how to safely lane split?

[lucydad]

All,

So, ok I took the V7R out for a moderate romp this afternoon.  A break from the house repairs and orders from Ms. LD.  Coming west on highway 6, headed to Sugar Land:  passed by a young sport bike rider.  Traffic was congested, slow and with many trucks.  This section has light after light and many major, very crowded intersections, and a lot of people frustrated by the stop and go.

The young rider blew past me, and went into lane split mode.  I sat in my traffic lane watching all the turtle-crawl.  Had a truck honk at me even though there was no place to go.  Remember, lane splitting currently is not legal in Texas although I think there was a proposal to change that.  So my brain wonders:  what is the safe way to lane split?  What to watch for?  Technique?  Risks? 

Watching the other rider blow thru the traffic with rapid dodges and swings and cutting off multiple large trucks by going thru their blind-spots, to me, looked very risky.   I hope not to open a can of worms here.  Surely those in CA are experienced and can share how to lane split:  technique?  I hope not to debate the pros and cons, and instead discuss the riding skills needed to safely lane split.

When I lived in Tunis, Tunisia I saw a lot of scooters lane splitting.  Similarly Tripoli, Libya and more famously Cairo, Egypt.  Of course in Paris and London and Amsterdam and Salzburg:  the same.  The Europeans, to my knowledge lane split as standard riding and road rule practice. Are our European riders and drivers simply more skilled than we are here in Texas?

Thanks as always for feeding my feeble brain.

[oldbike54]

 Greg , it has more to do with cagers awareness of lane splitting MC's than with rider skill . I occasionally do it it Tulsa traffic , but only when it is almost stopped .

  Dusty

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Lane splitting is safest when there is no other traffic on the road.  Other than that, ya takes your own chances.
  Even in states where it is legal there will be door openers and people who feel it is their duty to block you.

[ken farr]

  Lane splitting is safest when there is no other traffic on the road.  Other than that, ya takes your own chances.
  Even in states where it is legal there will be door openers and people who feel it is their duty to block you.

I have only had someone crowd towards me a few times, in many years.  Never had a door opened.....
Mainly, it's just someone not paying attention and just absent mindedly drifting in my direction.
A while back, there was an educational movement about lane splitting, and I really noticed people were
paying more attention.
When I split, traffic is moving 35 mph or less, and I am not very much over that.  I don't blow by people, just keep
moving.  Alot of people move over if they see me coming up, I give a little thank you wave if I can.

Just keep it sane, and you will be as safe as you can be on a motor in traffic........

kjf

[pehayes]

To answer the 'how' question.
Keep the delta to 15mph or less than the vehicles you are passing.
Once traffic gets back up to 30mph get back in line.
Keep the rpm and noise low to reduce 'startle'.
If someone pulls wide to give you extra room, reply with a wave or thumb up.
If someone wants to squeeze or block just sit back and relax.  Eventually the traffic will come to a halt and then you can creep past without any worry of them moving laterally.
Don't look at the cars at your side except with peripheral vision.  Look further ahead.

It is a way of life in the San Francisco Bay area.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[ITSec]

While lane splitting is not legal in Nevada (and I have to frequently remind CA riders here to stop it!), I do it on my Norge while in CA. A few things help, some already mentioned...

- Don't lane split unless traffic is actually moving slowly - less than 30 mph or so.
- Keep your speed to about 50% over the traffic speed, unless moving through stopped traffic - in which case, limit it to 30 mph.
- Remember that lane splitting IS NOT using the shoulder, it IS NOT using the median, it IS NOT passing a single lane of traffic. Lane splitting is moving between two lanes of traffic going the same direction. Both other drivers and law enforcement officials get annoyed when you don't follow this rule.

Another thing that helps immensely when lane splitting, especially on a larger bike, is to ride a motorcycle that looks like a police bike, and to wear gear that makes you look like a cop. My silver Norge isn't skinny, but it is well lit, it is silver and black, it looks like a LEO bike, and I wear matching silver and black riding gear . I can't even begin to count the number of drivers who react to me as though I am a cop.

