State says lane splitting law off to up-and-down start, education still key

Three months into Minnesota’s new law allowing motorcyclists to move through traffic — under certain circumstances — and state agencies say more education is needed to get everyone on the road on the same page. 

We’ve also learned through our questioning that officials have not been able to clearly track how many riders are illegally lane splitting and filtering — but overall, Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) feels the new law is off to an up-and-down start. 

“There’s been some positives and there’s been some negatives, but mostly there’s been a bunch of questions,” Jay Bock, OTS’s Motorcycle Safety coordinator, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. 

The lane splitting and filtering law has been rolling since July. 

RELATED: New rules for motorcycles set to go into effect in Minnesota on July 1

Lane splitting is allowed when traffic is moving and allows a motorcycle to pass another vehicle in the same direction of travel and in the same traffic lane, only under these conditions.

Motorcyclists can’t exceed 25 mph while splitting the lane.

Lane filtering is allowed when traffic is not moving and allows a motorcycle to keep moving through a traffic jam or stopped traffic light by moving to the front.

In both cases, motorcyclists can’t exceed 15 mph over the speed of traffic. Splitting and filtering the lane is only allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction.

“I’ve seen it in both arenas. I’ve seen it being used properly, and, you know, more power to them in a traffic jam,” Bock says, adding, “And then I have seen it used improperly. I’ve seen it used at higher speeds. I’ve seen it used weaving in and out of traffic.”

Right away, OTS says the state spent $200,000 on a messaging and ad blitz — it says up to $20,000 will soon be spent to mail inserts in vehicle and motorcycle registration mailings. 

“It takes some time for everybody to come up to speed with it,” Bock said. “I think enough people are getting exposed to it more and more every day. That’s nothing but a plus.”

While they work on that next round of education, Bock has a message in the meantime. 

“Please don’t weave in and out and around at highway speeds. You’re not helping yourself. You’re not helping traffic, and you can startle motorists.”

Many riders will say traffic congestion is one of the most dangerous times for them on the road. 

“The whole idea behind lane splitting is that it’s safer,” Bob Hedstrom, a motorcyclist who also founded and owns Scooterville Minnesota, in Minneapolis, said. “You’re not prone to getting rear-ended, and that’s always the biggest fear when you’re stopped in traffic on a motorcycle,” he added.

Hedstrom says he’s only been honked at once while lane splitting and hopes everyone on the road takes time to understand the law and why it’s on the books. 

The Minnesota State Patrol, when asked what enforcement of this law looks like, sent the following statement, which includes that troopers have seen and heard of motorcyclists going too fast while splitting:

“Our approach has been a mix of education and enforcement. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety spent months preparing and rolling out a campaign to educate the public about this law change. That effort is ongoing to help both motorcyclists and drivers to clearly understand what the new law allows. What we’re seeing and hearing reports of, however, are some motorcyclists exceeding the speed limit while splitting through traffic or riding on the shoulder to bypass congestion, and those actions are not permitted under the statute. When troopers observe violations, they will make a stop, and depending on the circumstances, the rider or driver may receive a warning or a citation.“