Motorcycle Rider Crashes After Lane Splitting Between Two Colorado State Patrol Vehicles
Colorado State Patrol is using a caught-on-camera motorcycle crash to remind riders that while lane filtering is legal in Colorado, lane splitting through moving traffic is not.
The incident happened around 7 a.m. Friday on westbound I-76 near East 88th Avenue in northeast Denver. According to CSP, two patrol vehicles were traveling in traffic when a motorcycle came up between them and continued riding between lanes while surrounding vehicles were still moving.
The rider made it past the two troopers, but the risky maneuver quickly went wrong. The motorcyclist encountered traffic ahead and crashed, with the entire incident unfolding directly in front of the state patrol vehicles.
The crash highlights a distinction that has caused some confusion since Colorado legalized motorcycle lane filtering in August 2024.
Under state law, motorcycles can move between vehicles only when traffic is completely stopped. Riders must travel no faster than 15 mph, there must be enough room to safely pass, and motorcycles cannot use the shoulder or cross into oncoming traffic.
Once surrounding vehicles begin moving, however, riders must merge back into a regular traffic lane. Continuing to ride between moving vehicles becomes lane splitting, which remains illegal in Colorado.
Colorado’s lane-filtering law is currently scheduled to remain in effect through September 1, 2027, while transportation officials collect and analyze safety data before reporting back to state lawmakers.
State Patrol is using the latest crash as a reminder for motorcyclists to understand the difference between the two practices and not assume Colorado’s lane-filtering law gives riders permission to weave between moving traffic.
