Lane Splitting

[LowRyter]

I was just reading the new issue of "Sport Rider".  The subject of Kent Kunitsugu column was a California research study (Cal Berkeley and CHP) regarding motorcycle lane splitting.  Two things noted:  1) Riders that lane split are less likely to be injured because they were less likely to be rear ended.  2) If 10% of traffic was on motorcycles, commute time would be reduced 50% for all traffic.

I used to lane split  30 years ago until I found out it was illegal.

[krglorioso]

Since it's one of the few remaining pleasures allowed by the Golden Nanny State, I continue to lane split but only when traffic is moving below 20mph and than I pass them by no more than 10mph.  I am horrified to see sportbike riders blast between cars moving at 50-60 mph, passing them by 20+ mph and swerving in and out.  I mumble to myself, "No brains--no headaches". 

Ralph

[Kiwi_Roy]

I don't lane split but I try not to pull up behind the car in front, I don't want to end up as the meat in a sandwich if the person in a cage is texting.

[Doppelgaenger]

There's lane splitting, and then there's THIS asshole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQJnmdDOF7o&src_vid=dSuwEqu9T8U&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_3834312495

I did lane split while I lived in CA, I wish I could do it up here in WA. I rarely did anything stupid, it's one of the more terrifyingly fun things to do in life. I think it should be legal, especially when you have an air cooled bike!!!

[Sasquatch Jim]

  It is unfortunate that the guy in the video survived with so few injuries.  He was basically raising his middle finger to death,
 his own and maybe someone else's.

[Doppelgaenger]

There's a video of a guy like that only going even faster down stopped traffic and then someone pulls over to change lanes and he smashes into them at around 65. I couldn't find that one.

The video I did link, the guy is cussing at everyone for being in his way. I did enjoy watching him eat it.

[tris]

Since it's one of the few remaining pleasures allowed by the Golden Nanny State, I continue to lane split but only when traffic is moving below 20mph and than I pass them by no more than 10mph.  I am horrified to see sportbike riders blast between cars moving at 50-60 mph, passing them by 20+ mph and swerving in and out.  I mumble to myself, "No brains--no headaches". 

Ralph

Filtering (lane splitting) is legal over here and I tend to do it as Ralph does.

But it never ceases to amaze me how much faith riders put in other road users not to move over on then either accidentally or deliberately. the only bloke I trust on the road is me and I get it wrong sometimes!!

PS
What is it about helmet cams that many people find so fascinating ??? They're usually badly shot with crap sound so why bother  ::(

[jbntx]

The thought of lane splitting here in Texas gives me shivers. I don't think I'd do it even if it were legal, because of all the people who would take it as an affront and do their very best to block me or run me over. It can be tough enough to pass someone when I have the whole lane! Everybody seems to think they're driving in the Texting 500.

[Mark West]

If I was an AMA member living outside CA, I'd be pressing them to get laws passed allowing lane splitting instead of trying to get rid of helmet laws. Lane splitting, when done in a responsible way, is not very risky, reduces traffic congestion, reduces the chances of getting rear ended, Reduces the risk of bike/rider overheating, and creates an incentive for more people to ride.

Having said that, I'd also like to see cops crack down on the idiot lane splitters that create an image that suggests motorcyclists are all reckless and irresponsible. If you've ever had a bike (with a passenger with minimal protective gear) pass you at 60+ when you're doing 20 you know what I'm talking about.

[oldbike54]

Noticed the camera was shut off before the inevitable butt whuppin the idiot on the bike took from the driver of the car  ;D

  Dusty

[Arizona Wayne]

There's a video of a guy like that only going even faster down stopped traffic and then someone pulls over to change lanes and he smashes into them at around 65. I couldn't find that one.



I think that's the 1 in Europe where a guy(36) is on his 1,000cc crotch  rocket  and quickly gets up to 100 mph when the traffic is maybe doing 50 mph..........he comes to an odd intersection and doesn't see a car driver coming from the opposite direction slowly turning right across his lane.   He is going so fast he doesn't have time to react and plows into the left front side of the turning car..........dead on impact.  ~;  Totally the rider's fault.  :+=copcar   He's kind? enough to have a camera on his helmet.  :wife:


Being an ex-Kalifornian I lane split just a few days ago here in Arizona when coming  upon about 3 miles of stacked traffic on the way home.  Those indentions they put between the white lines to let you know your changing lanes didn't help me pass other vehicles.  ~;  It was a bumpy ride and challenged my control of my maxi-scooter.  Had I been on my MP3 it would have been easier to deal with.  :)  It felt like I was in Kal. as the drivers left me room for my exploitation even tho it's not legal here.  8)  No drivers knew I was coming.

