Lanesplitting in Washington is Not Dead Yet

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snowmonkey

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Two bills before the Washington State Legislature would make lane sharing, aka splitting, legal under certain circumstances. According to the Washington Road Riders Association, the bills have some excellent support in the house and senate.

If passed the law would allow motorcyclists to split lanes whenever the speed of traffic is less than half the posted speed limit. Motorcyclists speed would be limited to no more than 10 mph over the pace of surrounding traffic.

The senate version of the bill is SB5985 and the house version is HB2160. If lane splitting is important to you, you might want to drop your representative a line and encourage them to support the bill. Drop a note to the WRRA as well; they are an effective voice for motorcyclists in Olympia.

Like anything else, done responsibly; and I feel the conditions described in the proposed legislation meet that criteria, lane splitting can ease traffic congestion and get motorcyclists out of the “crunch zone” between vehicles in stop and go traffic. Done poorly; too fast, too aggressively; and it will become yet another wedge between motorcyclists and drivers. The key is education and responsibility.

 
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