This is almost always a very good thing.... 

[Ad B]

Hi,

In Europe we have to drive as much at the right (UK left) side of the road as possible.
So at a 2,3,4 lane road, we drive at the right lane, we only use the other lanes with overtaking or when it is to busy.
That's how we should do it...
When we want to go to an other lane, first look if it's possible, let others know by using your indicator what you're going to do and at last move to the other lane.
This all in a few tenths of a second... 
This system works okay as long as other riders go back to the most possible right lane...
But there are quite a lot, who are "scared" to use the right lane (trucks are using the right lane, UK left) and keep on driving at the middle or left lane... 
If they keep on driving at the middle or left lane, you'll get stuck behind those drivers and can't pass. 
We are only allowed to pass at the left side of the one you want to overtake (UK right, if this is a rule in the UK, I don't know that).

Ad B

[Noguzznoglory]

Curious Ad B or anyone else:  how difficult is it to cahnge from a country wher you drive in the right lane to one where you drive in the left. Do you catch yourself occasionally going back to your dominant country's lane.

[racasey]

Changing from countries where keeping to the right becomes keeping to the left?  For me, it is very difficult.

On one trip where we shipped US motos to Germany and flew home from Scotland, I was constantly on the wrong side in cities when making a left hand turn.

I'd get comfortable on country roads that were straight, where I could observe both lanes for a mile or so ahead, as I had a long time to observe an on-coming vehicle.  Change that to bounding country roads, mostly blind curves, and upon coming around a turn and seeing an approaching vehicle, in its 'proper lane', still caused my head to scream WTF, and I would be tempted to slam on the brakes.

Driving in cars with right hand controls, is not much easier, and I still was inclined to turn away from stops, like filling stations, or cafes, into the wrong lane.

The biggest problem for me is as a pedestrian, I frequently look the wrong way first, when crossing streets and not in zebra crossing.  I once came within 18 inches of being hit by a car doing 10 mph.  I crossed a street in Douglas on the IoM, and looked left as I stepped off the curb, mid block. The car never stopped. 

Ciao,
Dick Casey
Lifelong a Yank...and a creature of habits.  Mostly bad.

[canuguzzi]

In the part of the Bay Area I'm in, sled drivers in the #1&2 lanes move left and right respectively to make room for bikes that lane split. Even so I hesitate unless the weather is really warm.

Lane splitting can be dangerous but then so is drinking too much koolaid.

[Arizona Wayne]

When lane splitting, besides what Pat Hayes says, keep your eyes on the front tire of the cars you are approaching.  Before a car turns into your lane it's front wheel will turn 1st. 

[dibble]

Start with the presumption all car drivers are idiots.

Then try and think like an idiot, for example.

For example a long straight road that is usually congested with no turn offs is relatively safe.

Unusual congestion might cause drivers to pull a U-turn to try another route.

Junctions can tempt Drivers to suddenly pull out to do a left (UK right) sometimes a long way from the junction.



If one lane is moving a fraction faster than the other is a driver going to suddenly switch, has he left an unusually large gap in front of himself so he can accelerate across the gap, has he moved over to the other side of his lane to get a better view in his mirrors.

Can you see drivers checking their mirrors, watch for wheels turning.

Be hyper aware of low level Road Rage, they will be more concerned with stopping the enemy getting 8 foot ahead to notice you.

Following another bike alerts drivers bikes might be around but ride your own race don't watch them.

Going up the outside is ok, the faster you go move further out into the oncoming lane, it gives you more reaction time.

Going up the inside of trucks is sometimes fatal (for many cyclists each year)

[Arizona Wayne]

Going up the outside is ok, the faster you go move further out into the oncoming lane, it gives you more reaction time.


NOT in CALIFORNIA !!   

