Lane filtering now legal in Victoria for motorcycle, scooter riders

Lane filtering is defined as the act of passing between stopped or slow-moving lanes of traffic on multi-lane roads to reach the front of traffic at intersections.

Victoria’s new Labor Government, under Premier Daniel Andrews, confirmed the specifics of the new law in late September, while also confirming that ‘lane splitting’ - the act of travelling between moving traffic at high speed - remains illegal.

Under the new regulations, motorcycle and scooter riders may now legally pass between lanes or lines of traffic moving in the same direction, at speeds up to 30km/h.

Only fully-licenced riders are allowed to take this action, however, while some areas will have roadsign signage that explicitly prohibits lane filtering all-together.

A full breakdown of the new regulations published on the VicRoads website also confirms that it remains illegal to travel between lanes or lines of traffic travelling in opposite directions, or to pass between vehicles and an adjacent kerb.

The Victorian Government said in September that it “extensively sought” feedback from a wide range of community members, including an open meeting in June and an online survey that received over 1000 responses.

"It's important to listen to the experts on these things and do everything we can to make sure that our roads are as safe as possible," Andrews said in September.