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Motorcycle riders in Arizona will soon have more freedom on the roads. 12 News reported that a new law will go into effect soon that allows motorcyclists to go between lanes of traffic to get to the front of the line at traffic lights.
Those in favor of the new law say that it is actually a lot safer for motorcycle riders to do this rather than waiting between cars at traffic lights.
Motorcycle riders will only be able to do this at traffic lights when traffic is at a complete stop, which is called "lane filtering." Eric Hill, traffic attorney, said, "Traffic has to be at a complete stop. So they're passing stopped vehicles. They're not passing vehicles that are moving." When riders go between cars that are moving it's called "lane splitting," and that is still illegal in Arizona.
Riders are also required to lane filter slowly. The law limits motorcyclists to15 mph while moving between lanes. Mark Weiss, a riding instructor at Desert Wind Harley-Davidson in Mesa, says that lane filtering is safer for motorcycle riders. Weiss said, "It takes motorcycles out of the spaces between cars. When drivers are used to it, it works really, really, really well."
The law will go into effect 90 days after the state legislature adjourns, which typically happens in April.