US Bike Laws

[He Man]

found this neat site that lets you look up specific statues for your specific state. i double checked all the ones ive been ticketed for and the numbers all line up, so on my end its atleast correct for the ones ive offended.

http://www.cmsnl.com/community/misc/law.php?

[bdub]

That's pretty cool. VA has no noise criteria.
Thanks for the link

[Moto Motivo]

Thanks, great info.

No turn signals or noise restrictions for NC

[Slide Panda]

Be sure to check the details on local regs. VA lists no signals as well - but there's a catch. If they are on the bike they must function and be a full set. All or nothing, but not inbetween

[HotIce]

CA has 80db noise restriction at 50ft?!?
At which RPM?  

An 110db noise at 2ft, seems to decay to ~80db at 50ft:

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-distance.htm

[Slide Panda]

At which RPM?  

All 

[ducatiz]

No lane splitting laws:

arkansas
delaware
california
Idaho
Kentucky
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Ohio
Texas
W. Virginia
Wisconsin

 

[Slide Panda]

So counselor - in the absence of a law to the contrary - can one lane split in the above?

[Cloner]

CA has 80db noise restriction at 50ft?!?
At which RPM?  

An 110db noise at 2ft, seems to decay to ~80db at 50ft:

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-distance.htm

6 db per doubling distance for as far as you want to walk!

110 at 2, 104 at 4, 98 at 8, 92 at 16, 86 at 32, 80 at 64 feet.

[ducatiz]

So counselor - in the absence of a law to the contrary - can one lane split in the above?

Yes, but that doesn't mean you won't be hassled.  Note that many of the states don't have a "lane splitting" law, they have a law that says "Someone splitting lanes shall be charged with reckless driving" etc.

But all the ones I listed are completely silent on the matter.

If you get a ticket for something in one of those locales, I'd be interested to see what they write and how they justify it.  Most likely, you'd get Reckless or something similar, but it will likely be fact dependent on whether it sticks.

If you're passing in the same lane at 80 mph, it will likely stick but if you are filtering to the front while the cars are at a dead stop, then I think you have a chance to argue that it was not reckless at all. 

[Slide Panda]

Interesting. Not that I'm planning to test the boundaries and head to WV to do some lane splitting infront of the local constabulary -  but it's interesting to learn these things.

The whole discussion a while back about the dude who got pulled over for speeding then it blew up into an (illegal from the LEO) side set of wire tapping charges was fascinating.

[Goat_Herder]

Very good info, HeMan.  There are some laws that I am not aware of for my state.  Good to read up on them. 

[zarn02]

Kansas allegedly has "random" periodic safety inspections.

I think in this context "random" means "pretty much never, unless things are falling off your bike as you ride past the police station, and an officer feels motivated enough to do something about it."

Because I've never heard of anyone having their vehicle inspected, randomly or not.

[timeforpoptarts]

No lane splitting laws:

arkansas
delaware
california
Idaho
Kentucky
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Ohio
Texas
W. Virginia
Wisconsin

 

Virginia, too?

[hbliam]

I checked CA. Not accurate.