Motorcyclists lane split in Bangkok, Thailand. Lane splitting is common practice in much of Asia and Europe. (Roland Dobbins via Wikimedia Commons)

While I don’t think anybody expects the lane splitting/filtering proposal currently in the Colorado legislature to pass, at least not this session, there continues to be discussion within the biker community of the issue. Here’s some of what is being said.

Not surprisingly, Stump, ABATE of Colorado’s legislative liaison, has been talking with legislators and others. This is from Stump:

One main concern is lane splitting with traffic moving at 40 mph. The sponsor’s main premise for lane splitting is that motorcyclists stuck in stop-and-go traffic when it’s 90+ degrees out, sitting on top of an engine making it a lot hotter, with an air cooled engine that isn’t getting any air, is both dangerous for the motorcyclist and bad for the motorcycle. But if traffic is moving at 40 mph, isn’t the rider and motorcycle getting air? I’m thinking it should be more like Utah and Arizona where traffic has to be stopped or at most traveling at 10 mph.

Another concern is that the bill specifies CSP and CDOT do the study. How about involving stakeholders such as motorcycle organizations, insurance companies, the trucking industry, and manufacturers. Virginia’s Lane filtering study invited 22 different organizations to participate and got a lot more pertinent data.

Also, the sponsor hasn’t explained the difference between lane splitting and filtering, which is something the legislators should know. Lane splitting is done primarily on freeways and filtering is done mainly on urban streets with speeds posted at less than 45 mph, filtering to the front of stopped traffic at traffic lights.

At my meeting with the bill sponsor this week, he informed me that these issues are going to be addressed. I don’t know if he plans to introduce an amendment about these concerns or just discuss them at 2nd reading. So, I’ve been addressing these concerns with 4 of my “friendly” legislators ensuring that these issues are addressed at 2nd reading, either with amendments or at least meaningful discussions.

Stump also sent around a photo with the the message, “Is this what Colorado is going to look like if lane splitting passes? (Note all the helmets too!)” That would be the photo above. And no, I seriously doubt this is what Colorado would look like. There are just a heck of a lot more motorcycle riders in Thailand than there will probably ever be here.

Deb had this to say:

Thanks for the update, Stump. Now I wonder if any/all of you saw the 9news report on this bill. The video shows a bike splitting between two cars on the highway while doing a wheelie.

Here’s the link to the video that showed yesterday. The part with the wheelie is about 1:57 in. Study may allow motorcycles to split lanes | 9news.com The reporter also made a short comment on the wheelie. The video this morning ran the part with the wheelie twice.

The segment really seems mostly pretty fair but the inclusion of that lane-splitter wheelying his way through traffic is very much over the top and does not strike me as a good journalistic thing to do. And guaranteed to make the general public strongly object to allowing this change.

So anyway, the thing is just hanging at this point. I’ll do an update when there is actual news.

Biker Quote for Today

Put vibrations in your life, marry a motorcycle rider.

Filtering and lane-splitting are legal and widely practiced in Paris. Are we just not as good riders here as they are over there? I say we are and we can do this safely here just as they do there.

A bill calling for the Colorado Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Colorado State Patrol, to study the concept of allowing lane-splitting has been introduced in the Colorado House (HOUSE BILL 23-1059).

Rep. Ron Weinberg, of Fort Collins, is the bill’s sponsor. The summary of the bill reads as follows:

Under current law, the driver of a motorcycle is prohibited from overtaking or passing a motor vehicle by driving in the same lane as the motor vehicle or between rows of motor vehicles, a practice known as “lane splitting.”
The bill requires the Colorado department of transportation, in collaboration with the Colorado state patrol, to conduct a feasibility study
of permitting motorcycle lane splitting and report the results of the study to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 2023.

As yet there are no co-sponsors in the House and no one in the Senate has signed on to back it. It may go absolutely nowhere.

I don’t know about other motorcyclists and other motorcyclist organizations, but the thinking within ABATE of Colorado is decidedly mixed. ABATE’s legislative liaison, Stump, sent an email alerting us all to this bill and asking for our thoughts. I immediately replied that I back it strongly.

Running through responses that were sent “Reply All” we first had Larry saying “I do not like at all.”

Next, from Jim, was “This is a huge step toward eventually getting a bill to allow some form of lane filtering/splitting on Interstate highways in Colorado. Big thanks should go to Rep. Weinberg!!!”

Then, kind of in the middle but leaning against, was Mike: “I see nothing but bad PR for motorcyclist with the general driving population, because of the motorcyclist who abuse the privilege by not following the guide lines that allow them to perform lane splitting or filtering in a safe way. All motorcyclist represent all of us that ride, that is what has created profiling, because the general public lump us all together by the way we dress, the colors and patches we wear and the way we ride? I would love the opportunity to use lane splitting and or filtering, I just would not like the negative attitude toward motorcyclist that would be created by the abuse of the privilege.”

Dave entered the conversation pointing out that, “it’s a Study – no more than that at this point in time. This was going to come up in Colorado eventually and has been mentioned often over some years now; several other states have adopted lane splitting/filtering and more are likely considering it – it’s the trend. I suggest that ABATE not offer a formal position – pro or con – except to agree in principle to the study, state this organization’s concern for rider safety in the traffic patterns (keeping with our mission statement), and review/input on the study upon its’ completion. The State Patrol is likely to solicit ABATE’s point-of-view on the matter along the way, and should.”

There was more but you get the picture. But, as Dave said, it’s a study. So I agree, let’s at least have the study conducted. Then, as far as I’m concerned, I would be in favor of allowing lane-splitting or filtering. Riders who consider it too dangerous just don’t have to do it. But let those of us who are more comfortable with it do it. In ABATE especially we talk a lot about freedom to choose, in relation to wearing or not wearing a helmet. Well, how is this any different?

I don’t know about you but I’ve been in several countries in Europe where lane-splitting is absolutely the norm and you know what? It’s not mass slaughter on the roads. People do it all the time and everyone gets along fine. Sure there would be a period of adjustment while everyone in cars and on bikes gets familiar with it but then, just like so many other places in the world, it would become normal.

Biker Quote for Today

You will never suffer a punctured tire on the road until you leave the repair kit at home.