The sponsor of a California Senate bill that would have restricted the current practice of lane-splitting by motorcyclists will withdraw the bill from consideration, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. It is likely AMA lobbying the issue has impacted the decision to withdraw the bill. Our information is that the AMA has no such ongoing lobby effort in Texas to advocate for riders to reform Texas Traffic Code to explicitly permit lane-splitting by motorcyclists.
The bill, introduced Feb. 20, would have allowed lane-splitting only in certain instances: on divided highways with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, only when traffic is congested and only at “a safe” speed. An aide to state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA Tuesday afternoon that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year. It is probable that this safety study could be applied to Texas, if the AMA were to actively pursue this issue in the state.
Nick Haris, AMA western states representative, noted that lane-splitting has been an accepted custom and necessary strategy to ease traffic congestion in California for years. He noted that Beall’s bill proposed a sudden and significant shift in traffic management strategies in the state with respect to motorcycles, which could have had a serious impact on traffic flow.
According to the California Highway Patrol, lane-splitting occurs when a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or slower-moving traffic or moves between lanes to the front of stopped traffic.
According to the AMA, the convention is recognized as a benefit to urban traffic flow because it allows motorcycles to make maximum use of roadways when traffic is stopped or significantly slowed. The controlled flow of motorcyclists through stopped traffic also permits more space for other road users.
“Lane-splitting by motorcyclists, when done correctly, helps improve traffic flow for everyone on the road,” AMA’s Haris said. “That helps everybody save time, gas and hassles, and promotes safer roads by mitigating traffic backups. It’s important that we work to preserve lane-splitting for the benefit of everyone on the road.”
AMA Contacts
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