Lane Splitting Will Soon Be "Officially" Legal In California

Lane Splitting Will Soon Be "Officially" Legal In California

Riding between cars —aka "lane splitting"  a common practice that’s been allowed but never officially regulated in California as passed the State Assembly (AB-51) and the Governor is expected to sign it into law.

The bill originally set a 50-mph speed limit on how fast a motorcycle can go while lane splitting and prohibited riders from traveling more than 15 mph faster than traffic.

But the speed provisions were removed after complaints from several motorcycling groups that they were too low. Now, the bill provides general definitions and leaves it to the CHP to draft specific regulations.

Technically, it’s never been against the law to split lanes. A UC Berkeley study found it was not dangerous if done at moderate speeds and may even reduce the risk of motorcycle injuries from rear-end accidents.

Legal experts say this move by California could pave the way for more states to adopt lane splitting guidelines favorable to the practice.  

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