Montana joins California and Utah as the third state to recognize lane filtering. We applaud the efforts of Montana’s motorcycling community and the state’s legislators and thank Governor Greg Gianforte for signing this legislation into law,” said Russ Ehnes, chair of the American Motorcyclist Association Board of Directors.
According to the announcement from the AMA, S.B. 9 allows the operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle to overtake stopped or slow-moving vehicles at a speed not in excess of 20 mph, to filter between lanes of stopped traffic traveling in the same direction as conditions permit and specifies reasonable and prudent motorcycle operation while lane filtering.
“With the signing of S.B. 9, Montanans have recognized the benefits of lane splitting, which allows motorcyclists the choice to filter in traffic when it is safe to do so,” said Tiffany Cipoletti, on-highway government relations manager for the American Motorcyclist Association. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Russ Tempel (R-SD14) and state Rep. Barry Usher (R-HD40), was signed by Gov. Gianforte on March 2 at a public signing ceremony in Helena. Ehnes was in attendance. The bill takes effect October 1, 2021.