[jabberwocky]

I don't think lane splitting is a good idea, legal or not. In doing so, you're making some big assumptions about other drivers' awareness that you're doing so, and then there's just precious little room for evasive action. Whether it's legal or not, it will enrage other drivers, and I like to keep my relations with other drivers positive, since on a MC you will lose every battle. It is of no value to be dead-right.

[dibble]

I don't think lane splitting is a good idea, legal or not. In doing so, you're making some big assumptions about other drivers' awareness that you're doing so, and then there's just precious little room for evasive action. Whether it's legal or not, it will enrage other drivers, and I like to keep my relations with other drivers positive, since on a MC you will lose every battle. It is of no value to be dead-right.

I think this depends where in the world you are, if it's legal and it enrages other road users so what you will be long gone before they can do anything about it.

In reality you should be occupying different space and time to other traffic and pass through like a wraith.

[Arizona Wayne]

I don't think lane splitting is a good idea, legal or not. In doing so, you're making some big assumptions about other drivers' awareness that you're doing so, and then there's just precious little room for evasive action. Whether it's legal or not, it will enrage other drivers, and I like to keep my relations with other drivers positive, since on a MC you will lose every battle. It is of no value to be dead-right.

In theory you are correct.  You have never had the need to do it, apparently, so when you are in the middle of miles of stuck traffic with no idea of if & when you and others will be willing to move again(they have no option), just sit there with  your motor running and let it burn up.  Or sit there like them w/motor off and ignore your option.  I have safely split lanes for decades in different states besides Calif. and yes, pissed some other drivers off(because they couldn't do what I could and were jealous).  If a cop wants to give me a ticket doing it he's going to have to catch me.  I'll take my chances.   

[Rough Edge racing]

 The traffic around here isn't bumper to bumper other than the usual slowing down at rush hour. So I have no experience with actual lane splitting other than riding on the shoulder or  leaving the highway and riding across fields to a side road.. But...many modern bikes are too porky  and large to ride  through a field...

[jabberwocky]

I don't live in an area where gridlock is commonplace, but I certainly have been stuck in traffic, and been concerned for the well-being of my air-cooled engine. I have gone ahead on the shoulder in that case, as that way I still have an escape route. As far as my reluctance to piss off other drivers, I generally try to ride in such a way that gives riders a good name in the long run. Go ahead and split lanes. Just don't complain when someone changes lanes in front of you, because they werent expecting someone to come by at a speed above the flow of traffic in a lane that isn't.

[canuck750]

I have ridden in Los Angles traffic a couple times this past year and observing bikes lane splitting while I am stuck in the mass of traffic on my own two wheels has startled the heck out of me each time, once after dark on the 210 and in daylight on the 5, in both cases riders blew by the 20 ~ 30 mph traffic like we were standing still, Japanese crotch rockets each time.

I am comfortable riding at most any speed regardless of the congestion or road conditions day or night but from my perspective lane splitting looks to be a recipe for disaster. Moving at 60 ~ 75mph between very slow moving cars and trucks with frustrated drivers behind the wheel and inches to spare is serious business. I fully understand that as a rider ones concentrations is on the road conditions, speed, traffic etc, and a skilled rider should be able to react in most cases to a vehicle moving out a lane but still, it only takes a second.

One had better be a damned good rider to pull it off, all the time, my reaction time is not what it was 30 years ago.

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

Daytime use of headlight modulator seems to open up the lanes in my experience. 

[Arizona Wayne]

I have ridden in Los Angles traffic a couple times this past year and observing bikes lane splitting while I am stuck in the mass of traffic on my own two wheels has startled the heck out of me each time, once after dark on the 210 and in daylight on the 5, in both cases riders blew by the 20 ~ 30 mph traffic like we were standing still, Japanese crotch rockets each time.

I am comfortable riding at most any speed regardless of the congestion or road conditions day or night but from my perspective lane splitting looks to be a recipe for disaster. Moving at 60 ~ 75mph between very slow moving cars and trucks with frustrated drivers behind the wheel and inches to spare is serious business. I fully understand that as a rider ones concentrations is on the road conditions, speed, traffic etc, and a skilled rider should be able to react in most cases to a vehicle moving out a lane but still, it only takes a second.

