Every trip in a car means you’re sharing the road with all kinds of vehicles. Those vehicles can be sedans, SUVs, semi-trucks, RVs, buses and motorcycles. All those drivers have a duty of care to drive responsibly, which means some version of “staying in your lane” unless you signal a change. That is when the issue of lane splitting comes up. Is lane splitting legal in Kentucky? You might be surprised at the answer.
Is it Lane Splitting, Filtering, or Sharing?
Motorcycle riders often deploy one or more versions of lane splitting, lane filtering, or lane sharing on every trip. As a car driver, it is important to know the difference.
Lane splitting refers to driving between two lines. Image the motorcycle driving along the lane divider line. Lane filtering involves a motorcyclist switching back and forth between lanes while the traffic is stopped at a light, intersection, or traffic jam. Lane sharing involves two motorcycles riding side-by-side in the same lane.
Of those three driving concepts, only lane sharing is strictly prohibited in the Kentucky Motorcycle Operators Manual. Motorcycles and all vehicles are also prohibited from shoulder surfing. You can’t drive down the shoulder to avoid traffic.
As for lane splitting or lane filtering, Kentucky has no law against those maneuvers. However, there is also no law that makes it officially legal. The only state where lane splitting is legal is California. On the other hand, lane splitting is illegal in the following surrounding states:
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- West Virginia
Motorcyclists must be aware of those laws if they travel in those states. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse.
The Dangers of Lane Splitting
Just because lane splitting is not illegal in Kentucky, there are risks. According to data collected by the Kentucky State Police, motorcycles account for 7.87% of collisions in Kentucky. However, those accidents account for 98 fatalities, almost the same number as fatalities involved in truck accidents (102).
Motorcycle Involved Accident
Just because motorcyclists cannot be cited for lane splitting does not mean they are driving safely by using that maneuver. If they drive excessively and disobey traffic signals, they could be cited for driving unsafely. In other words, just because a motorcyclist can use lane splitting doesn’t mean you have to. If they do, they need to exert caution. If the cars are too close together, that would trigger a side-swipe accident.
If you are involved in a motorcycle accident, you need to document what happened, obtain a police report, and speak with the Peterson Law Office. We have helped many clients involved in this exact type of accident. Call to set up a free consultation to discuss what happened and your options for going forward.
