Montana to allow lane splitting...

budman

General Menace
Staff member
Sure looks like it!!

Expect confirmation any day. :banana

Hope it opens the door to Oregon and many more States. It should.

In a way. Got to thank Assembly Member Quirk for his bill to codify it so other States have a real reference.

And ....Montana??? Amazing huh??
 

mayorofnow

Well-known member
Excellent! Do you have a citation?

The only info I could find is that the existing law is ambiguous, and that a 2017 bill to explicitly allow it died in committee.
 

ScottRNelson

Mr. Dual Sport Rider
Are there any roads in Montana that need splitting ???
Only filtering is needed - up to lights. Montana has a few cities in it.

And that's the same thing that Idaho needs, filtering to the front at lights. There are a few bottleneck areas where traffic can back up for two miles. Filtering would make a huge difference getting through that. It's rare that splitting on the freeways would be worth the bother, though.
 

flipstyledsm22

Lets go fishing!
Crossing fingers!!!

I REALLY hope Texas will adopt it. They tried to pass it, but then it loss its momentum and died. Houston traffic sucks and we already split, but it is not legal.
 

budman

General Menace
Staff member
Excellent! Do you have a citation?

The only info I could find is that the existing law is ambiguous, and that a 2017 bill to explicitly allow it died in committee.

No.. I could not find one either. Insider info from the AMA Government folks.
 

BillSmith

Mild Hawg
Spent limited time in Montana, but remember plenty of occasions where summer road work traffic jams would be easily handled by a motorcycle if land sharing/splitting/filtering were allowed.

The three B's, Billings, Bozeman and Butte are hardly sprawling metropolis with routine gridlock, but tourists and road work can jam a jaunt.

There is always that moment where I want to filter to the front or split between crawling cars, then contemplate the fine or possible door opening reaction. Usually stay put. Usually.
 

flipstyledsm22

Lets go fishing!
I also believe the lane splitting/sharing/filtering creates a better atmosphere for driver awareness. Far too often drivers don't pay attention to motorcycles... Mainly, because they never had to. But you put something like this in law and now everyone has to lookout for 2-wheels.
 

moto-rama

Well-known member
Now all they need is traffic....

Well maybe, now that Bozeman has become Bozangeles. Was there briefly this Fall, and all my secret fishing spots were full of clueless Orvis Queens.
 

DataDan

Mama says he's bona fide
The proposed law, Montana State Senate bill SB 9, has passed the Senate (vote 35-15) and the House (vote 65-35), and today (2/22/2021) was transmitted to the governor. Info on progress here. Text here:

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR MOTORCYCLE LANE FILTERING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Lane filtering for motorcycles.

(1) An operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle may engage in lane filtering when:

(a) the operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle is on a road with lanes wide enough to pass safely;

(b) the overtaking motorcycle is not operated at a speed in excess of 20 miles an hour when overtaking the stopped or slow-moving vehicle; and

(c) conditions permit continued reasonable and prudent operation of the motorcycle while lane filtering.​

(2) As used in this section, "lane filtering" means the act of overtaking and passing another vehicle that is stopped or traveling at a speed not in excess of 10 miles an hour in the same direction of travel and in the same lane.​

Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 61, chapter 8, part 3, and the provisions of Title 61, chapter 8, part 3, apply to [section 1].​
 

horsepower

WaterRider/Landsurfer
Yeah, Montana !! It’s a cool advance but let’s face it , it’s not as necessary a right as it is here in Ca.
I’m not even sure there is traffic - or even speed limits at all in Montana:laughing. I have never seen a cop in that state , but man I see a lot of elk in the road.
Can’t believe that they don’t allow it in Nevada or Arizona where air cooled machines really need to keep moving !!
 

budman

General Menace
Staff member
Let’s be positive. Another State allowing it. States look to others to help make changes like this. It is citizen groups that drive this stuff and that is the ammunition they need to get a Congressperson to help them.

That is exactly why CA codifying it was such a big deal. Oregon next?? Our Bros and Sisters in Washington are hoping. And hell yes Arizona and Texas among others needs some relief.

20 years from now... my bet is we are approaching 20 States that have some form of this. Staying positive how about 30??? :teeth
 

mayorofnow

Well-known member
No joke: splitting is one of the things that keeps me in CA. Definitely happy to see it spreading other places.
 
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