Minnesota has legalized lane filtering, allowing motorcyclists to filter through traffic. Photo by Kevin Wing.

This month, Minnesota has become the sixth state in the U.S. to pass legislation allowing lane filtering, aka lane splitting.

Along with the lane-sharing law, which allows motorcyclists to filter through traffic ?at not more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic,? Minnesota has also added punishments for drivers who impede motorcyclists.

As shown by reactions to our recent post about Colorado passing lane-filtering legislation last month, the topic of lane sharing remains controversial. Data indicates that lane sharing reduces motorcycle accidents and decreases the severity of injuries in collisions, especially in rear-end accidents. But some motorists in places where lane sharing is not the norm are skeptical of the practice, even though it’s common on most of the world’s roads.
For an in-depth look at the practice of lane sharing, read ?Split Decision: Are Lane Splitting and Lane Filtering Safe"? by Eric Trow. For more about the new legislation in Minnesota, read the AMA?s press release below.

Minnesota Passes Historic Lane-Filtering Legislation

With the signing of HF 5247 into law by Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Friday, May 24, Minnesota became the sixth state to legalize lane filtering.

Minnesota is now the easternmost state to legalize lane filtering and joins California, Utah, Mon...