Riding a motorcycle can be a great alternative to driving a car—they’re cheaper, require less gas, and are more nimble to maneuver. However, performing certain maneuvers on a motorcycle can also put the rider and other road users at risk. Motorcyclists must understand which maneuvers are and are not legal on the road, especially when the law differs across state lines.
One motorcycle maneuver that is illegal in many places but is allowed in others is lane-splitting. As a motorcyclist in the Peach State, you might be wondering: Can motorcycles split lanes in Georgia?
What Is Lane Splitting?
Lane splitting is the practice of maneuvering a motorcycle between marked lanes of slower-moving vehicles. When done between vehicles stopped at a traffic signal, it is called “lane filtering.”
Is Lane Splitting Legal in Georgia?
Unlike passenger vehicles, motorcycles do not take up a whole traffic lane. As such, many motorcyclists think they should be allowed to take advantage of that fact. So, is it legal to lane split in Georgia?
It is not. Georgia Code Section 40-6-312 bans motorcyclists from lane splitting. According to the statute, motorcycle riders are not allowed to overtake and pass in the same lane as the vehicle the motorcycle is overtaking. The language of the law goes on to prohibit motorcycle riders from riding between rows of traffic or adjacent rows of vehicles. As such, lane filtering is also an illegal practice in Georgia.
The only time lane splitting or filtering is permissible in Georgia is when police officers must do so while performing their law enforcement duties.
Who’s Responsible After a Georgia Lane Splitting Accident?
If someone is involved in an accident while a motorcycle is lane-splitting, insurance companies will most likely see this infraction as a sign of negligence. In such cases, the motorcyclist could be at least partially at fault for the collision and its resulting losses.
However, exceptions may apply. For example, if you have evidence that you maneuvered your motorcycle into a lane-splitting position to avoid being sideswiped by another vehicle, you could argue that you were not ultimately to blame for the crash.
Moreover, Georgia follows a comparative negligence system, in which courts review the circumstances of an accident and apportion fault to anyone whose actions contributed to it. Motorists are only liable for their percentage of fault. Furthermore, any injured party who is less than 50 percent to blame for an accident can still recover compensation from other at-fault parties. In other words, as long as your lane splitting was not the primary cause of the accident and someone else is more to blame than you are, you could still potentially be entitled to compensation.
Talk to Our Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Duluth, GA Today
Suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident can lead to physical pain, psychological trauma, and financial stress. If someone else caused the crash, the experienced attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC, can fight to recover compensation for what you suffered. Even if you believe you were partly to blame for the crash, contact us for a case review. Initial consultations are always free, and we will be honest about whether or not we can help. Call one of our skilled Georgia motorcycle accident lawyers today or contact us online to learn more about your legal options.
