If you're a rider in Oregon, and you've been there for at least a few years, you might remember when lane filtering very nearly became law. In actual fact, the somewhat contentious issue has been on the table more than once in the past five years. Back in 2021, it even made it all the way through the state legislature, only to get vetoed by then-governor Kate Brown.
But it's 2025 now, and there's a different governor leading the state. Can it actually go through this time around?
House Bill 3542 would allow filtering for motorcyclists riding two-wheeled vehicles under very specific conditions only. Under these rules, traffic must either be at a complete standstill, or else be travelling at a speed of 10 mph or less. The rider who filters under these conditions must then go no more than 10 mph faster than whatever the current speed of traffic is while they're filtering between lanes of traffic.
Additionally, they must only pass traffic going in the same direction that they are, and then responsibly merge with traffic once it goes at any speed faster than 10 mph. Furthermore, all these maneuvers are only permissible on highways with posted speed limits of 50 mph or higher, and are of course not permissible in school zones, if there are crosswalks, there are children present, or it is a designated work zone.
Violators of any of these rules, should this bill become law, would be subject to a fine of up to $2,000. This is clearly meant to discourage reckless behavior, as well as give a little something to those folks who don't like lane filtering or lane splitting as a concept, at any speed.
Since this bill's introduction, Oregon residents have been submitting written testimony to voice overwhelming support for this bill. You can read plenty of stories in the official record via the Oregon State Legislature's website.
One Oregon rider has also started a petition in support of the passage of HB 3542, encouraging interested parties to post it to their own social media, as well as contact their Oregon legislators directly to express their support of this bill.
It's easy to think that one voice can't make a difference. But the thing is, if enough single voices get together, pretty soon you get a choir. A choir is much more difficult to ignore.
If you're in Oregon, or if you're in another place where lane filtering or splitting is up for consideration and it isn't yet legal, it's up to you to speak up for it if you support it. Don't wait for someone else who may or may not appear in time. Contact your legislators and let them know how you feel, because they're supposed to work for you (not the other way around).
