Ask most random people on the street what their thoughts on lane-splitting and filtering are, and you'll most likely get a range of answers. Motorcycle riders will usually at least know what you're talking about, but car drivers may or may not.
Still, regardless of whether the person you're speaking with knows the correct terminology, most road users will have some type of opinion about the behavior. For many (though not all) riders, it's seen as a way to safely and efficiently move through traffic in ways that you just can't on four wheels.
That point, plus the fact that riders can—and do—get rear-ended by car- and truck-driving doofuses who are too distracted by scrolling Facebook Marketplace on their phones, make responsible lane filtering and splitting look all the better. Sure, said distracted doofus in this example could easily rear-end another car instead, but at least the driver and passengers of the car getting rear-ended would be more likely to walk away with only minor injuries.
What's the difference between lane-splitting and lane-filtering? We've covered that separately in the past, but here's the short explanation. Lane filtering is typically understood to take place when motorcycles, traveling at low speeds (typically under 20 mph; frequently 10 or 15 mph) , are able to move between two lanes of traffic going in the same direction as they are. Surrounding traffic will either be completely stopped (think stoplight or traffic jam), or else moving very slowly itself.
In other words, lane filtering is not typically done at a high rate of speed. It is also generally done when all road users are probably a little more alert than usual because traffic is stop-and-go. And no one wants a dumb, inconvenient, low-speed fender-bender, right?
Lane splitting, on the other hand, is usually done at higher rates of speed. It's been legal in the state of California since 2016, and involves riders passing between two lanes of traffic going in the same direction at speeds up to (and including) the legal speed limit for that portion of road. Ride any California highway during rush hour and you'll see this happening. If you're a rider, and you do it in line with a group of other riders, you will feel extremely powerful as you cut through traffic; a bit like a hot knife through butter.
In April 2025, legislators in Oregon are currently considering HB 3542, which is a new twist on a familiar topic for the state's legislature. If passed as currently written, the bill would amend existing Oregon state law to make it legal to lane filter under certain very specific traffic conditions.
Motorbikes allowed to lane filter, under these terms, must have two wheels (so no trikes or sidecars). To legally filter, traffic must be going in the same direction, on highways where the established legal speed limit is 50 mph or higher.
If these conditions are met, motorbikes that lane-split should not exceed speeds that are 10 mph faster than the speed of the traffic they're passing. Once they've completed their pass, the bikes should then rejoin the flow of traffic in a regular lane.
Certain exclusions are also included in the bill, including school zones and work zones, where such behavior would still remain illegal. Also included in this legislation is an admonishment that motorbikes must not consider this carte blanche to pass to the right of a vehicle in the rightmost lane, or to the left of a vehicle in the leftmost lane.
Back in 2021, a very similar bill passed through the Oregon legislature and would only have required the then-Governor's signature to become law. However, then-governor Kate Brown vetoed it.
In 2025, Oregon moved on to a new governor—Tina Kotek. It's not clear whether she'd be for this legislation if it gets that far in the process. The fact that she hasn't previously vetoed such a bill has to count for something in terms of hope, right?
If you live in the state of Oregon, or you know someone who does and who would care, here's a list of contact info for all of Oregon's state legislators at present. Let your legislators know if you're in favor of lane splitting, and tell them why it matters to you. For me, it's a safety issue; if I see something happening behind me that I don't like, and I need to get out of the way so I don't get rammed, I want to be able to do it.
What about you?
