Maybe someone from California can add more.......

[Tom]

Lane splitting to be fully legal in CA was in the grey area before for LEO's.  Maybe someone from CAL can add more clarification.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ab-51-passes-california-state-senate?cmpid=enews080916&spMailingID=26213987&spUserID=NjMxMTY5

[Mark West]

This amended bill is a bit disturbing to me. The original bill made it legal and set the guidelines for what constituted legal lanesplitting. The guidelines were reasonable (IMHO) and very close to my personal guidelines....which I admit to not always following.

The amended bill appears to take out the guidelines entirely and just says that the guidelines are to be developed by the CHP. In other words, if the CHP says you can't lane split over 5MPH, or you can't do it between 5 and 7PM or whatever they decide, that is that.

So really there is no way to know if this is a good thing or bad thing cause it leaves all the details to be worked out later. I would have much preferred the original version.

[pehayes]

It is an odd issue of law.  Essentially anything is legal until the law prohibits it.  In California, lane-splitting or lane-filtering was never expressly prohibited by law.  Many other states expressly prohibit the practice by statute.  The grey area for law enforcement comes into play because many other statutes can come into play. 

It is expressly legal for two vehicles to share a single lane as long as they fit within the lane confines.  Thus, you can legally ride alongside and slightly faster than another vehicle and it does not constitute 'passing'.  This is the primary technicality that allows for lane filtering.  Many say that this provision was allowed in the early days of cars and motorcycles because air cooled motors can not sit and idle in traffic the way that water cooled motors can.

It is expressly illegal to change from one lane to another without advance signaling.  Technically, you have to be totally in one lane or totally in the other.  As you lane filter, you are constantly and gradually weaving just a few inches either way across the pavement seam.  Not practical to signal in advance for every one of those weaves.

It is expressly illegal to drive recklessly with that definition open to broad interpretation by officers.  Doesn't matter what all the laws say.  If the officer perceives it as dangerous and reckless, you're done.

Last year, in an effort to standardize the practice and to standardize enforcement, the CHP tried to publish 'reasonable' conditions for safe and practical lane filtering.  No greater than 15mph delta between vehicles.  No filtering once traffic reaches 30mph.  The onus for safety always falls onto the filtering vehicle.  Etc.  Some legislators objected that it was promoting unsafe travel and forced removal of the guidelines.  Other legislators introduced this legislation to make it expressly legal and therefor available for CHP guidance.

In the San Francisco Bay and the greater Los Angeles Basin traffic can be at a near standstill at any time of day.  Motorcycling and lane filtering offer a safe and legitimate means of travel.  Every motorcycle on the road means one less car in the traffic lane.  Everybody gets to work faster.  The motorcyclist gets to work a lot faster and the car driver gets to work a little faster.  I am 55 miles from downtown San Francisco.  It is nearly impossible (other than at 2am) for me to travel that route without some incident requiring lane filtering.  During regular business hour commutes, one can expect to filter essentially the entire distance.

I hate seeing crotch rockets filtering when traffic is at 70mph or above.  Pisses off everybody.  Once you learn how to do it safely  it becomes a very natural way to travel.  I'm now seeing lots of cars move over in their lane in order to better accommodate the filterer.  I always slow with a little wave when that happens.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Tom]

You're right about the crotch rocket guys.  Got passed by a number of them going fast.  Lane splitting is safe when properly.  Last time I was in the LA area was for the Malibu National.  Going south to Diego was after the open house by the dealer in Thousand Oaks.  I ended up in rush hour traffic on the 5 to 405 all the way to Laguna Nigel.  Long ride to split lanes.  No car driver seem to mind that I was splitting the lane and passing them.    They do move over to make room for you.  V11 LM Nero Corsa with camping gear and ID plates. 

[ken farr]

The C.H.P. sent out some recommendations through  motorcycle education-awarness programs, and it was well received.
I remember when it came out, I was commuting into Calabasas, Ca. daily on U.S.101 and split traffic frequently, and I remember people actually moving over for me. It was impressive, a simple awareness campaign had positive results.