[Lannis]

I don't think I'd do it even if it were legal, because of all the people who would take it as an affront and do their very best to block me or run me over. It can be tough enough to pass someone when I have the whole lane! Everybody seems to think they're driving in the Texting 500.

Isn't it amazing that people would act like that?   If you trotted past them on the sidewalk, they wouldn't even notice.   If you had a flat tire on the side of the road, they might stop to help.

But you pass them when they're in their almighty giant penis-substitute of an SUV or pickup, and they'll try to kill you for passing them, for "beating" them.

I'll never understand it.

Lannis

[Arizona Wayne]

10? years ago 2 of us were riding to meet another Guzzisti on Hwy 15 in Ca. approaching Las Vegas at night when we were stopped with 10 miles to go by a huge wreck somewhere in front of us.  No one was moving and only us on MCs had any chance of changing the situation.  None of us had any idea how long it would be before we could move again.  :+=copcar   ::)  My riding partner up to then had never split lanes.  I told him, I'm splitting lanes and you can do whatever you want.  I'm not sitting here who knows how long.  I took off.............son of a gun a few minutes after I got to the Casino in Primm, Nev. he was there too.   When your options are few you decide to change what you will or won't do.  ;)

[guzzimike]

If I was an AMA member living outside CA, I'd be pressing them to get laws passed allowing lane splitting instead of trying to get rid of helmet laws. Lane splitting, when done in a responsible way, is not very risky, reduces traffic congestion, reduces the chances of getting rear ended, Reduces the risk of bike/rider overheating, and creates an incentive for more people to ride.

Having said that, I'd also like to see cops crack down on the idiot lane splitters that create an image that suggests motorcyclists are all reckless and irresponsible. If you've ever had a bike (with a passenger with minimal protective gear) pass you at 60+ when you're doing 20 you know what I'm talking about.

THIS  ^^^^^


BTW, Here in California, Lane splitting is not "Legal" -


Laws Do not exist to designate issues to be LEGAL.  Laws exist to designate issues to be ILLEGAL



So with this in mind, because there does not exist a law prohibiting Lane Splitting specifically;  it means that lane splitting IS NOT ILLEGAL.  Hence we can Lane Split.

If you lane split like an asshat, the LEO's can and will nail you for Reckless operation of a motor vehicle; most likely  for speeding during reckless lane crossing . But Not for Lane Splitting.

IUs it safe..?  Yes, if you ride with your head screwed on straight.

If traffic is moving above 20MPH, I stay within the pattern. Anywhere below 15 -20 MPH and I'm Splittin'


After a while , with enough miles lane splitting, you start to see patterns emerge..   Certain "Tells" which signal a forthcoming lane change..

"Tells" such as where you are looking at the driver's hands 4 -5 cars ahead and on either side and look for the twitch that preceeds their lane Change.

The twitch is almost always there. It signals a thought forming and a transition of a mental process into a physical act.

There are other "Tells", such as  seeing their eyes in their rear view mirrors twitching back and forth < as if they're deciding which lane to switch to.. > . Also, there's  Heads tilting, Nervous twitching, shoulder rocking, etc.. Any one of these, either singly or in concert may mean an upcoming sudden lane change. And of course YOU are Invisible to them..

And of course you don't Lane Split lanes located either adjacent or near Off-ramps. That's just asking needlessly for a Close Encounter of the Turd Kind.

I confine mine to the zone between the Fast lane ( #1 Lane ) and the one adjacent, to its Right  (#2 Lane ).

After three continuous Decades of Lane Splitting safely, these "tells" become part a largely Subconscious part of your survival mechanism.

You either adapt the survival mechanisms which work or you lose.


