Photo: Wikipedia
Buses carry people, trucks haul stuff, cars sit in traffic, and motorcycles split lanes to get around faster. It is natural and every country or state on this planet has to officially accept this practice. In the U.S., three more lane splitting bills have been introduced in Oregon, Washington, and Montana, so you should act now and show your support.
State Senator Jeff Kruse has introduced a bill that would authorize responsible lane-splitting practices in the state of Oregon. According to the document, Bill 385 would allow riders to practice the maneuver at a speed of no more than 20 mph if traffic is stopped or has slowed to 10 mph or less.
Over in Washington, State Rep. Drew MacEwen has introduced a similar bill that allows lane splitting at a speed of no more than 10 mph faster than other vehicles if traffic is moving slower than 35 mph.
Last but not least, Montana is trying the same thanks to State Sen. Russel Tempel, who proposed that lane splitting should be done at a speed of no more than 20 mph if traffic is slower than 10 mph.
If you’re a rider living in one of these states, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is asking you to support the bill by completing the following forms corresponding to each region - Oregon, Montana, and Washington.
Drivers, and people in general, need to understand that lane splitting in a responsible way helps by relieving traffic jams and cutting down on emissions. So next time you drive and a motorcyclist goes by while you are sitting in heavy traffic, you should be thankful he is not in a car making it worse.
Regarding safety, lane splitting can actually be safer for the biker since he/she is not exposed to getting sandwiched between two cars. The only real danger for the motorcyclist performing this maneuver is represented by other drivers changing lanes without checking their mirrors and using the turning signals.
California is currently the only state where lane splitting is officially tolerated when done in responsible ways.
Over in Washington, State Rep. Drew MacEwen has introduced a similar bill that allows lane splitting at a speed of no more than 10 mph faster than other vehicles if traffic is moving slower than 35 mph.
Last but not least, Montana is trying the same thanks to State Sen. Russel Tempel, who proposed that lane splitting should be done at a speed of no more than 20 mph if traffic is slower than 10 mph.
If you’re a rider living in one of these states, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is asking you to support the bill by completing the following forms corresponding to each region - Oregon, Montana, and Washington.
Drivers, and people in general, need to understand that lane splitting in a responsible way helps by relieving traffic jams and cutting down on emissions. So next time you drive and a motorcyclist goes by while you are sitting in heavy traffic, you should be thankful he is not in a car making it worse.
Regarding safety, lane splitting can actually be safer for the biker since he/she is not exposed to getting sandwiched between two cars. The only real danger for the motorcyclist performing this maneuver is represented by other drivers changing lanes without checking their mirrors and using the turning signals.
California is currently the only state where lane splitting is officially tolerated when done in responsible ways.
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