Arizona motorcyclists remain confused over controversial ‘lane filtering’ law
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A motorcyclist weaves in between moving cars on a freeway to avoid rush hour traffic. You’re witnessing something called “lane splitting.” However, “lane splitting” is not legal in Arizona, and needless to say, it’s dangerous and can lead to road rage.
While lane splitting is illegal, lane filtering was legalized in Arizona two years ago, and it’s completely different. Lane filtering allows motorcyclists to slowly maneuver between cars completely stopped at a red light, allowing the motorcycle to reach the front of the line.
The law is supposed to keep motorcyclists safer by preventing rear-end collisions.
“You (motorcyclists) are going to be sandwiched between those vehicles, so it’s actually safer for that motorcycle to be in the front of that traffic,” Maricopa County Deputy Sheriff Michael Redman told On Your Side.
Deputy Redman is a motorcycle officer who says some motorcyclists may be misinterpreting the law and assuming they can also split lanes on the freeway.
“I have seen it all the time,” Deputy Redman said. “Even when I’m off duty, I see it on all the Valley freeways throughout the metro Phoenix area.”
One video shows a Phoenix motorcyclist who is so confident that he uses the maneuver and squeezes past an Arizona DPS trooper’s truck on the highway. The trooper eventually stops the rider and gives him the news. “You can’t lane split,” the trooper can be heard telling the motorcyclist.
Joe Brown is an attorney for Law Tigers, a firm that represents injured motorcyclists.
“I believe the legislature in the State of Arizona did a horrible job educating folks about what is allowed and what is not allowed,” he said.
He agrees that motorcyclists are simply misinformed about Arizona’s motorcycle law and are using it to split lanes on the highway, thinking it’s legal.
“Listen, this is not what the law was truly designed for, and people have taken it to the next level, thinking they’re okay when they’re truly not. And that’s frustrating for drivers who have been startled when an unexpected motorcyclist narrowly slips by them on the highway,” Brown explained.
Remember, Arizona motorcyclists can slowly filter to the front of the line at a red light by “lane filtering.”
Some parameters must be followed to use lane filtering legally. For example, all traffic must be at a complete stop, the speed limit can’t be more than 45 miles an hour, the road must have two or more adjacent lanes in the same direction of travel, and the motorcycle can not filter through more than 15 miles an hour.
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