The Overview
If you ride a motorcycle in Arizona, weaving between lanes of moving traffic or passing another vehicle in the same lane can now get you charged with reckless driving. Arizona's motorcycles; reckless driving bill, HB 2941 became law when Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed it June 22. Arizona recorded 361 motorcycle deaths and 3,239 motorcycle-related injuries in 2023, and the state's overall traffic fatality total that year remained the second-highest annual total on record, according to 12News.
What the Law Does
The law amends Arizona's reckless driving statute to add one new provision: operating a motorcycle in violation of the state's lane-use rules, overtaking in the same lane or riding between lanes of traffic, is now reckless driving. A first conviction is a class 2 misdemeanor; a repeat conviction within 24 months becomes a class 1 misdemeanor, requiring at least 20 days in jail with no probation or early release. A judge may also order the offender to surrender their license and suspend driving privileges for up to 90 days; a second conviction within 24 months triggers a one-year suspension.
Legislative Status
Rep. Lupe Contreras (D-AZ-22) sponsored the bill, which drew 10 cosponsors: Leo Biasiucci, Selina Bliss, Pamela Carter, Junelle Cavero, Matt Gress, Consuelo Hernandez, Elda Luna-Nájera, Teresa Martinez, Quang H Nguyen, and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. The House passed it 56-0 on March 2, and the Senate passed it 26-3 on June 12.
Motorcyclist Heimburger told Arizona's Family: "When I ride in California, everybody does it. But when I'm out here in Arizona or any other states, I still see it all the time."
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