[LadyBurg]

From Road and Track,
Motorcycle lane splitting will change your life, not end it.

Riding stupid can end your life, you don't need lane splitting for that. :roll:

 

[C5rider]

Anyone else find it interesting that these types of discussions come up whenever there's a "something or other in discussion in big, white-domed buildings somewhere"? I mean, social media, forums, websites... and they're arguing for both sides! Vying for people's minds... :roll:

 

[Wombatair]

His luck ran out, thats a Stupid rocket driver. White lining is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I noticed his buddy didn't stop, good friends hard to come by.

 

[Dan711]

I wish lane splitting was legal here in Texas. It's likely because of guys like this it isn't.

 

[GiveItToMikey]

Lane splitting is perfectly safe -- as save as the rider who's lane splitting. I was born/raised in Los Angeles ( before I wised up and moved ;-) ) and there's not much worse than sitting in freeway traffic when it's hot. Lane splitting not only got me where I was going in a reasonable amount of time but kept me and the bike(s) cooler in the process. ( Motorcycle engines were not water-cooled back then. )

And back then I was mostly clueless as to safety. Probably lucky to be typing this now. Somehow I made it through those tumultuous years of lane splitting. Now I'd never live in a big city much less lane split.

But it IS save and efficient. As stated above, "Save as the rider who's lane splitting."

And quit pickin' on sport bikes. It ain't the bike it's the rider. ;-)

 

[BullockD]

If you run into the rear of someone you are guilty even if ....

 

[Wombatair]

I wish lane splitting was legal here in Texas. It's likely because of guys like this it isn't.

They are bad in my area. I give them the finger when they blow by me. They don't get the bikers wave from me.

 

[Dan711]

If you run into the rear of someone you are guilty even if ....

.....you have the right of way?

Lane splitting is legal in CA., so if a guy suddenly pulls out in front of you, causing you to run into him, the biker is guilty?

 

[wulfenstien]

They are bad in my area. I give them the finger when they blow by me. They don't get the bikers wave from me.

No joke Wombat. Some of those rockets go screaming down the median or between cars. My favorite is when they're doing wheelies down the highway, speeding. Do you remember bike nights in Garland on Thursdays? Hundreds of bikes, mostly rockets, take over a Sonic and then take over Interstate 635.

Though, I have seen some plenty of other bike types go flying down the median or shoulder to skip traffic.

 

[skullcap]

.....you have the right of way?

Lane splitting is legal in CA., so if a guy suddenly pulls out in front of you, causing you to run into him, the biker is guilty?

It is kind of an unwritten rule in CA that you are responsible for the front of your vehicle and the back of the one in front of you.

If a car pulls out in front of you and you hit squarely on the back bumper, I would expect the biker to be found at fault.

If a car pulls out and your front tire clears the back bumper, then it may be ruled the car's fault.

On my way home last night, I was splitting in and out as the traffic slowed and sped up again. I'll usually file in line around 30 and start to split at around 25 and lower, if it seems the cars are going to keep slow. When I got to my exit, I signaled my lane change and noticed a quickly approaching biker splitting about 30 over everyone's average speed of around 30 (they were going about 60). They flew by as I got into lane 2. I am a bit concerned about those folks hitting me, so splitting has become more challenging due to more mirror time required. I'll usually file in and let the squids pass, if they don't cut over a lane or two and pass that way.

As we've said, there is a safe way to ride a bike and a way to make it unsafe no matter what the laws say can be done.

 

[TenDollarBill]

If you run into the rear of someone you are guilty even if ....

Rear end collisions are always the fault of the person running into the back of someone else.

 

[skullcap]

Rear end collisions are always the fault of the person running into the back of someone else.

Usually, unless you're a cop, then it becomes an unsafe lane change. I saw it on the news in real-time video, when a PU with its signal ON tucked in between the car in front and an on-duty officer in back = unsafe lane change. I felt the poor guy was just trying to make his exit by moving over through heavy traffic, and the officer was not opening up the gap to let 'em in.

Of course, if the officer was the one trying to merge, then it would have been aggressive driving on the trailing vehicle for not opening up the space and blocking.

It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[NorTex]

I don't ride on freeways in heavy traffic, but on a major freeway here in rush hour traffic it can be stop and go for an hour or more. For me the temptation, legal or not, to pass on the lane stripe would be a temptation to hard to resist. And how is a patrol car going to follow you?

 

[skullcap]

I don't ride on freeways in heavy traffic, but on a major freeway here in rush hour traffic it can be stop and go for an hour or more. For me the temptation, legal or not, to pass on the lane stripe would be a temptation to hard to resist. And how is a patrol car going to follow you?

The video I posted above shows the patrol car using the shoulder, and his lights and siren could persuade others to move...

I have to ride in "rush hour" traffic to get anywhere. It takes half an hour to get to the grocery store two miles away. The population is seriously exploding here...

 

[wulfenstien]

I don't ride on freeways in heavy traffic, but on a major freeway here in rush hour traffic it can be stop and go for an hour or more. For me the temptation, legal or not, to pass on the lane stripe would be a temptation to hard to resist. And how is a patrol car going to follow you?

He himself may not be able to, but try to outrun a radio signal. If he/she catches a good glimpse of you (bike, tags, attire) someone else will be waiting for you further up the road.

 

[skullcap]

Splitting lanes like a BOSS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4KqJYDwxsk

 

[gregtheginn]

Splitting lanes like a BOSS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4KqJYDwxsk

If lane splitting was a race,this guy is going to win. So I give the guy points for guts, and skill and for shaving an hour off his commute. But, statistically speaking, it looks like he's shaving a few decades off his life.