Arizona House Bill 2475 - Lane Splitting Experiment

Fellow Zonies,

The House yesterday approved without dissent :clapping: a one-year experiment in Maricopa County to let those on two-wheeled vehicles ride between stalled traffic. That would overrule existing laws which require all vehicles to stay in lane. :yahoo:

Rep. Jerry Weiers, R-Glendale, who rides a motorcycle, said the existing laws are dangerous for people like him. He said a motorcyclist sitting at the back of a line of cars can be easily missed by an approaching motorist.

HB 2475, which now goes to the Senate, is a one-year experiment in Maricopa County, beginning in January. But Weiers said if it proves to reduce motorcycle accidents he will ask it be extended statewide.

Details of the bill can be found HERE .

Nice! Hope it passes the next body and gets a signature.

Lane splitting's illegal in Arizona? I've lived here for a third of my life, twenty years; and you learn something new every day. No wonder I get 1-finger saluted a lot!!!

Interesting idea. We've been trying to get it past the legislature for several years, never thought of a trial experiment. Do you have a link to the bill?

Edit: Whoops, just noticed the link. Never mind......

beemerdons said:

Lane splitting's illegal in Arizona? I've lived here for a third of my life, twenty years; and you learn something new every day. No wonder I get 1-finger saluted a lot!!!

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[Temporarily Possessed by the Ghost of TWN]

It's not lane SPLITTING. It's lane SHARING!

[/Temporarily Possessed by the Ghost of TWN]

...

....what was that?

beemerdons said:

Lane splitting's illegal in Arizona? I've lived here for a third of my life, twenty years; and you learn something new every day. No wonder I get 1-finger saluted a lot!!!

Click to expand...

Well beemerdons, if this passes you will be saluted legally for at least 1 year!

I would urge zonies to contact the representative for their district, voice their opinion, and ask them to vote on this bill. You elected them, now make 'em earn their keep!

AZ State Senate Roster

As a 'Zonie-at-heart' I sincerely hope this passes and meets with approval over its experimental year. Not only is it safer, but sitting in Phoenix summer traffic is brutal.

God I hope this passes.

But I have read a bit of press on this and it has been pretty damn unflattering to say the least. The non-riding public just don't get it.

One headline read something like 'AZ legislation to allow motorcycles to weave through traffic'. All kinds of negative comments after that article.

Still, a boy can dream.........

Here's a couple of rocket scientists from Faux News discussing it (nice to turn down the volume and just watch though)

Spliting

More

"Alberto Gutier, the director of the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety expressed concerns about the proposal saying it could create dangers. He says his biggest concern is that it would create confusion for drivers. That he says could make it more dangerous for cyclists."

Doesn't sound like the Gov is going for it. Sure hope it passes though.

Linky

I'll keep my fingers crossed, as I expect to become a Phoenix area resident here in the near future...

Good luck, Zonies. It'd flat drive me nuts to lose lane-sharing privileges.

If it does pass, it will take a few weeks before the precognition (actually reading the telltales) kicks in on what the cars around you are planning, so keep your brakes well covered

It's a start. It only covers passing between stopped traffic. That's a far cry from the way we have it, but sure an improvement, IMO. Sadly, the godawful wreck near Phoenix just in the last couple of days strengthens arguments in favor of this change, even though the bikes that were hit in that incident were apparently the only vehicles at the red light; at least it illustrates how drivers can just fail to see motorcycles.

beemerdons said:

Lane splitting's illegal in Arizona? I've lived here for a third of my life, twenty years; and you learn something new every day. No wonder I get 1-finger saluted a lot!!!

Click to expand...

Are you sure that's why? :lol:

Anyway, good luck, Zonies. Hope it sails through--and with good results.

BwanaDik said:

Here's a couple of rocket scientists from Faux News discussing it (nice to turn down the volume and just watch though)Spliting

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Friggin' HILARIOUS! Where did y'all get those two gals?

They'd be almost worth watching.....if they were topless.

We love our bleached blonde dizzy reporters! Funny that the guy they interviewed hit on one that said she never rode a m/c on the freeway. It had her speachless (that's hard to do!)

The notion in the public's mind that this is equivalent to Liam Neeson shouthing, "Release the SQUIDS!!!!!" is amusing, yet sad.

Mr. Weiers needs to have a very good publicity campaign to garner support by removing the word "weave" from the discussions of allowed actions, and emphasizing the fact that it's only in stopped traffic. Responding to ditzy blondes on an interview show is not enough.

It's also curious that the state legislature can enact an action specific to a county. I'm wondering if that's going to be a problem. Maybe that's irrelevant if none of the other counties actually have traffic . . . .

Personally I'm not interested in lane sharing through moving traffic, at least not moving at anything better than a good jogging speed. I see too many people change lanes impatiently by turning, then looking. But going to the head of a line at a traffic light would be WONDERFUL, especially since most drivers sit for so ling after the green, to make sure it's safe, since they're not paying attention during the red.

Good luck with this, Arizona!

** goes off to see if any Florida legislators ride . . . **

Nice to see. I hope the speriment pans out and other (mine) states take notice.

BwanaDik said:

Here's a couple of rocket scientists from Faux News discussing it (nice to turn down the volume and just watch though)

Click to expand...

"What if someone opens their door!?" Yeah, I do that all the time on the highway.

Good luck Az. As goes Arizona, so goes the nation.

Just be careful till the cagers get used to it. Out here people got doored and blocked by cagers that were sitting in traffic, until they blocked some CHP'ers.

It is a great thing. One day some peeps had about a 45 min head start on me. I caught them about 30 miles down the road and beat them home by 45 minutes.

OH, and those F-250 trailer mirrors, man those things stick out there....

Further evidence that AZ is governed by the clueless :angry03: .

For those keeping score, AZ HB2475 passed the senate, only to be vetoed by Governor Brewer, claiming concerns with public education and safety. Like she fucking knows.

Governor's Veto Letter