I am having a hard time grasping any benefit that this new law will do for MN. It’s a great recipe for road rage and accidents.
Drivers with 8’+ wide trailers use up the bulk of the lane as it is. I tow a lot and have no plans to adjust my driving habits to allow bikes to squeeze by.
Its only during slow traffic. If someone gets road rage for a motorcycle sneaking through they need help 
Jason it will thin the motorcycle crowd (of which I’m one) you are correct there is zero reason for it. Funny how it’s always easier to increase speed limits, allow lane splitting and build wider freeways and highways than to get up 5 minutes earlier. Why are we in such a hurry? Where do we have to go? Does the earth explode if you are 2 minutes late?
I’m not a motorcycle guy but I’d be very careful lane splitting if I was. Even if it’s only used during slow downs it’s an invitation for an accident.
Drivers pay so little attention and are so distracted I can’t see how this was a good idea to pass. Add to that most don’t understand the laws and this is going to result in avoidable fatalities.
We seen it in California, thick traffic but the bikes basically idled by everyone. Like mentioned the traffic around here won’t be used to it, lots of distractions these days. Spose there’ll be butt head drivers on both sides of this..
The problem isn’t the law. The problem is the bikers that will be going 40 MPH through traffic, and the drivers that won’t have any clue to look for motorcycles splitting the lanes. I work on the freeways for MNDOT and I already respond to plenty of motorcycle accidents and it’s gonna be bad once it starts.
It’s crazy out there, you couldn’t pay me enough to ride a bike out there.
I tow a lot and have no plans to adjust my driving habits to allow bikes to squeeze by.
Who asked you to?
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?
Explain the need to.
I still ride and I’m not interested in doing this.. seems like a bad deal all the way around..
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?
I don’t care one bit. Since it’s legal, have at it. I’m more concerned for riders. I wouldn’t trust drivers to pay attention and/or understand the new law.
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?
Again, it’s not the bikers that are using the law correctly. It’s the ones that won’t (which will be a lot) as well as people in cars that have no idea its a law and will change lanes and not expect a bike to be right there when they do it.
Last fall I had a biker splitting lanes going 30 MPH and the truck that switched lanes never saw him coming. When the biker landed in the back of a pick up truck 50 ft later it wasn’t pretty. It’s going to be more of the same when this goes into effect.
I am having a hard time grasping any benefit that this new law will do for MN. It’s a great recipe for road rage and accidents.
Drivers with 8’+ wide trailers use up the bulk of the lane as it is. I tow a lot and have no plans to adjust my driving habits to allow bikes to squeeze by.
Why would you have to adjust your habits. You should be driving and holding the center of your lane. If your trailer is full width of the lane then they can’t split in that spot. Pretty simple.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?Explain the need to.
I have no reason to explain anything, I won’t be doing it and I didn’t pass the law. I also won’t sit and complain about it.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Wow tough crowd. Who cares if a motorcycle goes between you and another car in stop and go traffic?I don’t care one bit. Since it’s legal, have at it. I’m more concerned for riders. I wouldn’t trust drivers to pay attention and/or understand the new law.
Same that’s, why I won’t be doing it
^^ Bearcat, you’re right. There is zero need for anyone to provide a “gap”. My point was when the bikers start feeling confident and zig-zagging up the middle to get through the end result will be pinched lanes and or accidents. I would rather not see anymore motorcycle accidents, there are too many already.
Apparantly one stated rational for the law is to reduce the likelihood a motorcycle is rear-ended while waiting at the back of stopped traffic. Seems like they have reduced the likelihood hood of one type of accident and moved it to another. Some also claim it cuts down on congestion but it’s not clear to me how it helps
A Google search of the law brings up many attorney websites “explaining” the new law. At least one constituent is excited about the new law.
Basically what happened is CA passed it and deemed it “A success” without providing any details on if motorcycle accidents increased or decreased because of it, and MN like usual, decided it was a good idea without do much research on it.
100% in favor of the law. Have spent a bunch of time in Cali and my observation was not bikers being reckless going 40 zig zagging thru traffic — it was cars sitting in absolute gridlock not moving for minutes on end, with bikers legally using the available space between cars to make forward progress at reasonable speeds. It’s a great incentive to use a mode of transport that gets great fuel economy and reduces traffic congestion.
People will get wise to this pretty quickly as well. There will be tons of digital signage to educate and this will be heavily covered by all news outlets. “I didn’t know” will not be a good excuse.
IMO a large number of people who drive cars and trucks everywhere should be on bikes. Our roads are too crowded and we can’t afford to maintain them. Most people drive around getting 20mpg with 3+ empty seats in their vehicle. It’s pretty dumb if you really think about it.
I’m not a biker anymore, yet I support the law. Where I live there’s not congestion (moreso gravel), but understand the reason to want this in metro areas or spots with constant lights and backups.
There’s a clear distinction between filtering up between lanes in stopped traffic versus whizzing between vehicles and highway speeds that most of the people doing the bi***ing won’t understand.
My understanding is that the motorcycles can only lane split when vehicles are stopped, is that correct? They can’t weave through when vehicles are still moving.
I don’t intend to change how I stop at a traffic light. If there’s room for a bike to slide to the front of the line, have at it. At their own risk.
15mph faster than traffic up to 25mph maximum
IMO a large number of people who drive cars and trucks everywhere should be on bikes. Our roads are too crowded and we can’t afford to maintain them. Most people drive around getting 20mpg with 3+ empty seats in their vehicle. It’s pretty dumb if you really think about it.
Joking right?
Dead serious. I mean motorcycles when I say bikes, or even mopeds for many— if that wasn’t clear. People in highly populated urban areas especially. More room, more efficient, easier to park, leas of an impact on environment and infrastructure. Won’t be feasible for everyone but for many it would help make a positive change.
Dead serious. I mean motorcycles when I say bikes, or even mopeds for many— if that wasn’t clear. People in highly populated urban areas especially. More room, more efficient, easier to park, leas of an impact on environment and infrastructure. Won’t be feasible for everyone but for many it would help make a positive change.
The only thing you will see are crotch rockets. We have unused bike lanes and a zillion dollar light rail system nobody uses. I think this is wishful thinking on many peoples parts. Thankfully this isn’t California no matter how many would like to change that.
Dead serious. I mean motorcycles when I say bikes, or even mopeds for many— if that wasn’t clear. People in highly populated urban areas especially. More room, more efficient, easier to park, leas of an impact on environment and infrastructure. Won’t be feasible for everyone but for many it would help make a positive change.
We don’t have highly populated urban areas. We have urban sprawl so zipping around on a moped isn’t realistic. Add to that you can only ride a 2 wheeler about 6 months of the year and it makes less sense.
If this law was passed under the guise it’s going to help the environment that’s laughable.
I don’t care if people lane split but it’s not going to help the environment or congestion. It’s also not going to incentivize a bunch of people to go buy motorcycles.
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