Minnesota is preparing for legal lane splitting
Published on Jul 01, 2025 at 2:15 AM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Jun 30, 2025 at 4:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Minnesota is preparing to join only a handful of states that allow lane splitting.
Legal lane splitting is only allowed in the United States by a few individual states.
But it now appears that Minnesota is about to be added to that list.
And it could mean massive news for motorcyclists across Minnesota.
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Minnesota changes its tune towards lane splitting
At the moment, the state of Minnesota does not currently allow legal lane splitting.
The North Star State is currently one of 46 states that denies the practice to motorcyclists.
However, the state of Minnesota could be about to join four other breakaway states.
Colorado, Arizona, Montana and Utah currently allow motorcycles to filter through non-moving traffic.
It appears that, from tomorrow (July 1st), Minnesota is officially legalising lane splitting.
Minnesota is introducing lane splitting, but it does come with its limits for motorcyclists.
From tomorrow, motorcyclists are allowed to split through traffic moving slower than 25mph.
During splitting, motorcyclists are not allowed to ride at more than 15mph.
And it appears that the lane splitting movement is not stopping with Colorado.
Several other states are reportedly strongly considering legalising the practice, as well.
The ability to split lanes is more important than you think
In case you’re wondering, lane splitting is actually a very important concept.
The ability to lane split can literally be a question of life or death for motorcyclists.
A solid car getting into a fender-bender in sitting traffic can be an inconvenience.
An exposed motorcyclist is potentially open to getting squished in between vehicles if it gets hit.
That means that the ability to keep moving constantly avoids any potential risk to motorcyclists.
Additionally, a lot of motorcycles, such as Harley-Davidson bikes, are still air-cooled.
If they stay sitting too long, their engines can overheat and cause issues.
Therefore, the ability to move in and out of traffic maintains the air-cooled engine.
It will be fascinating to see how the legalising of lane splitting unfolds in Minnesota.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
