With recent construction on the Kennedy Expressway leading to significant backups many motorists may be wondering if splitting lanes to get ahead in traffic is legal.
According to the Illinois Vehicle Code, motorcyclists are not legally allowed to change lanes in a manner different from drivers of four-wheeled vehicles.
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WATCH HERESection 11-703 of the code states that drivers of two-wheeled vehicles may not pass upon either side of a vehicle traveling in the same direction unless there is an unobstructed lane available to pass safely.
While lane splitting is illegal in Illinois and the majority of states, the practice is legal under certain circumstances in California, with lane filtering, where motorcyclists ride in between lanes of mostly stopped cars, legal in a handful of other states.
In California, drivers must travel at a speed no more than 10 miles per hour faster than other traffic and avoid lane splitting in freeway on-ramps and exits. Motorcyclists are also advised not to lane split when traffic flow is at 30 miles per hour or faster.
Under certain circumstances, lane filtering is legal in Arizona, Colorado, Montana and Utah, with its legality to begin in Minnesota on July 1, according to traffic blog Twisted Road.
Additional safety tips for motorcyclists covering a wide variety of conditions from Illinois State Police can be found here.
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