Colorado and California are both motorcycle destination states, not only for their scenic routes but because Colorado now joins California’s lead in legalizing lane splitting for motorcycles. In August of 2024, Colorado’s General Assembly passed a bill legalizing the practice of lane splitting—and lane filtering—allowing motorcyclists to drive in the space between lanes of traffic.
Still, the lane-splitting law in Colorado does not offer the same level of freedom to lane-split as California’s law, so it’s important to know when you can and cannot lane-split in Colorado before you take your motorcycle out on the road. For more legal assistance, contact our experienced accident attorneys in Westminster today.
What Is Motorcycle Lane-Splitting?
Lane-splitting refers to the practice of driving a motorcycle between lanes of traffic. Due to the two-wheeled, narrow profile of a motorcycle, it’s possible to share—or split—a lane with the motorcyclist passing cars in the same lane. A similar term is lane-filtering.
Lane filtering also means passing between lanes but typically refers to moving ahead of completely stopped traffic to obtain a safer position at the front of the line at an intersection.
Colorado’s Lane-Splitting Law
Under Colorado SB24-079, passed in 2024, Colorado defines its lane-splitting law as the following:
“Authorization for a two-wheeled motorcycle to overtake another motor vehicle in the same lane.”
Under this law, lane-splitting is no longer prohibited, but riders may only lane-split in specific circumstances detailed in the law, including in the following situations:
- When traffic has stopped or is moving at less than 15 miles per hour
- When the road’s lanes are sufficiently wide to allow safe passage between vehicles
- When conditions (such as weather, road conditions, and visibility) allow “prudent operation” of the motorcycle during lane-splitting
The law also prohibits lane splitting in lanes with oncoming traffic, on the right shoulder of the road, or to the right of a vehicle in the far right lane.
What Is the History of Colorado’s Lane Splitting Laws?
Before the passage of Colorado SB24-079, lane splitting was illegal in Colorado except between two motorcycles sharing a lane. Lawmakers in Colorado attempted to pass a law in 2016 that would have legalized lane-splitting in a more limited way, only allowing motorcyclists to lane-split through stalled traffic or traffic moving no more than five miles per hour with the motorcycle traveling at no more than 15 miles per hour. The 2016 bill failed to pass.
Since then, some lawmakers have continued to lobby for a Colorado lane-splitting law to improve traffic flow and decrease the risk of motorcycle injuries that commonly occur when motorcycles are trapped between vehicles in stalled or slow-moving traffic.
The Limit of Colorado’s Lane Splitting Law
Colorado’s lane-splitting law is temporary, serving as a practice run for a possible permanent traffic law. The current law expires on September 1st, 2027. At that time, Colorado’s Department of Transportation will carefully review the traffic data and submit a report to the General Assembly which will then consider making the law permanent or repealing it indefinitely depending on whether or not the data shows increased or decreased accidents.
Some California studies suggest that legalized lane-splitting saves and reduces the number of motorcycle accident victims harmed in rear-end collisions by allowing the rider to filter to the front of stalled traffic or traffic backups at intersections. Further studies show that motorcyclists face a risk of health problems when idling in stalled traffic due to the inhalation of exhaust fumes.
Colorado now joins Montana, Utah, and Arizona with limited legalized lane-splitting for motorcycles. Our motorcycle accident attorneys at Ciancio Ciancio Brown are here to help. Call us today at (303) 451-0300.