I was idling at a stoplight on Shea Boulevard, maybe five cars back in line, windows down, enjoying an unseasonably cool morning. That’s when the deafening thrum of a Harley chopper whipping between stopped cars scared the heck out of me.
I’m guessing you know who was driving, or at least the stereotype: Levis and clunky boots, mirrored shades, beard like a “Duck Dynasty” extra. Probably your average commercial Realtor by weekday, but a part-time weekend badass.
When my heart rate backed down from triple digits, I made a mental note: “Write a column about the dumbest law in the state of Arizona.”
That would be Arizona Revised Statute 28-903(f). And I quote: “The operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle may overtake and pass another vehicle that is stopped in the same direction of travel and in the same lane as the operator and may operate the motorcycle between lanes of traffic if the movement may be made safely.”
To be clear, the movement – known as “lane filtering” – is only legal in Arizona on surface streets with at least two lanes of traffic headed in the same direction and a speed limit of 45 mph or less. Motorcyclists cannot exceed 15 mph. Also, the vehicles being passed must be at a full stop.
Sadly, nothing in the law offers free Xanax to motorists frightened by a dude on a bike whipping past two inches from your side view mirror.
Lane filtering became law two years ago in Arizona, sponsored by then-Sen. Tyler Pace, a Mesa Republican who lost his seat a few months later.
Pace’s SB 1273 passed into law with strong bipartisan support despite the opposition of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, the Arizona Association of Counties, and 359 other opponents – compared to 32 official supporters.
Nationwide, Arizona became the fourth state where this maneuver is legal. Last year, Colorado became the fifth. The first state to do it? California, which is how you know it’s a dumb idea.
The science on lane filtering appears to be split. Studies conducted at Cal Berkeley and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute suggest lane filtering can lower the risk of injury for motorcyclists and cut traffic congestion. Research published in the International Journal of Motorcycle Studies found that the practice could cause accidents if motorcyclists aren’t careful or if car drivers don’t know they’re there.
Me? I say forget the science. There’s about 8 million vehicles registered in Arizona. Motorcycles make up 4 percent of that total. With all due respect to those who choose to ride, I’m not sure letting you move to the front of the line by wheeling through tight spaces and scaring 96 percent of other drivers makes sense.
Also – and I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t a scientific comparison – the number of motorcycle fatalities in Arizona jumped from 167 in 2021 to 258 last year, despite the number of registered bikes remaining the same.
The bottom line? As with many solutions in search of a problem, lane filtering may have a few statistics behind it, but it offends common sense.
As a former motorcycle owner, I can testify that it’s an inherently dangerous activity. Giving motorcyclists permission to add one more dangerous move to their repertoire in a world of ever-distracted drivers feels like a crazy risk.
Especially when that move undoubtedly catches the majority of vehicle drivers by surprise.
Fortunately, Harley guy made it past us without getting sideswiped or sandwiched. The light turned green and off he roared, the wind whipping through his hair.
I wish him well. And I wish the law made him wear a helmet. But that’s a column for another day.