I am seeing more and more motorcycles lane splitting at traffic lights. I know the law was passed making it legal, but I thought it didn’t go into effect until 7 August. Am I missing something? Or is this just a case of them not knowing, or caring?
Definitely still a lot of confusion by those on what the two different distinctions mean.
The new article I read said that “lane splitting” passed. But I just read the article again and it appears to use splitting and filtering in the same article. Thanks for explaining it, I honestly wasn’t sure.
Yea, and the confusion is the problem unfortunately. Splitting = vehicle in motion Filtering = vehicles stopped.
Is it legal for the bike to run the light after the cross traffic has cleared but we're still sitting at a red? That surprised me a little.
I mean, not that surprised. Always gonna be some one getting away with whatever they can...
Nobody said anything about running a light.
Filtering is when everyone is stopped at a red light, and a motorcycle moves between stopped cars up to the front. Splitting is moving between other moving vehicles on the road, not at an intersection.
What’s the problem w/ this? It is safer for the biker and other vehicles are more likely to make the light since there are less ppl in front of them.
I agree, and I cannot wait to be able to do it. But I do try to follow the rules, so I was curious what the community knows about the law change.
Law enforcement basically said they won't be stopping anyone who does it early.
This is why I have felt better doing it since the law was announced. I think the sheriff came out and said they weren’t pursuing enforcement between the law passing and it taking effect. Good enough for me. I still won’t filter around cops if I can help it before august, but it’s nice to not have to wait in traffic as much.
They “basically” said that? Im not sure what that means. Was it an article or a news story that you can provide a link too?
Idk, I swear I saw it somewhere, probably on one of the other reddit threads about it. I would highly doubt any Law Enforcement agency would ever put out legit documentation saying they're not going to be enforcing a law, so no, no articles say this.
I rode for years…. And it is definitely NOT safer, there are too many distracted drivers, impatient drivers, drunks and just general assholes on the roads (motorcycles and cars). Having motorcycles splitting lanes and moving in unexpected and erratic ways is going to cause accidents.
Splitting is still illegal, filtering to the front of stopped traffic is the law that passed and goes into effect in August.
As a former motorcyclist and a current medical professional. The whole lane splitting/filtering concept is an incredibly stupid idea. The only thing it’s going to do is cost lives and cause accidents. Motorcycles and cars should be held to the same standards and laws on the road. Creating special rules for one group only creates confusion and animosity.
You ain't a rider you sound like an informer
Life is so much more peaceful and joyous when you stop worrying about what other people are doing
Are you implying people should follow a law that’s already scheduled to change in three months? Why?
I am just asking a question, I ride and am looking forward to being able to do this for safety.
Lane filtering goes into effect August 7, but it's human nature to expect some motorcyclists to start doing it already, and I'm OK with that. There's probably going to be a lot of car drivers that are ignorant of the law and get really mad when a super-loud chopper splits the lane at a red light. Those drivers will go home, complain on social media, and then learn that it will soon be a legal move. Then they will be less likely to get all road ragey and do something stupid when the law really goes into effect and a lot more motorcyclists do it.
100%. I have already seen agitated drivers that try to race the motorcycle off the line when making a left turn. I want to start doing it now, but i am concerned that these agitated drivers will cause an accident because the motorcyclist is breaking the law and they feel like they can legally run them off the road.
Stop being an agent of the state.
😂 I am just asking a question, I ride and really am looking forward to being able to do this. But I also try to follow the rules.
lol you are not bringing those vibes, friend! This reads like a pissed off boomer who wants to sit on his porch and call the cops 🤣But as a fellow “scared to break the rules” person I understand your plight
Really? I guess it doesn’t matter how I ask the question, it’s going to offend someone or I will get called out for being a pissed off boomer. Hilarious.
I’ve been doing it here since 2012. Local LEO’s don’t care. They’re not going to enforce anything that’s literally safer for the riders.
My only personal gripe with it is when a bike filters to the front then takes forever to get into gear and get movin' after the green. It doesn't happen often though, fortunately. When I first moved to CO I was surprised to see the bikes waiting behind cars... I thought the filtering happened everywhere.
Agreed about some bikers taking too long to get into gear and moving, I'm already in gear and chances are faster off the line, not that I'm flooring it, just the nature of my EV. I am not looking forward to this.
Probably why more and more of them are getting hit. No worries. They’ll self select out of this life.
wedontstopforpolice
Road meat
🤣
I've been lane splitting and filtering since I learned to ride over 12 years ago. It's the safer and faster way to get around. Glad it's going to be legal soon.
Only one of those will be legal.
It's a gateway law. Filtering will definitely lead to splitting as there's already a ton of both happening now before the law is in effect.
Yeah, you're probably correct. That doesn't change the fact, however, that one will be legal and one not (as of August 7).
I've never experienced issues even seeing people doing it right in front of CSPD
Since I posted this, I have also seen riders do it with cops sitting at the light. The cop did not react. I am the guy that gets pulled over anytime I break the law. I think I will just wait until August to avoid a ticket. I give enough of my paycheck to the state in taxes. Thanks all for the feedback.
It’s not like we have LA or NYC level traffic yet so the risk doesn’t seem to be worth the reward for you. I split through a bunch of traffic trying to get out of a thunderstorm today and all was good, was able to beat the worst of it. It was worth it for me at that time
Oh. Well it must not be illegal then.
They'll roll back the lane filtering once enough motorcyclists are killed/injured. I was stopped at a red light on Austin Bluffs and two motorcycles pulled up between me and a new Ram 2500. Shit did not feel safe. Too many moving parts in a tight space.
Just so we're all using the same (correct) terminology... that's not splitting, that's filtering. Splitting would be if vehicles are moving and the bikes are between lanes. It's an important distinction with one being legal, and one not.
Having said all of that, I've seen an article stating that, yes, it doesn't go into effect until August but LEOs aren't going to ticket for it any longer since it's on the horizon.