Minnesota made lane splitting legal 3 months ago and this is how it's been going

The state of Minnesota made headlines for making lane splitting legal a few months ago.

Back in July, the North Star State became the latest territory to make lane splitting legal.

Since then, many people have wondered how it’s been going for area drivers.

Well, the world now has an update – and it turns out that it has been an adjustment.

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Lane splitting approved in Minnesota – with mixed results

Back in July, we covered a very interesting topic concerning the state of Minnesota.

It was being reported that the state was set to legalize lane splitting.

July 1st officially saw the practice legalized in Minnesota, and it has been active ever since.

But how has Minnesota adjusted to the now-legalized process of lane splitting?

As you might imagine, the practice has seen both good and bad examples being displayed.

Local Minneapolis TV news station KSTP decided to do a report on the practice.

To get a thorough picture, the news station reached out to both a long-time motorcyclist and a member of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety (MOTS).

Long-time motorcyclist Bob Hedstrom hailed the practice now being legalized.

He believes it makes the roads much safer for motorcyclists and said he’s only been honked at once.

Bob also noted that he has not seen anybody abusing the lane-splitting system himself.

MOTS representative Jay Bock painted a very different picture, however.

Bock noted that a motorcyclist was seen weaving in-between highway lanes.

He advised riders not to do this, as it is extremely dangerous to both riders and the public.

What exactly does the process do?

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 normal car suffering a fender-bender can be a minor issue to have to deal with.

An exposed motorcyclist, on the other hand, is at risk of getting squashed in-between vehicles.

That means that the ability to keep moving constantly avoids any potential risk to motorcyclists.

So, how does the state define what lane splitting actually is?

The state of Minnesota defines ‘lane splitting’ as allowing a motorcycle to legally share a lane when passing a car going in the same direction, so long as traffic is not going faster than 25mph.

Additionally, the motorbike is not allowed to travel at 15mph faster than the moving traffic.

Minnesota is one of only five US states that currently allows the practice of lane splitting.

California, Hawaii, Utah, Arizona, and Montana all allow the practice under certain conditions.