NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A bill in the Tennessee General Assembly would allow motorcycle riders to lane split during traffic jams on highways and interstates.
House Bill 1454 by Rep. Jeremy Faison would permit two-wheeled motorcycles to “travel between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane” on interstate highways and limited access multi-lane divided highways where the speed limit is 50 mph or more and when traffic is moving 25 mph or slower.
Riders would not be allowed to go more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic.
Faison says his bill would increase rider safety by allowing them to avoid getting rear-ended during heavy traffic. Lane splitting would also allow riders to avoid the effects of inclement weather, like overheating while sitting in traffic during hot temperatures, he said.
A handful of states have legalized lane “splitting” or “filtering” to some degree. In some states, it is not explicitly illegal while in others, like Tennessee, it is banned under state law.
Faison’s bill was introduced in the House on Monday. The Senate version has been referred to the Transportation and Safety Committee.
