H-0190.1
HOUSE BILL 1487
State of Washington | 68th Legislature | 2023 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Orcutt and Chapman
Read first time 01/20/23.Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to improving motorcycle safety by authorizing the use of the right shoulder of limited access roadways; and amending RCW
46.61.608.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW
46.61.608 and 2013 c 139 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane and no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection shall not apply to motorcycles operated two abreast in a single lane.
(2) The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane or shoulder occupied by the vehicle being overtaken. However, this subsection shall not apply when the operator of a motorcycle overtakes and passes a pedestrian or bicyclist while maintaining a safe passing distance of at least three feet.
(3) No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
(4) Motorcycles shall not be operated more than two abreast in a single lane.
(5) Motorcycles may travel in the right shoulder of a limited access roadway when traffic is stopped or when the average speed of the vehicles on the travel lanes of the limited access roadway is 25 miles per hour or less, subject to the following restrictions:
(a) A motorcycle may not use a right shoulder at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour faster than the speed of traffic in the lane adjacent to the shoulder;
(b) A motorcycle is not permitted to ride past an exit ramp when traveling on the shoulder of a limited access highway: The motorcycle must either exit the shoulder and reenter the traffic lanes of the limited access highway when approaching the exit ramp or, when the exit ramp is reached, proceed down the exit ramp;
(c) Motorcycles may not be operated more than one abreast on a right shoulder; and
(d) A motorcycle must reenter traffic lanes if the shoulder is occupied by a parked vehicle, emergency vehicle, tow truck, or other vehicle providing roadside assistance.
(6) Subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to police officers in the performance of their official duties.
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