On July 1, Minnesota enacted a law allowing motorcyclists to “share” lanes with other vehicles at speeds under 25 mph, making Minnesota the 6th state to adopt this “lane splitting” law. According to Jay Bock, Minnesota’s Motorcycle Safety Coordinator, the law was meant to prevent rear end collisions between motorcycles and cars- a common problem and cause of injury for motorcyclists.
But while the law is designed for the increased safety of bikers, many think lane splitting actually is more unsafe for motorcyclists and those in cars. “I don’t […] like the law,” says Morgan Hellbusch, ‘26. “It seems like it’d be really unsafe for [bikers], and for drivers, since they won’t know that […] there’s another car next to them.” Hellbusch explains that cars are not always aware of motorcycles, and may not be consciously looking out for motorcycles when they drive. Sharing lanes could be dangerous for both parties, especially since many people still don’t know about the law yet. “It would make me a little bit nervous for people that do ride motorcycles,” says Hannah Dokmak, ‘26. “I’ve literally seen people try and stop motorcycles from [lane splitting] by cutting over into a lane.”
On the other hand, many people have hope for the law. “It could also be a benefit for motorcycle safety,” Dokmak explains, “like if they have to get away from a car that’s tailgating them [because] they have less of an advantage when they’re on a bike.” Furthermore, Hellbusch explains that she thinks the law can help “bikers get places faster [and allow] more of them [to] be on the road, too,” since sharing lanes would allow for more space on the road. Dokmak says she “think[s] maybe we could maintain the law, but maybe have more restrictions and guidelines, [and] make people aware of it so then people are safer.”
Ultimately, the law is still new, and as people become more familiar with the concept of lane splitting—and more aware of cyclists—many of these safety concerns will likely resolve themselves. It’s hard to say whether people will feel the same about the law as they do now once it’s been fully implemented and has more clear guidelines, but it’s clear that Minnesota is paying more attention to motorcyclists—and maybe that can inspire us to do the same in our daily commute.
