next three years, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will collect safety data on lane filtering and provide a report to the Colorado General Assembly on the newly passed law.
The AMA continues to support efforts related to lane filtering laws, as its success in several other states demonstrates its long-term viability in protecting motorcyclists on the open road.
For the latest news on lane filtering, visit AMA Action Center.
The AMA’s stance on lane filtering and lane splitting can be seen This.
