Sheriff explains Arizona motorcycle lane‑filtering rules for Cochise County riders

Sheriff Mark Danos used the radio program to explain the limits of Arizona's motorcycle lane‑filtering rules and to urge riders to follow the state's restrictions.

Danos said Arizona does not have a lane‑splitting law that allows motorcycles to ride between moving lanes at speed. "We have lane filtering," he said, adding that it applies only on roads with at least two lanes in the same direction and where the posted speed is less than 45 mph. "Lane filtering, you gotta be less than 15 miles an hour," Danos said, and riders may not "weave in and out of traffic, use the shoulder or go in the opposite lane." He said the rule generally applies when traffic is stopped or moving very slowly, such as at a stoplight.

Danos said the clarification followed a traffic stop in which a rider was observed moving between lanes. "Everybody thinks that, hey, we can go right down the road to split traffic," he said, but cautioned that filtering is tightly restricted and that riders should avoid reckless behavior.

The sheriff said his guidance is intended to reduce dangerous driving and keep motorcycle riders safe. He identified himself as a rider and urged caution while traveling on county roads.