Motorcyclists are now allowed to bypass gridlocked and stopped traffic in Colorado

Motorcyclists in Colorado are legally allowed to “filter” through traffic under certain circumstances as of Wednesday, Aug. 7.

Colorado Department of Transportation Highway Safety Manager Glenn Davis said in a news release that the purpose of the state’s new motorcycle lane filtering law is to increase the safety for motorcyclists.

“Motorcyclists are among our most vulnerable road users. They represent less than 3% of the vehicles on the road but account for almost 20% of the deaths,” he said in a statement. “This new law hopes to prevent drivers of much larger vehicles from striking motorcycles from behind.”

Lane filtering, which is the act of a motorcyclist passing a completely stopped vehicle traveling in the same direction, will become legal under Senate Bill 24-0749. Once legal, the Colorado State Patrol expects lane filtering to be most common at stop lights or in gridlocked traffic.

But lane filtering is different from lane splitting, which is when a motorcyclist passes between two rows of moving or stopped traffic and typically involves a motorcyclist riding down the painted line dividing the lanes on either side, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

To filter correctly, motorcyclists must follow five rules: Traffic must be at a complete stop. The lane must be wide enough for the motorcycle to pass safely. The motorcycle must not exceed 15 mph. The rider must pass safely and in control. The rider must pass on the left and not enter the oncoming traffic lane.

“Let me make it perfectly clear — lane filtering is not the same as lane splitting,” Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard said in a statement. “Lane filtering allows motorcyclists to safely navigate through stopped traffic only. Lane splitting involves riding between lanes of moving vehicles and is illegal.”

This story is from SummitDaily.com