Splitting lanes

[DonTom]

Way too much government control

Not always. For an example, CA is the only state in the USA that has legal lane splitting:

"Where is lane splitting legal in the US?​

California is the only state that legally allows lane splitting. This means that a motorcyclist can ride between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction at high speeds or at low speeds."

I wish they also had it in NV.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[RV Driver]

Big deal...

 

[DonTom]

Big deal...

Yes, it often is. One of the main reasons I prefer to take a motorcycle between here and my Reno house. If the traffic is stopped for construction or whatever on I-80 here in CA, which is very common, it can take a car two hours longer than on a motorcycle because of the legal lane splitting which cars cannot do.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Onyrlef]

Yes, it often is. One of the main reasons I prefer to take a motorcycle between here and my Reno house. If the traffic is stopped for construction or whatever on I-80 here in CA, which is very common, it can take a car two hours longer than on a motorcycle because of the legal lane splitting which cars cannot do.

-Don- Auburn, CA

How long would the stay in intensive care be after someone opened a car door?

 

[DonTom]

How long would the stay in intensive care be after someone opened a car door?

Probably not as long as the car driver will be in prison on an attempted murder charge.

"it is illegal for any other vehicle to try to block or impede riders from lane splitting, either by blocking the lane with the car or door. "

BTW, see here for the facts on the safety of lane splitting and why more states are considering making it legal. CA is the leader in many such things, takes the other states some time to catch up.

"There are three benefits to lane splitting:

1. It’s safer. It’s been proven that lane-splitting motorcyclists were injured much less frequently than non-lane splitting riders, and are rear ended less often.
2. It reduces traffic. Motorcycle riders who don’t lane split take up the same amount of space on the road as a car. By having motorcyclists lane split, they are reducing traffic.
3. Reduces motorcycle overheating. Motorcycles with air-cooled engines rely on fuel, oil, and airflow to cool the engine, so idling in traffic could cause overheating."

​

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Onyrlef]

Probably not as long as the car driver will be in prison on an attempted murder charge.

"it is illegal for any other vehicle to try to block or impede riders from lane splitting, either by blocking the lane with the car or door. "

BTW, see here for the facts on the safety of lane splitting and why more states are considering making it legal. CA is the leader in many such things, takes the other states some time to catch up.

"There are three benefits to lane splitting:

1. It’s safer. It’s been proven that lane-splitting motorcyclists were injured much less frequently than non-lane splitting riders, and are rear ended less often.
2. It reduces traffic. Motorcycle riders who don’t lane split take up the same amount of space on the road as a car. By having motorcyclists lane split, they are reducing traffic.
3. Reduces motorcycle overheating. Motorcycles with air-cooled engines rely on fuel, oil, and airflow to cool the engine, so idling in traffic could cause overheating."

​

-Don- Auburn, CA

" But I was in the right" should be on the grave marker of many a idiot.

 

[DonTom]

" But I was in the right" should be on the grave marker of many a idiot.

Yeah, I remember the old TV advertisements (late 1950s and early 1960's) that showed a wrecked-up car and below it said:

"This driver was right- - - - Dead Right!"

When on a motorcycle I have to assume no car drivers can see me, which is often true.

FWIW, I ride motorcycles much like a little old lady. I only lane split when the traffic is stopped or very close to it. IOW, "lane filtering" would be fine with me, but even that is illegal in most states.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Lou Schneider]

Yeah, I remember the old TV advertisements (late 1950s and early 1960's) that showed a wrecked-up car and below it said:

"This driver was right- - - - Dead Right!"

When on a motorcycle I have to assume no car drivers can see me, which is often true.

FWIW, I ride motorcycles much like a little old lady. I only lane split when the traffic is stopped or very close to it. IOW, "lane filtering" would be fine with me, but even that is illegal in most states.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I gave up riding motorcycles 50 years ago when I moved to L.A. I was heading northbound on the Hollywood Freeway when the freeway went over a blind crest and traffic came to a dead stop. I did a quick lane split past the car in front of me, then heard a bang as the car that was behind me rear-ended the car I was following. I can take a hint.

 

[Tom]

"There are three benefits to lane splitting:

Like Lou, I quit riding a motorcyle a long time ago (almost 60 years). When, some years later, I moved to CA, I decided I'd never ride a motorcycle here. Apart from traffic (compared with the UK), the grease/oil that builds up on the road over a long, dry summer would make it a potential ice rink. (In our part of the UK, I used to joke that "it rains 360 days a year").

When I came to learn about lane splitting, I thought it was the dumbest thing, and a death trap for motorcyclists. It also scares the heck out of me when lane splitting occurs on both sides of me at the same time.

None of the above stops me looking at/admiring motorcycles parked somewhere.

 

[Joezeppy]

And how many lane splitters have taken off car mirrors because they felt a car was impeding their "rights" and just kept on riding? Lane splittimg is a stupid, dangerous idea if you ask me, legal or not.

