Lane Splitting in California Signed into Law

The legalization of lane-splitting in California has been signed into law by Governer Jerry Brown and now heads to the California Highway Patrol to define what those speeds should be.

Until recently, lane-splitting or lane-sharing has not been legal or illegal, falling in a gray area where it was treated as acceptable by law enforcement agencies. There was a tacit agreement between law enforcement and motorcyclists that lane-splitting was permissible as long as it was not done recklessly. But when the CHP published guidelines on the practice in 2015, a citizen complained that the agency should not be allowed to create public policy. That is when bill AB-51 came in.

AB-15 fought resistance last year and never made it to the Governor’s desk because several motorcyclists’ groups objected to language outlining speeds at which motorcyclists were allowed to split lanes in relation to traffic surrounding them. These groups said the limit was too low. Other groups and individuals, who believe that lane splitting is dangerous regardless of speed, objected to the proposal entirely. Therefore, AB-15 went back for revision.

The new version of AB-51 that just recently passed (seen below) outlines and define lane-splitting as a legal practice for motorcyclists in the state of California, however, the bill included language which allows CHP to define those speeds at which the practice is deemed legal or illegal. Did everyone miss that little tidbit of information?

The good news in all of this is that it is finally legal to split lanes in California but it is almost laughable that the whole reason this issue was brought up in the first place, was to prevent law enforcement officers like the CHP from determining exactly how we as motorcyclists are allowed split lanes. Let’s hope the CHP chooses guidelines that appease the masses.

The current law legally defines lane-splitting in California:

SECTION 1. Section 21658.1 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
(a) For the purposes of this section, “lane splitting” means driving a motorcycle, as defined in Section 400, that has two wheels in contact with the ground, between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, including on both divided and undivided streets, roads, or highways.
(b) The Department of the California Highway Patrol may develop educational guidelines relating to lane splitting in a manner that would ensure the safety of the motorcyclist and the drivers and passengers of the surrounding vehicles.
(c) In developing guidelines pursuant to this section, the department shall consult with agencies and organizations with an interest in road safety and motorcyclist behavior, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) The Department of Motor Vehicles.
(2) The Department of Transportation.
(3) The Office of Traffic Safety.
(4) A motorcycle organization focused on motorcyclist safety.

Source: Los Angeles Times