The California Lane-Splitting Bill is One Step Closer to the Senate

Last week, California AB 51, a bill centered around officially legalizing motorcycle lane-splitting, hit the Senate Transportation Committee and received thumbs up across the board. The bill is sponsored by Assembly member Bill Quick and is intended to make guidelines for safe and proper lane-splitting practices.

As of right now, lane-splitting just is. It isn’t illegal, it isn’t technically legal, it’s just not in the books anywhere. And despite so many people’s thoughts that it’s a dangerous practice, a study from UC Berkeley last year found the opposite to be true.

The proposed bill offers some solutions and practices that would be made law. First, the motorcyclist would not be allowed to split at more than 15 mph faster than the traffic around them, nor would it be allowed at faster than 50 mph.

Now that it’s passed the STC, the Appropriations Committee will take a look at the bill’s financial effect. Once it passes through that, it will go to the Senate floor, and the last line of defense would be the Assembly for the last vote. At this point, it’s just a matter of time.

via [LA Times]