chat text
Is Lane Splitting Legal in Arizona?

Is Lane Splitting Legal in Arizona?

Shapiro Law Team January 27, 2025 Motorcycle Accidents,Personal injury

Flying down the road on a motorcycle can feel exhilarating and freeing. Not only do you feel the wind in your face as you ride, but a smaller vehicle means you can better navigate tight spaces. Many car drivers will see motorcyclists bobbing and weaving through traffic on the interstate, but is lane splitting legal in Arizona? Does it put other drivers at risk?

There’s a noticeable difference between lane splitting and lane filtering, and the laws surrounding each are different in the state of Arizona. If you’re worried about the safety of these maneuvers and wondering if they’re legal, the Shapiro Law Team is here to provide some insight. We’ll go over the differences between lane splitting and filtering, the Arizona state laws regarding each, and the legal ramifications of breaking these laws. 

What Is Lane Splitting & Lane Filtering?

While Arizona is a motorcycle-friendly state, this doesn’t mean these riders aren’t held to the same standards of safety as vehicle drivers. Before we can dive into the laws in Arizona and what’s legal and illegal, we must first define the difference between lane splitting and lane filtering. The state has different laws in place for splitting and filtering, so knowing the difference between the two can help you better understand which laws apply where. 

Lane Splitting

To start, we must first answer, “What is lane splitting?”. This behavior involves an individual riding a motorcycle in between lanes while traffic moves in the same direction. If you see a rider on the interstate driving their motorcycle on the dotted line separating lanes while all the cars around you are moving in the same direction, that’s considered lane splitting. 

This behavior is NOT legal in Arizona. In fact, out of every state in the U.S., lane splitting is only legal in the state of California. This practice not only puts the motorcyclist at risk, but it also poses a hazard to drivers in their cars. Lane splitting in Arizona has serious legal repercussions for the rider, and that freeing feeling is not worth your safety.

Lane Filtering

Lane filtering is similar to lane splitting but with a distinct difference. While splitting involves driving between lanes of moving traffic, lane filtering is when a motorcyclist rides between stopped vehicles during heavy congestion or at a stoplight. 

Riders will move between lanes of stopped traffic to protect themselves in the event of a rear-end collision. Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable in an accident. If a motorcycle stops behind a car at a red light and another car hits it from behind, the rider could get pinned between the car in front and the car behind, leading to severe and even fatal injuries. Filtering between lanes of stopped traffic puts the rider in a better position if a rear-end accident were to happen.

Is Lane Splitting Legal in Arizona?

No. Lane splitting is illegal in Arizona. You may hear conflicting answers because some people use the terms ‘lane splitting’ and ‘lane filtering’ interchangeably. This is not correct, and we want to make it clear that lane splitting is illegal. 

In September of 2022, Arizona legalized lane filtering. To put it a different way: riding between cars in moving traffic is illegal, but moving between cars in stopped traffic at an intersection is legal. The key difference is whether or not traffic is moving. If yes, it’s illegal. If not, it’s legal.

Arizona’s Lane Filtering Law: What You Need to Know

Don’t jump to conclusions just yet. While lane filtering is now considered legal, the laws in place aren’t so cut and dry. Arizona lawmakers added a list of stipulations and exclusions to the law to set clear guidelines for when it’s acceptable for a motorcyclist to lane filter. This way, there are no grey areas where the rules could be debated. Here’s what you need to know about lane filtering and when the state considers it legal.

Key Provisions of the Lane Filtering Law

Lawmakers can’t legalize lane filtering without creating a clear set of guidelines that define what it is and the circumstances in which it’s permitted. Without this, any rider could claim to be filtering and not splitting in a motorcycle accident. When putting this law into place, Arizona included these primary rules for when lane filtering is permitted:

  1. The motorcycle must be traveling no faster than 15 miles per hour while filtering.
  2. Lane filtering is ONLY permitted on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less.
  3. Lane filtering is only permitted for two-wheeled motorcycles.
  4. Motorcycle riders can only lane filter between STOPPED vehicles, and it’s not permitted on freeways or interstates. 

Exclusions and Limitations

However, there are limitations when it comes to the lane filtering law. There are certain situations where even if the rider meets the above requirements, lane filtering isn’t allowed. These exclusions set clear restrictions on the types of vehicles that can lane filter and where they can do it.

As mentioned above, only two-wheeled vehicles can practice lane filtering. This means that trikes and motorcycles with sidecars aren’t allowed to do it. Since these vehicles are significantly wider than a standalone motorcycle, they make lane filtering more dangerous for the rider and other drivers.

In addition, lane filtering is not allowed on freeways or interstates. Arizona lawmakers make it crystal clear that lane filtering is only permitted on slower streets with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less. On the interstate, where congestion can change by the minute, it’s too dangerous for everyone on the road to lane filter.

It’s also important to note that motorcycle riders cannot use the shoulder or bike lanes for lane filtering.

Why Was Lane Filtering Legalized in Arizona?

Why did Arizona lawmakers recently decide to legalize lane filtering and not lane splitting? As mentioned earlier, an argument can be made that lane filtering protects the motorcycle rider in the event of a rear-end collision. It prevents them from getting flattened between two cars and getting seriously hurt. 

The research surrounding this idea is still in the works, but a few preliminary studies have come out supporting it. In California and Utah, early-stage research suggests that lane filtering is no more dangerous than typical riding behaviors. If it follows certain parameters, lane filtering can be a safer option for motorcycle riders that reduces the risks that come with a rear-end collision.

But why was one legalized and not the other? Lane splitting keeps riders from having to slow down with the flow of traffic. This puts themselves and other drivers on the road in danger and could cause an accident. For this reason, it remains illegal.

Legal Consequences of Lane Splitting in Arizona

While lane filtering between stopped vehicles is now permitted on certain roads, lane splitting is still considered against the law. This means that a rider caught lane splitting could face serious legal consequences. While the rider could get a citation and a mark on their record for the incident if they’re on their own, the ramifications increase if the behavior causes an accident. 

If a motorcyclist is found lane splitting, resulting in a vehicular accident, the rider will be found liable for the incident. The rider is considered negligent, and they will be found responsible for causing the accident. However, Arizona is a pure comparative blame state, meaning partial blame could still be put on any other drivers involved in the accident. 

phoenix personal injury lawyer

Stay Safe & Know Your Rights with the Legal Experts on The Shapiro Law Team

Is lane splitting legal in Arizona? The short answer is no. A motorcycle driving between lanes of traffic while cars are still moving puts themselves and other drivers at a greater risk of a serious car accident, which is why it’s illegal. 

On the other hand, driving between lanes of stopped traffic at an intersection on certain roads is now legal. There are strict parameters for motorcycles to legally lane filter, and riders who break these parameters could be found negligent in the event of a car accident. 

Staying informed about traffic laws in Arizona can help keep yourself and others safe on your commute home from work. If you need legal advice after a motorcycle accident or need to know your rights, the Shapiro Law Team is here to help. Our team of motorcycle attorneys knows the Arizona laws like the back of our hands, and we’ll fight to ensure your rights are protected and you get the compensation you deserve.

Free Consultation

  • All fields required *
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.