Minnesotans who have visited California are likely familiar with “lane splitting,” the maneuver that Golden State motorcyclists use to combat the congested freeways. At first, a motorcycle whizzing past you as you sit in five lanes of traffic and coming within inches of your vehicle is a shock. After a few days on California highways, however, many out-of-state drivers get used to it.
Lane splitting is only legal in California, but as major metropolitan areas in other states wrestle with increased highway congestion for longer periods of the day, there is talk about legalizing lane splitting elsewhere. Lane splitting is illegal in Minnesota, but advocates have reached out to lawmakers requesting a change in the law.