IN
THE
WIND
P36
Montana Passes Motorcycle
Lane-Filtering Legislation
M
ontana became the third
state to recognize lane
filtering, with the Gov. Greg
Gianforte's signature on a bill
legalizing filtering of motorcycles
under certain conditions.
"We applaud the efforts of
Montana's motorcycling com-
munity and the state's legislators,
and thank Gov. Gianforte for
signing this legislation into law,"
said Russ Ehnes, chair of the
AMA Board of Directors.
S.B. 9 allows the operator of
a two-wheeled motorcycle to
overtake stopped or slow-moving
vehicles at a speed not in excess
of 20 mph, to filter between
lanes of stopped traffic traveling
in the same direction as condi-
tions permit, and specifies rea-
sonable and prudent motorcycle
operation while lane filtering.
"With the signing of S.B. 9,
Montanans have recognized the
benefits of lane splitting, which
allows motorcyclists the choice
to filter in traffic when it is safe
to do so," said Tiffany Cipoletti,
on-highway government relations
manager for the American Motor-
cyclist Association.
The bill, sponsored by state
Sen. Russ Tempel (R-SD14)
and state Rep. Barry Usher
(R-HD40), was signed by Gov.
Gianforte on March 2 at a public
signing ceremony in Helena.
Ehnes was in attendance. The
bill takes effect October 1, 2021.
California (A.B. 51, 2016) and
Utah (H.B. 149, 2018) were the
first two states to codify and sign
lane-splitting or lane-filtering
legislation. Efforts to legalize and
formally recognize lane filtering/
splitting is under consideration
in three other states during the
2021 legislative session.
The AMA endorses lane split-
ting, given the long-term success
in California and the University
of California-Berkeley research
study showing that the practice
enhances motorcycle safety.
The AMA will assist groups and
individuals working to bring legal
lane splitting and/or filtering to
their state.
"As lane splitting support
continues to gain traction across
the country, I am eager to help
more motorcyclists engage their
state legislatures on this issue,"
Cipoletti said.
The full AMA position state-
ment on lane splitting can be
found at americanmotorcyclist.
com/lane-splitting/. CN
Montana joins the
list of states to allow
lane splitting.