 

[Tom]

And how many lane splitters have taken off car mirrors because they felt a car was impeding their "rights" and just kept on riding? Lane splittimg is a stupid, dangerous idea if you ask me, legal or not.

We're supposed to fold mirrors in when approached from behind by a motorcycle

 

[DonTom]

I gave up riding motorcycles 50 years ago when I moved to L.A. I was heading northbound on the Hollywood Freeway when the freeway went over a blind crest and traffic came to a dead stop. I did a quick lane split past the car in front of me, then heard a bang as the car that was behind me rear-ended the car I was following. I can take a hint.

I can also take a hint but for the opposite.

If I were in a car back in the 1970's at the same spot at the same time on Hwy 152 east of Gilroy, I would not be here today. Hwy 152 used to be a single lane in each direction and was curvy with a lot of trucks. I went around a curve and coming towards me was a truck passing another truck. I thought I was already dead, but I managed to go between them with no more than a couple of inches of clearance on each side of me.

Since then, Hwy 152 went from one of the most dangerous roads in CA to one of the safest. It is now a divided highway.

Motorcycles have their safety advantages also, such as NO blind spots.

Nevertheless, I realize motorcycles can be very dangerous but so can just about anything that moves.

I have also been in car accidents where I would have been seriously hurt if I were on a motorcycle. IOW, it can work both ways. But we don't often hear about the cases where being on a motorcycle saved the riders life compared to being in a car. We normally only hear of these as "close calls". But there is often more to it, like in my "close call" on Hwy 152.

When I worked in SF, a cop told me about a motorcycle on Mission Street that hit a car head-on. The motorcycle rider had only minor injuries, if even that, but the car driver was killed on the spot. What happened in this case was the motorcycle rider crashed through the windshield of the car and his helmet hit the driver in the head who was killed by that. The rider was protected by the helmet which killed the driver. Was also protected from the auto glass by wearing leathers, gloves etc.

So just about anything can happen when it's your time.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Jaywalking is now legal in California too.

The "Freedom to Walk Act," which went into effect in 2023, decriminalized jaywalking under these conditions.

 

[DonTom]

We're supposed to fold mirrors in when approached from behind by a motorcycle

The big problem on I-80 is when trucks are next to trucks and the traffic is stopped. Then a motorcycle cannot go anywhere until one of the lanes move again, hopefully not each at the same slow speed.

Cars rarely get in my way and many even move over to give more clearance to motorcycles. In CA, I think most car drivers know about the legal lane-spitting here. and respect it.

Perhaps many of them also own a motorcycle.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

? Lane splittimg is a stupid, dangerous idea if you ask me, legal or not.

Yeah, seems like it until we check the facts. There is more evidence that lane splitting reduces accidents, and now other states are considering making it legal.

FWIW, I agree with the "lane filtering" more than the CA true ''lane splitting". But I have yet to see anybody lane split at an unreasonable fast speed, so IMO, there is no need to try to save people from themselves.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[DonTom]

Lane splittimg is a stupid, dangerous idea if you ask me, legal or not.

No law in CA or elsewhere says you must do it.

If you believe it is dangerous, don't do it. Problem then solved.

But I can decide for myself after riding motorcycles for 60 years and most of it here in CA. I have no need for the state to decide for me.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Larry N.]

We're supposed to fold mirrors in when approached from behind by a motorcycle

Hmmm... I think there's a resource problem there...

 

[DonTom]

I gave up riding motorcycles 50 years ago when I moved to L.A.

I will no longer drive anything in LA!

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Tom]

Cars rarely get in my way and many even move over to give more clearance to motorcycles. In CA, I think most car drivers know about the legal lane-spitting here. and respect it.

An issue that scares me is if I see or hear the ROAR of a bike wanting to pass on one side (lane splitting), my instinct is to move over, but I'm afraid I might not see the bike coming up on my other side. My mind hasn't changed on this in the 45 years I've lived in CA; This is definitely something that should not be allowed.

Meanwhile, I recall from my youth in the UK ... a group of us were on our regular quiet Sunday morning ride. Although it wasn't legal, one of the guys decided to split the lanes between a car and a bus. He then pulled off the road, pulled off one of his gloves and, in addition to the blood pouring out, part of his finger fell on the ground. So we had a quiet Sunday morning in the ER (or A&E as it's currently called in the UK).

 

[DonTom]

An issue that scares me is if I see or hear the ROAR

But you will not hear a roar from my electric motorcycles! But it shouldn't matter what you see, the bike should be able to move out of your way in time before you can move more than an inch or two.

I always assume nobody sees me. Especially when they are in the middle of sending their important text message about what somebody wore to a party or whatever.

But I ride electric because motorcycles should be seen and not heard! That is "should be" but too often are not.

-Don- Auburn, CA