Well, someone, yes that's right some one , wrote and complained to the governors office the he/she didn't think the C.H.P. should just arbitrarily endorse such behavior.  Yep, you guessed, word came down to stop all outreach programs and to have no official stance on lane splitting.

What we have now is the political version, put down in writing to make things better.  They will frack it up, they will.

The people I still know on the C.H.P. still don't care if you split traffic or not. They don't care how fast you do it.  They are not going to chase you in traffic like that.

" Ventura, Coastal 71, roll 11-41 for civilian motor down"


kjf

[Tom]

Haven't "played" in traffic there for awhile but I would acknowledge the driver that moved over.  Hawaiian "shaka".  I was glad for the option.  Hope with the option being codified, the LEO's can't arbitrarily use that against a motorcycle rider.

[Arizona Wayne]

Moved out of Kalif. 7 years ago., but still pass thru it for various reasons on occasions.  I remember 1 time in the north LA area a CHiPs biker lane splitting @ 80 mph w/o any lights or siren on once.    Hope bikers in Kal. don't lose what they had in filtering because of ahole bikers who push the limit + some bureaucrats who get jealous of others being able to do something they can't.   Wish other states would allow filtering too but so far it hasn't happened even tho the last few years it's been tried in some other states.

Don't care what state I'm in on the west coast.  If I find a need to do it to save my bike from over heating, I do it, legal there or not.  So far I haven't been ticketed for doing it. 

[pehayes]

+ some bureaucrats who get jealous of others being able to do something they can't.

This statement hints a lot at why lane filtering is an issue.  The rest of the world has a long history of class struggle.  Yes, some people just have different rules and have an easier life.  Get over it.  So, those who 'take advantage' by lane filtering are perceived as part of the normal balance.

Move to America.  We have an aversion to 'advantage'.  We detest those who take advantage.  Everybody lives by the same principles and rules regardless of class status.  No cutting in line at the movies.  If I have to be stuck in traffic, then YOU have to be stuck in traffic.  No fair up front.  It hits an egalitarian nerve.

The logic escapes me.  If I lane filter, it serves everyone.  One less car on the road.  One less car in front of YOU.  I get a good advantage.  You get a small advantage.  We ALL win, just to varying degrees.  Why force us all to lose????

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA
Glad to have the freedom to lane filter safely.

[ITSec]

The logic escapes me.  If I lane filter, it serves everyone.  One less car on the road.  One less car in front of YOU.  I get a good advantage.  You get a small advantage.  We ALL win, just to varying degrees.  Why force us all to lose????

Unfortunately, seeing it that way takes either A) personal experience on the filtering bike or B) a degree of abstract thought that most people (and certainly most cage drivers) have never applied to the issue. An even more extreme example is coming to light as officials in some jurisdictions are now trying to teach people to abandon traditional merging behaviors and instead rush to the end of the lane that is ending and push their way in there. See https://www.cars.com/articles/2014/05/the-zipper-merge-convincing-motorists-isnt-a-snap/

[oldbike54]

 Move closer to work and take mass transit 

 Dusty

[Adan]

If I couldn't filter between Marin and SF, I'd have to rearrange my whole life.  Fortunately, that's not about to happen.  It's practical and it's fun, giving the commute a bit of a James Bond feeling (but without villains shooting at me).

The legal maneuvers are curious, but probably inconsequential.

[normzone]

"  Move closer to work and take mass transit  "

As soon as they spend some of my tax dollars on that I'll be sure to go there...Europe has it, some cities do, but not San Diego.

[oldbike54]

"  Move closer to work and take mass transit  "

As soon as they spend some of my tax dollars on that I'll be sure to go there...Europe has it, some cities do, but not San Diego.

 Wait , San Deeeeaaaago doesn't have any mass transit ???

 Dusty