Is Lane Splitting Legal in Mississippi?

Is it legal for motorcyclists to ride between lanes of traffic, also known as lane splitting, in Mississippi? Many motorcycle riders and other motorists in the state have asked this question. Unfortunately, the answer is in a bit of a gray area. Mississippi doesn’t have any laws that specifically mention lane splitting. However, that doesn’t mean motorcyclists should assume that it is legal.

What Is Lane Splitting?

Lane splitting is when a motorcycle passes slower traffic by traveling between lanes. It’s sometimes also called white-lining or stripe riding because the rider is on the painted lines rather than between them.

Many riders view lane splitting as a valid way to get around slower vehicles blocking their path. However, many other motorists view lane splitting as a negligent and dangerous way to ride that can cause accidents.

Lane Splitting vs. Lane Filtering

If you’ve heard of lane splitting, you may have also heard of lane filtering. While these terms sound similar, they describe slightly different actions. When a motorcycle rider lane splits, they go between lanes of moving traffic. When they lane filter, they go between lanes of stopped traffic at an intersection.

Why do motorcyclists lane filter? Is it simply to get ahead of other vehicles waiting at a red light? In some cases, yes. However, some riders use lane filtering to protect themselves from being rear-ended by other vehicles. Motorcyclists are at risk of severe injury if another vehicle rear-ends them at an intersection, and lane filtering is one method they can use to prevent this from happening.

The Legality of Lane Splitting in Mississippi

In Mississippi, no laws specifically mention lane splitting, which some riders take to mean that the practice is legal. However, Mississippi Code Section 63-3-603(1)(a) states that “A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane.”

This statute may imply that lane splitting is illegal because a lane-splitting motorcycle is not driving entirely within a single lane. The same applies to lane filtering.

However, proponents of lane splitting and filtering believe the practice is legal because many police officers don’t ticket motorcycle riders for these actions unless they are riding in a clearly unsafe manner.

Lane Splitting Safety Considerations

One of the main reasons lane splitting is such a contentious topic is the question of its safety. Lane splitting is less safe than not lane splitting. But is it unsafe to the point that it should be explicitly illegal?

Lane splitting is dangerous for motorcyclists because riding on the painted lines can be slippery, and they must trust that the larger vehicles will not drift from side to side within the lanes. For other motorists, lane splitting is dangerous because a negligent rider could cause a serious accident by colliding with their vehicle at a high speed.

Lane Splitting and Negligence

Lane splitting can also impact liability in accidents. If a lane-splitting motorcyclist causes an accident that harms you, you may be able to use their lane splitting as evidence of their negligence.

Alternatively, if you are a lane-splitting motorcyclist and another driver collides with you by changing lanes without signaling or checking their blind spot, Mississippi’s pure comparative negligence law could affect your compensation. Under Mississippi Code Section 11-7-15, a victim’s damages are reduced by their degree of fault for an accident. The other party’s lawyers will likely claim that lane splitting makes you at least partially at fault.

Ultimately, while lane splitting may not be explicitly illegal in Mississippi, it’s generally not a good idea. Lane-splitting motorcyclists can receive tickets for dangerous riding, may be more likely to get into accidents, and may be found at fault for those accidents.

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