Question 1

What does Colorado's "lane filtering" allow a motorcyclist to do?

Accepted Answer

Pass a stopped vehicle in the same lane at no more than 15 mph, if adjacent lanes are also stopped and there's enough room — Colorado allows lane filtering: a two-wheeled motorcycle may pass another vehicle stopped in the same lane, as long as vehicles in the adjacent lanes are also stopped, there's enough room to filter safely, and the motorcycle doesn't exceed 15 mph while doing so.

Question 2

How much space must a Colorado driver leave when passing a bicyclist, and when may they cross a double solid yellow line to do it?

Accepted Answer

A minimum of three feet; drivers may briefly cross a double yellow line when there's no oncoming traffic and it's safe — Colorado drivers must leave at least three feet of space between the outermost part of their vehicle and a bicyclist, and may briefly cross a double solid yellow line to do so when there's no oncoming traffic and it can be done safely.

Question 3

Under Colorado's 2022 bicyclist law, when may a cyclist age 15 or older treat a stop sign as a yield sign?

Accepted Answer

Only when the intersection is clear and the bicyclist already has the right-of-way, not as a general excuse to skip yielding — A 2022 Colorado law lets bicyclists 15 and older treat a stop sign as a yield sign and a stop light as a stop sign, but only when the intersection is clear and the bicyclist already has the right-of-way -- it doesn't excuse a cyclist from yielding when they don't already have it.

Question 4

What is the "Dutch Reach" technique the Colorado Driver Handbook recommends for parked drivers?

Accepted Answer

Opening your door with the hand closest to the vehicle's center, which naturally turns your body to check for bicyclists behind you — The Dutch Reach means using the hand closest to the center of the vehicle to open your door, which naturally turns your body toward the rear so you check for approaching bicyclists before the door swings into the roadway.

Colorado: Sharing the Road: Bicycles & Motorcycles Questions

1. What does Colorado's "lane filtering" allow a motorcyclist to do?

2. How much space must a Colorado driver leave when passing a bicyclist, and when may they cross a double solid yellow line to do it?

3. Under Colorado's 2022 bicyclist law, when may a cyclist age 15 or older treat a stop sign as a yield sign?

4. What is the "Dutch Reach" technique the Colorado Driver Handbook recommends for parked drivers?

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