Minnesota became the latest state to legalize motorcycle lane filtering when Governor Tim Walz signed bill HF 5247 into law on May 24.
The Gopher State joins California, Utah, Arizona, Montana, and Colorado as the only states to adopt such legislation. That doesn’t mean the laws are identical, though. If U.S. lane filtering regulations share anything, it’s their different conditions. Minnesota’s bill follows that pattern.
Section 61 of Minnesota Statutes 2022 previously prohibited motorcyclists from riding alongside or passing “another vehicle within the same traffic lane” or “between lanes of moving or stationary vehicles.” The recently adopted amendment now enables riders to overtake a vehicle in the same lane, as long as the motorcycle doesn’t exceed 25 mph. Filtering is also restricted to 15 mph over the speed of traffic.
California was the only state to permit lane filtering prior to 2019. That means that five states have passed lane-filtering legislation in the last five years. Minnesota may not be the last one, either. Similar bills were previously presented in Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington. Of course, each proposal comes with its own provisions, but it’s an encouraging development for motorcycle riders and advocates alike.
These are good laws. They are safer for bikers and better for traffic. California has allowed lane filtering for years with great success; and it is a very common practice in most of the world. Some people for one reason or another literally hate motorcycles. If you feel that way, next time you are in a bad traffic jam, image half the cars are motorcycles–voila, no more traffic jam! Ninety percent of all motorcyclists are very pleasant people, especially if they’ve just been out riding. The sport clears superfluous action and stress-related hormones from the bloodstream, using them for what nature designed them for. This is why people that ride motorcycles tend to be calmer and often more respectful of others. ABN
American Buddhist Net 