Lane Splitting  can be a "No Big Deal" part of your motorcycling, IF it's done with a clear head, smooth steering and is supplemented with a healthy slice of Paranoia





 
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[hhkiwi]

For those interested, here are links to the two recent Californian lane splitting studies:
http://www.ots.ca.gov/pdf/Publications/LaneSplittingReport.pdf
http://www.ots.ca.gov/pdf/Publications/2014MCLaneSplittingSurvey.pdf

They also did an interesting study in Belgium in which lane splitting was a topic. The first link below is to an article about the study, the second link leads to the study itself:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/9272532/Why-commuting-by-motorcycle-is-good-for-everyone.html
http://www.tmleuven.com/project/motorcyclesandcommuting/20110921_Motorfietsen_eindrapport_Eng.pdf

And here's a quote that I like from an article dealing with some cagers' argument that lane splitting is unfair:
"Lane splitting is an unspoken contract between riders and drivers. Riders don’t wait for stopped cars, and in return, they don’t make the cars wait for them. Where many drivers get it wrong is that they see lane splitting as "queue jumping" that will cause each car to go one further spot back in the queue. In truth, a filtering bike disappears from the queue altogether, the only time a motorcycle holds a car up is when it sits in traffic and acts like another car."

Last but not least, here's a link to the CHP's guidelines on lane splitting. They had to remove them from their own website recently because of a complaint or something, not sure:
http://www.ridetowork.org/files/docs/lanesplitting_guidelines.pdf

[rodekyll]

For those interested, here are links to the two recent Californian lane splitting studies:
http://www.ots.ca.gov/pdf/Publications/LaneSplittingReport.pdf
http://www.ots.ca.gov/pdf/Publications/2014MCLaneSplittingSurvey.pdf

They also did an interesting study in Belgium in which lane splitting was a topic. The first link below is to an article about the study, the second link leads to the study itself:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/9272532/Why-commuting-by-motorcycle-is-good-for-everyone.html
http://www.tmleuven.com/project/motorcyclesandcommuting/20110921_Motorfietsen_eindrapport_Eng.pdf

And here's a quote that I like from an article dealing with some cagers' argument that lane splitting is unfair:
"Lane splitting is an unspoken contract between riders and drivers. Riders don’t wait for stopped cars, and in return, they don’t make the cars wait for them. Where many drivers get it wrong is that they see lane splitting as "queue jumping" that will cause each car to go one further spot back in the queue. In truth, a filtering bike disappears from the queue altogether, the only time a motorcycle holds a car up is when it sits in traffic and acts like another car."

Last but not least, here's a link to the CHP's guidelines on lane splitting. They had to remove them from their own website recently because of a complaint or something, not sure:
http://www.ridetowork.org/files/docs/lanesplitting_guidelines.pdf

Unfortunately, in the USA it's not a matter of if it makes sense or not, it's a matter of driving conventions.  They drive on the other side of the road in some other countries too, but it's probably not a good idea to make a habit of it here.   :D

To take the other point of view:

I signed a contract when I got my license to drive.  I had to read, memorize, and understand the contract before they would let me sign it, and they tested me on the contract's contents.  There was nothing unwritten or imaginary about it, and they  have pop (cop?)-quizzes and award penalties if you forget any of it.  One of the things they had in that contract was a part where they told me I was entitled to drive between the lane lines, leaving a buffer zone for the car ahead.  If I want to change my position, like lane or passing, merging or exiting, they have rules for that, too. 

Those rules are what the others on the road expect me to do, and that's what I expect them to do.  That's the contract.  That's the entitlement.  And in the close-formation flying of the urban commute, when a driver doesn't do what he is expected to, mayhem ensues.  Just like the lady was mistaken when she assumed the unspoken contract exists that entitles her to stop the freeway and sing kum-by-ya to the ducklings (and killed some bikers when she stopped in the fast lane), motorcyclists are mistaken when they assume some 'unwritten contract' exists entitling them to create lanes where there are none (same result when THAT contract breaks down). 

Personally, other than not wanting to be blamed when I inadvertantly pancake some squid bulleting through my blind spot, I have no dog in the fight.  Up here we wave at everyone we pass on the highways because they might be the last ones we see.  Our general rules up here are haedlights on at all times, move to the right if you see traffic approaching. and bears are bigger than you are.  My position in this argument is always that it needs clarification at the driver's manual level.  Until lane splitting is an expected entitlement and not an imaginary one, it will continue to result in mayhem.

