Looks like motorcycle safety is about to become a hotly debated issue in the California State Senate once again. The wheels of progress are turning and lane-splitting is coming up for another crack at legalization, but how much of a chance does lane-splitting have across the nation?

The Debate On Lane-Splitting Returns

Assembly Bill 51 (AB51) has made its triumphant return to the California State Senate Transportation Committee, and it took no prisoners. The vote to pass AB51 was 11-0—a unanimous pass—and so it is now on its way to the California State Senate Appropriations Committee before it can head to the Senate floor and become a law. Now motorcyclists all around the country are sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out if this bill is going to become a law, but do you know why?

Why Is AB51 So Important For Motorcyclists?

You see, AB51 is California Senator Jim Beall’s latest attempt to have California law recognize lane-splitting as legal. Right now, lane-splitting is neither legal nor illegal in California, so the California Highway Patrol (CHP) released literature on how to lane-split safely and accidentally caused an uproar. Critics said that safety literature from CHP on lane-splitting gave the practice an air of legality that only lawmakers can give, so CHP was forced to remove the literature from its website and other locations.

How Does This Affect You?

If California can actually manage to legalize lane-splitting, it would be the first state to do so, and it might pave the way for other states to follow suit. Colorado senators have also tried to pass legislation in our state to make lane-splitting legal. However, lawmakers have met with opposition that claims adjusting to the change would be too big of an adaptation for Colorado drivers. Yet, studies show that responsible lane-splitting can actually be safer for riders than sitting in traffic.

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