AN ACT Relating to improving motorcycle safety by authorizing the use of the right shoulder of limited access roadways;
Summary
HB 1367 amends Washington traffic law to allow motorcycles to temporarily use the right shoulder of limited access roadways under specific conditions. The bill states that motorcycles remain entitled to full use of a lane and generally may not be overtaken in the same lane, split lanes, or ride more than two abreast. It creates a narrow exception permitting a motorcycle to travel on the right shoulder when traffic is stopped or moving at 10 miles per hour or less, and only when the motorcycle is moving no more than 15 miles per hour faster than adjacent traffic.
The bill also limits shoulder use by requiring motorcycles to ride no more than one abreast, to reenter traffic when the shoulder is blocked by a parked vehicle, emergency vehicle, tow truck, or roadside assistance vehicle, and to stop using the shoulder when reaching an exit or when an alternate route or nearby visible food or fuel service can be accessed. Police officers acting in the performance of official duties are exempted from these restrictions. In effect, the bill modifies RCW traffic provisions governing motorcycle operation on highways and limited access roadways by adding a new, conditional right-shoulder riding allowance.
Impact
HB 1367 would change Washington’s rules for motorcycle operation on limited access highways by creating a new statutory exception to the general prohibition on shoulder travel. It would amend the relevant RCW provisions to permit limited right-shoulder use by motorcycles under low-speed or stopped-traffic conditions, while preserving existing lane-use, passing, and lane-splitting restrictions. The practical effect would be to authorize a form of filtered motorcycle movement on congested freeways and expressways, while imposing speed, spacing, and exit-related limits on riders and exempting law enforcement officers on duty.
Sentiment
The bill’s caption and structure indicate a safety-oriented purpose, and the available record shows no recorded committee testimony or votes opposing or supporting it. Based on the text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a targeted traffic-safety and congestion-management proposal intended to reduce motorcycle exposure in stopped traffic. Because there are no transcripts or vote tallies provided, the overall sentiment in formal discussion cannot be measured directly, but the bill is presented in a generally favorable, safety-focused manner.
Contention
The main policy issue raised by the bill is whether allowing motorcycles to use the right shoulder improves safety and traffic flow or instead creates new risks for riders, motorists, and roadside workers. Potential points of concern include the speed differential allowed between motorcycles and adjacent traffic, the possibility of conflicts with emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and roadside assistance vehicles, and the need for clear enforcement of when shoulder use must stop. Another likely area of debate is whether the exception could encourage unsafe behavior or complicate existing rules against lane splitting and shoulder driving, though no specific objections are recorded in the provided materials.
Improving public safety funding by providing resources to local governments and state and local criminal justice agencies, and authorizing a local option tax.