Arizona has joined the growing list of states passing motorcycle-friendly legislation. Governor Doug Ducey recently signed into law a bill that allows Arizona motorcyclists to lane filter. This legislation had the overwhelming support of the Arizona House and Senate. As written, under certain circumstances motorcycles are now allowed to pass another vehicle in the same lane going in the same direction as long as the vehicle being passed is stopped. The other major aspect of the new law It only applies to roadways with a speed limit of 45 mph or less. The speed restriction of 45 rules out most highways.
Motorcycle advocates complain the new law falls short of lane splitting but it does represent progress in that direction. The bill, S.B. 1273, was sponsored by Senator Tyler Pace of Mesa and it specifically allows operators of two-wheeled motorcycles to safely pass another vehicle in the same lane provided that is stopped and going in the same direction. Passing is also only allowed when the motorcycle is going less than 15 mph, and on a street where the speed limit is less than 45 mph. Additionally, the move may only be completed on a road with at least four lanes. The upside is that it will allow riders in Arizona to move between cars up to the intersection at least in some situations.
Arizona attempted to pas S.B. 1007 in 2017 which would have eliminated the wording that prohibited motorcycle riders from sharing lanes with cars but the legislation lacked support. S.B. 1007 provided the groundwork for the passage of S.B. 1273. Much of the Arizona law takes language from recent Utah and Montana lane-filtering legislation. Utah Department of Public Safety. The only state that permits lane-splitting (as opposed to lane filtering) is still California. This has been accepted practice in California for a very long time and was only codified in 2016.
“Lane filtering is different from lane-splitting. Utah’s lane filtering law is very different from California’s lane-splitting law.” As written, Utah’s law proposed a three-year filtering test window that was set to expire in July of this year, but as of this week, it now remains in effect until 2027. In 2021 Montana legalized lane filtering with a similar law that doesn’t apply to trikes. Always ride alertly, especially if you’re filtering and if we can be of service please call our office 24/7/365
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