Research Project: Lane splitting

[NFG]

I'll PM as well, but it may interest others to know that in Japan there are special bike zones ahead of the stop-line for cars at many/most intersections.  Cars stop, bikes weave to the front, and take off ahead of the 4-wheeled vehicles.  Great system.

[EvilSteve]

They do that in South Korea too I think.

I'm in favor of "lane sharing" (another PC term...) but don't do it in NY because it's illegal and pisses people off. If I have a good reason like I have heat stroke or the bike will overheat if I keep idling in traffic, I'll split, very slowly through very slow traffic. "I don't want to sit in traffic" doesn't count as a good reason IMO.

[Privateer]

I might be wrong on this, as I often am, but I thought the case in CA was that there just isn't a law stating that lane splitting was illegal which one would think made it legal. My understanding is that they can still stop you, if they wanna give you a hard time, and write you a ticket for something like reckless driving? I'm actually curious about this and there might already be a thread about it. Does anyone know the real answer? I often split if traffic is really bad but I'm completely afraid to do it in front of a cop.

Officially "lane sharing" is legal; it's legal as long as it's done safely.  Safely being in the opinion of the ticketing officer.  You can get ticketed for any number of offenses.  I have a friend who was cited for unsafe speed, and I have another acquaintance who received a ticket for passing on the right.

Technically two cars can lane share, but not safely. Maybe at a right turn and the right lane is two cars wide, I think that'd be called lane sharing actually since there's no marked lane.  Note: I am not an LEO.

[slowkitty]

Hiya,

I am from a lane splitting country.  It is not legalised, nor outlawed, so, like the path we use on the roads, the issue is grey in my country.

Lane splitting involves a lot of concentration, and one has to evaluate the drivers in the vehicles as well.  It's almost like a study in vehicle body-language - the driver, is he an old man who is unlikely to know you are there? is he a young man who is in a hurry? 

It gets more hairy when you have another bike that is lane splitting overtaking you or you have to work your way around a slower lane-splitting bike.  I usually travel about 50 to 100 km/h lane-splitting, and a lot depends on the mood when I get on my bike.

Fire away with the questions, and I'll try to give you the information that you need.

Cheers 

[Loyalizer]

Personally I try to adept to the local environment...i love doing it, but I wont do it in a renegade way

"I'm going to let you go because you were not being an asshole with me! Have a good day"

He returns keys and documents.  To this day I split lanes.

+1

Works for me...

[Edward_Wolf]

In Belgium its legal to split lanes when their is a traffic jam, but maximum speed between cars is 50km/u, when theirs a slow moving traffic you may also split lanes with a max of 20km/u more speed then the moving cars.

[ctrain]

Hiya,

It gets more hairy when you have another bike that is lane splitting overtaking you or you have to work your way around a slower lane-splitting bike.  I usually travel about 50 to 100 km/h lane-splitting, and a lot depends on the mood when I get on my bike.

Fire away with the questions, and I'll try to give you the information that you need.

Cheers 

You bike has "K" mode?! 

AFAIK in California you can not be travelling faster than 10mph over the flow of traffic.

[rideawn]

15 miles or so of sharing every day.  Below is from the CA Highway Patrol web site and is as much official written language that will be found:

"Can motorcycle riders "split" lanes and ride between other vehicles? Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner."

A comment from a local news agency:
"The CHP adds that if traffic is moving at more than 20 mph, motorcyclists are expected to follow normal traffic and not split lanes. "

I've been told up to 35 mph is considered "safe" by most LEOs, but its reserved as a gray factor so other basic speed laws can be applied.  I've also had the opportunity to follow moto officers while lane sharing at speeds much faster than 35 mph.  I could add more but I'll take the 5th.    [moto]

[Privateer]

You bike has "K" mode?! 

AFAIK in California you can not be travelling faster than 10mph over the flow of traffic.

Not exactly.  There's no set MPH over traffic at which you can lane share and be legal.  Used to be some mention of it from the DMV literature, not any more.

Like a lot of things, it's up to the officer's discretion if you're being safe or not.

[faolan01]

illegal here in MA, and with the crazy cagers around here I generally don't want to risk it.

[hbliam]

There is no law governing lane splitting in CA. There is none that makes it illegal or that stipulates MPH or any other aspect of splitting. It is entirely officer discretion. You could be cited for speeding, unsafe passing on the right, reckless driving, or a number of other violations if you choose to ride in an unsafe manner. It's just common sense. If traffic is moving at 30 and you are splitting at 60 that is unsafe. How could a slow moving car that has been waiting for a spot to slide over a lane be expected to see you as you try to pass him at twice his speed? If traffic is going 60 to 70 why are you splitting in the first place? Ride in a safe and prudent manner, at a reasonable speed, splitting safely and you will never get a ticket for it. 38 years old, splitting for 20 and never stopped a single time for splitting.