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Motorcycle Safety

Now that summer is here, these two-wheel awareness tips will help keep everyone safe on the road.
meredith-terpstra
Meredith Terpstra |
How to Drive Around Motorcycles

Have you seen bumper stickers that say “Start Seeing Motorcyclists” or the motorcycle awareness license plates that Minnesota offers? These messages are good reminders that we need to pay special attention to these smaller-sized and more exposed road users.

Most motorcycle fatalities involve a car or truck failing to yield the right of way, and the most common excuse the vehicle driver offers up is that he or she didn’t see the motorcycle coming.

Tips for Driving Around Motorcycles

  • Because of their smaller size, an approaching motorcycle may look farther away than it is. When pulling into traffic, it’s always better to assume a motorcycle is closer than it appears.
  • Be aware that brake lights may not activate when a motorcycle is slowing down. Motorcyclists often decrease their speed by shifting to a lower gear or letting off the throttle.
  • Motorcycles need a full lane to operate safely and often adjust their position (to the left, middle, or right portion) within the lane to avoid potholes, windblasts, slick pavement, or to be more visible in traffic.
  • Always look over your shoulder when making lane changes or merging onto highways and freeways. Don’t just depend on your mirrors. Motorcycles can be hidden by a car’s pillar or even a head restraint.

The New Lane Filtering and Lane Splitting Laws

New laws take effect in Minnesota on July 1, 2025, and it's important to know what these laws entail to keep everyone safer on our roads.

Lane filtering is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and there is no traffic moving. It allows a motorcycle to move through traffic that is stopped, only when it is no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes (not the shoulder).

Lane splitting is allowed when two or more lanes of traffic are traveling in the same direction and traffic is moving, but only when traffic is moving at no more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant lanes (not on the shoulder).

Visit the Minnesota DPS Motorcycle Safety Center page to learn more and find examples of how these laws look on the roads.

When you see a motorcycle, think of the person who is riding it—they are your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family members. Remember to take the extra precautions to help keep motorcyclists safe, so those people can remain a big part of your life.

This article was originally published in our LIVE|PLAY|AAA magazine in July/August 2019. It was last updated in April 2025 to include the latest info on new laws.