One had better be a damned good rider to pull it off, all the time, my reaction time is not what it was 30 years ago.

Splitting lanes over at say 35 mph car speed is illegal and dangerous.  Anyone doing it then is pissing everyone off.  I too have been freaked out by crotch rockets passing me at much higher speeds whether on a bike or in a car.  They are the A  hole riders.

[unclepete]

I lane split when absolutely necessary to keep motor and myself from overheating ; mostly when traffic is stopped or nearly stopped . It's not difficult to avoid lane changers , and blockers are rare . Most people recognize that if you're lane sharing you are not occupying a lane ; aiding traffic flow . I believe in California the law is to not exceed traffic flow by no more than 15mph ; so if traffic is stopped I'm doing less than 15 , often much less . Most people just want to reach their destination without the inconvenience of being involved in an accident ; keep reading about the door-opening-scenario but have yet to meet someone who knew a victim of such an incident .

[dibble]

; keep reading about the door-opening-scenario but have yet to meet someone who knew a victim of such an incident .

I've been taken out by someone opening a door. she was getting out of the passenger side of a Jeep to ask a London Cab driver the way from Harrods(expensive London Store) to Selfridges (expensive London store).

Edge of the door hit the front brake lever breaking the tip of my little finger(incredibly painful for 6 months), I went over the front handlebar muffs initially trapped my wrist tearing ligaments then hit the ground breaking my schaphoid, mashed up the front of my shins as well.

Can't remember much then apart from rolling around on the ground being looked after by a little old(80yr) lady just thinking "please go away so I can swear".

My Solicitor went after her for about �6000 GBP she managed to show she had no assets whatsoever so my "no win no fee" solicitor dropped it, I was too skint to bankrupt her for fun.

[unclepete]

I've been taken out by someone opening a door. she was getting out of the passenger side of a Jeep to ask a London Cab driver the way from Harrods(expensive London Store) to Selfridges (expensive London store).

Edge of the door hit the front brake lever breaking the tip of my little finger(incredibly painful for 6 months), I went over the front handlebar muffs initially trapped my wrist tearing ligaments then hit the ground breaking my schaphoid, mashed up the front of my shins as well.

Can't remember much then apart from rolling around on the ground being looked after by a little old(80yr) lady just thinking "please go away so I can swear".

My Solicitor went after her for about �6000 GBP she managed to show she had no assets whatsoever so my "no win no fee" solicitor dropped it, I was too skint to bankrupt her for fun.

Unfortunately this type of accident is much too common , and is most dangerous to bicyclists also because we tend travel at the edge of the traffic lane close to parked cars ; I should have made it clear that my comment was intended to be in the context of lane splitting , or was that what happened to you ?

[dibble]

There were 3 lanes of traffic, I think the inside may have been a Bus lane(it is now ,this was many years ago).

I was filtering between two lanes of cars and the passenger in the outside lane opened her door.

Hope this makes sense, it was in London so I'm trying to describe it for left hand drivers to follow.

Considering I must have ridden 100,000 miles through London flat out and in all weathers filtering can't be that dangerous.

[pehayes]

Remember these lyrics while you are splitting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sry7q-V0_Kk

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[lucydad]

All,

Thank you for kindly sharing your experiences, wisdom and thoughts.  I have found some interesting youtube videos on lane splitting.
This particular young man, in my observation, was taking extraordinary risks as many of the surrounding vehicles were fairly large to ultra-large trucks. These trucks are built high, and have huge blind spots.  And traffic was chaotic stop and go.  I do believe the European riders and drivers may have superior skill, at least as far as lane splitting--due to drivers in cages and trucks are not surprised.  Interesting as far as the meta-cognition, pattern-recognition aspects of safely riding a motorcycle in heavy traffic, at least to me.