Oh -- and there was an article from the LA times introduced a couple of lane splitting discussions ago that said in effect that the lane splitting guidelines were pulled from the website because the CHP no longer felt they could post guidelines for non-sanctioned maneuvers.  Basically they've come to my way of thinking -- we need to address it at the rules of the road level, one way or the other.

[jbntx]

But you pass them when they're in their almighty giant penis-substitute of an SUV or pickup, and they'll try to kill you for passing them, for "beating" them.

And that's when you try to pass them when using a whole lane! :-)

[Arizona Wayne]

In Calif. as a common courtesy most car/truck drivers are aware of lane splitting and drive accordingly when moving slowly, especially RVers, who are kind enough on 2 lane roads to when possible move to the shoulder to let 2 wheelers by behind them.  In some small towns the local drivers are not aware of lane splitting and they get upset assuming the MC rider is doing something  illegal.  ???  But overall I can't recall ever seeing an accident involved with a lane splitter in decades of safely doing it. I have been told if you LS in the South you may get shot in the back.  :D  Having ridden in the South, I take that warning seriously.  :bow

[Tom]

I did a search for lane splitting and the website said to start a new topic. 

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=73836.0;last_msg=1154219

Governor Brown signed into law in California.

http://ridermagazine.com/2016/08/19/california-lane-splitting-bill-signed-into-law/

[swooshdave]

I did a search for lane splitting and the website said to start a new topic. 

Do you always do as you're told?

[oldbike54]

 I would rather discuss baseball bats than this topic 

 Dusty

[cloudbase]

I would rather discuss baseball bats than this topic 

 Dusty

Trying to splinter the board, eh?

[not-fishing]

I would rather discuss baseball bats than this topic 

 Dusty

I'm a wood bat guy, I like the feel of wood.

Even though I've ridden and lived all my life in California I've only split lanes a couple of times at very long waits.  I'm just to much a coward and one of my riding rules is "never be first through and intersection at a light change".  to many red light runners in California

Then again maybe it's because I commute on a Griso.

[Tom]

Do you always do as you're told?

"Yes officer, I was doing the speed limit.  YOU must have a false reading on your speedmeter.  When was the last time you did a check on it?"  "How's your maintenance log?"

[Tom]

I would rather discuss baseball bats than this topic 

 Dusty

The thread is marked NGC.     As a moderator, you don't have to post a reply.  Some are interested in the law passing especially those that ride in CA.  I'm one of them.

[guzzi4me]

Glad that this is finally settled. Has been accepted practiced in Europe for years.

Of course the mind set of the common US driver is "I DON'T want you to get ahead of me" will take a while to change.

Filtering done at a safe speed helps all drivers..they just do not see it that way.

It is up to riders to do it safely...which can be an issue.


 

[Scud]

Baseball is more boring than golf. At least in golf, the scenery changes and I can pretend I'm riding my dirt bike on the course. 

Thanks for posting the article. I am glad to see that it's a law - though we'll have to wait and see what sort of guidelines are developed. AMA has published some sensible ideas about it.

There are safe, sensible, ways to do it. It's a huge time saver, especially at intersections, where you don't have to be first if you don't want to. You can tuck into second place if you want to lower the odds of meeting a red-light-runner (or could you look both ways before entering the intersection from the first position, where you have the best visibility.  )

I split lanes almost everyday. Today? check. Yesterday? check. day before? check... Been doing it for almost 30 years, and I pull into the normal flow of traffic to the let the kamikaze lane-splitters pass - I wish them well, but I worry... There are some lane-splitters who deserve a ticket and I hope that legislation, education, and enforcement will make the practice 1) understood and accepted by other drivers and 2) safer for those of us who treat it like the privilege it is.

[guzzi4me]

Thanks Scud...that is what I was trying to say.

You said it better !!

[Scud]

Thanks Scud...that is what I was trying to say.

You said it better !!

My pleasure. And I'll add that I think education will be super important if this spreads to other states. On my last ride into Arizona I forgot that it was illegal and started going up the front of the line at a light. People deliberately blocked me - I think one guy was about ready to get out of his truck and I was planning my escape route. California car drivers are, for the most part, accustomed to lane splitting and don't generally get upset about it (except for the people who blow by at 40mph faster than the flow of traffic).

[Michael D]

Of course the mind set of the common US driver is "I DON'T want you to get ahead of me" will take a while to change.

Boy, isn't that the truth.  An attitude of disdain.