Motorcyclists talk new lane splitting and filtering law in Minnesota.
(ABC 6 News) – A new law going into effect on July 1st will affect both motorcyclists and drivers on Minnesota roads, lane splitting and lane filtering.
Lane splitting will allow a motorcyclist to pass another vehicle going in the same direction at no more than 25 miles per hour when traffic is moving.
Filtering will allow a motorcyclist to move through traffic that is stopped.
Now with the law coming legal, local motorcycle riders think the law will be very beneficial to them.
“If you’re at the back of the line, you can do filtering as well, so you don’t have to worry about someone coming from behind and looking through the mirror to see if they’re gonna stop, you can get out of the way there,” said Greg Olson, motorcycle driver at Harley Davidson in Rochester.
He isn’t the only one in favor of the law. Another motorcycle driver said it will limit the number of accidents.
“A lot of accidents tend to be within stopped traffic from cars behind, or people not being able to see us through the rear views. It also gives us a little bit of support in our safety as well, because our bikes tend to get hot, you know, we sitting at a standstill we have hot pipes and everything,” said John White, another motorcycle owner and member of LAMA Rochester.
Riders say not every motorcyclist will use lane splitting right away, but the most important part is for other motorists on the road to be aware that it can happen.
“Please please use caution when you see us coming through and again everyone wants to come home, no one wants to get hurt, so that’s what I would say is please use caution when you see us,” White said.
And that it is something everyone on the road will need to get used to.
“Every year we get the scenario where the school busses come out, or when the roundabouts came out, and we didn’t drive them very well, and it took some time to get used to them, same holds true for this law,” said Jay Bock, Motorcycle Safety Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Minnesota is now the 6th state to make lane splitting legal in the United States. Minnesota DPS said the best way to prepare for it is to be patient and on guard.
For more information on the law, click here.