I have found myself on occasion  fairly aggressively  dodging thru free-way traffic.  But, only when I see a reasonable pathway.  The throttle can be your friend, but be sharp and focused and hope the cagers are not into chaos or anger mode. 

By the way, did I tell you today was gorgeous, and the Trumpet and I had a fabulous romp into and out of Houston for church, and then more. Damn that bike is fun.  The Triple is a hoot.  Wow is it fast.

[jdgretz]

I started riding in California in about 1964.  Back then there really wasn't much need to lane split as there was not that much traffic and most of the bikes were pretty small (250s were mid-sized bikes and 750s were big bikes).  Fast forward to recently.  Many more cars, much worse traffic and lane splitting as a permissible activity.

First - Lane Splitting per se is not addressed in the California Vehicle Code.  It is not explicitly legal, and it is not illegal - it is permitted since it is not banned.  There is some mention of lane sharing which requires you to be fully in one lane, not split between two lanes.

Second - there is no speed limit on lane splitting.  The only requirement is to do so safely - but then that is always required and is what you will get written up for - Unsafe Driving and/or excessive lane changes.  You will not get written up for speeding unless you are way over the posted speed limit.  You may get tagged for driving in faster than safe for the current road conditions, but that is not speeding as understood by most people.

Most folks who are not blasting between lanes or splitting at 70 MPH agree that someplace between 15 and 20 MPH faster than the rest of the traffic is OK, and many say someplace between 30 and 50 is the top speed for splitting.  The proposed regulation that is currently tabled says not to split faster than 15MPH faster than the prevailing traffic and in any case, not to exceed 50 MPH when splitting.

All that having been said, not everyone who rides in California splits lanes.  It's an acquired skill and not everyone is comfortable doing so.  My personal comfort zone is generally to split when the traffic is moving slower than 20 MPH.  I will probably split up to 30 and maybe 40 but seldom over that and almost never over 50.  When traffic is moving that fast, I can usually find open spots between cars without needing to split.  Additionally is also depends on which road, what direction and what time of day.  For example, I will not split lanes on the 101 headed West in the late afternoon when the sun is in my and the cage driver's eyes.  If I can't see well, I certainly don't expect the BDCs (brain dead cager) to be able to see me.  Also, the 101 has pretty narrow lanes in places, so I don't push my luck there either.  Areas of the 405 however have wide lanes and and area between the carpool and number 1 lane that is almost three feet wide (forget that splitting there is illegal since you are on double yellow lines or in a median).  That is a pretty safe area in which to split.

Always keep your eyes open and don't count on the cagers to follow the law (I can't count the number of times I've watched cars pass over the double yellow to get into or out of the HOV lane).

I've also had the police wave me to follow them as they split traffic at much higher speeds than I am comfortable with.

Ride safely and lane splitting in California (only place I do it on a regular basis) works well.  Car drivers, especially commuters, not sightseers or overwrought moms, will give you room or at least will not impede your passage.

jdg 

[Arizona Wayne]

That is all true in high volume parts of Calif., but when you get in smaller towns, many of the locals don't even know lane splitting is legal in the state!   When you do it they honk/yell @ you like you're breaking the law.    I used to live in Yuba City/Marysville and this is the way it is there.  So even when you are legal you can still get harassed some times by the public.   

[krglorioso]

I had planned to write an eminently learned response about how to lane split, but Patrick Hayes has done it better than I could have.

Lane splitting is legal in California and I grit my teeth and do it when traffic is stopped or very nearly so, but otherwise I fall into line and behave myself.  I transport hospital patients 6 months of every year as my job and I am always stricken to see how the Harley and sport bike riders love to go blasting through the ranks of cagers, even when traffic is going over 60 mph.  I frequently have the San Francisco news station on to alert me to traffic tie-ups and I regularly am bombarded with reports of "motorcycle down".

It seems to me that the proportion of motorcycle accidents here is well above that of automobiles and trucks, considering the relative numbers of each vehicle type on the road.  I believe this is due largely to unsafe practices when lane splitting.

Ralph.