2-wheelers: lane splitting allowed until September 15, 2024, and then?

The experiment launched in 2021 regarding the lane splitting for 2-wheelers is extended after the Olympic Games, under certain conditions.

Starting from September 15, 2024, will motorcycles and scooters have to stay neatly in the lanes again, even during traffic jams on the ring road or the highways leading to the capital? Semantically, yes, since the State has agreed to extend the experiment of lane splitting for two-wheeled and three-wheeled motor vehicles, initiated in 2021. However, this practice is suspended on roads that have designated lanes for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Île-de-France, in order to ensure the safety of vehicles… but this exposes 2 and 3-wheelers to risks as a consequence.

Since August 2, 2021, lane splitting (CIF) has been authorized on an experimental basis for two-wheeled and three-wheeled motor vehicles on highways and fast lanes when the traffic is dense. Initially set to end on August 1, 2024, this experiment has now been extended until September 15, 2024. But what happens next?

This extension applies to all concerned routes, except for roads with lanes reserved for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Île-de-France. According to the Ministry of the Interior, traffic on these roads will be very dense, with many intersections of major vehicles (transporting athletes, official delegations, emergency vehicles, taxis, ambulances, public transport in service, accredited journalists).

Thus, the experiment for lane splitting is suspended on these reserved lanes starting from July 15, 2024. Any unauthorized vehicle traveling on these lanes is subject to a fine of €135 and legal action.

Principles of Lane Splitting

The ongoing experiment for three years involves 21 departments, including Bouches-du-Rhône, Haute-Garonne, Gironde, Hérault, Isère, Loire-Atlantique, Nord, Rhône (including the Lyon metropolitan area), Var, Alpes-Maritimes, Drôme, Vaucluse, Pyrénées-Orientales, as well as the 8 departments of the Île-de-France region.

In areas where the experiment is in effect, the following conditions must be met:

• The practice is allowed on highways and roads with two lanes separated by a central reservation, with at least two lanes in each direction where the maximum speed is greater than or equal to 70 km/h;
• Lane splitting between stopped or very slow-moving vehicles occurs on the two leftmost lanes of a roadway;
• The lateral space between vehicles must be sufficient to allow lane splitting;
• The maximum speed allowed for lane splitting is 50 km/h, with a differential of 30 km/h compared to other vehicles;
• No lane should be under construction, covered in snow, or icy;
• The rider must signal their intention to split lanes;
• Two or three-wheeled motor vehicles must not force their way through;
• Overtaking another vehicle while lane splitting is prohibited;
• When traffic eases and vehicles travel at over 50 km/h, two or three-wheeled motor vehicles must return to their lanes.

Failure to comply with these conditions results in a deduction of 3 points from the driver’s license and a fixed fine of €135. Without further communication from the State, assume that lane splitting will be penalized starting September 15, 2024. This promises to create quite a bit of chaos!

ALSO READ: BMW Rent a ride, the idea of the century!