Texas riders ask this question all the time. Is Lane Splitting Legal in Texas?
- Texas Transportation Code Section 545.0605 states a motorcycle operator may not ride “between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction,” and may not pass a motor vehicle while staying in the same lane as that vehicle. That statute took effect on September 1, 2023.
Write the Govn’r!
Before that law passed, riders and lawyers sometimes argued that Texas law did not expressly address lane splitting. The Legislature changed that by adopting House Bill 4122, which added Section 545.0605 to the Transportation Code. The bill analysis makes the intent plain: Lane Splitting is Illegal.
What is allowed? Two motorcycles can ride side-by-side in a single lane.
Thank ya Govn’r!
The legality of lane splitting matters in crash cases.
The Insurance Defense Industry loves to look for as many reasons as imaginable to blame the rider. If a motorcyclist was lane splitting before a collision, the insurance carrier will almost certainly argue the rider violated Texas law and contributed to the crash.
That does not automatically end the rider’s case, but it can become a major liability issue at trial. In Texas, “comparative fault” also called “proportionate responsibility” arguments often drive settlement values, so illegal lane splitting can give the defense ammunition they otherwise would not have and lower the value of the rider’s recovery.
The bottom line is this: lane splitting is not legal in Texas. If you ride in Texas, do not assume the rules from California or other states apply here. Texas now has a statute that directly addresses the issue, and it prohibits riding between lanes of same-direction traffic.
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