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Is lane splitting legal in New Jersey?
I fashion myself a real tough hombre. I ride a motorcycle to and from my job as a vacuum cleaner salesman in Hoboken, New Jersey, weaving in and out of lanes like the boss Mother tells me I am. I’ve never been sure about this, as Mother hadn’t mentioned it, so I figured I’d ask—is lane splitting legal in New Jersey?
Jason Tushinski · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Lane splitting is neither legal nor illegal in New Jersey. There is no law against lane-splitting, though motorcycle riders are advised by the New Jersey Motorcycle Manual not to lane-split.
Lane-splitting is the practice of motorcycles riding in between lanes of moving or still traffic on busy freeways and highways. But the state’s driving manual warns bikers not to share lanes with other drivers and not to ride in between rows of stopped vehicles.
Of course, many motorcycle riders say lane-splitting saves fuel and time and is actually a safe practice. Several studies have concluded that riders who split lanes are less likely to be involved in collisions. In fact, some argue that stop-and-go traffic is far more dangerous for riders—the American Motorcycle Association claims that 59% of motorcycle accidents occur in moderate to heavy stop-and-go traffic.
The flip side could be true as well, though—many drivers have complained that they did not see lane-splitting motorcycle riders when they attempted to change lines on the freeway and then hit a rider.
Even the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is split (forgive the pun) on lane-splitting, saying that the practice could be used as an escape route for motorcycle riders trying to prevent being hit from behind.
Whatever you do, be safe when riding your motorcycle—and when driving your car if you own one of those, too!
Jerry
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