[crazydave]

Traffic, and people that go crazy lane splitting. I personally don't do it although I have been tempted many times. Last night in heavy traffic one guy on a full dresser, not sure what brand, went flying through going about 40 when traffic was moving about 10.

Not exactly what I would consider safe. In my opinion you're just asking for someone who doesn't like bikers and may have a POS car wouldn't think twice about zagging or zigging to cause an accident.

From what I have been told by friends in law enforcement while lane splitting is legal in Ca. if someone were to cause an accident it's pretty much assumed the bike rider is to blame. Not worth it to me.

 

[alec]

I lane split once in awhile. Not while traffic is moving more then 20km/h though. Rush hour really sucks in Calgary, and I prefer not to slowly die on a 100 degree celsius bike and heat that's more then 20 degrees.

 

[Jams]

I think i would be tempted to lane split and might do it once in a while, but i would be so paranoid that someone woudl like fling open a door just to fk me up or cut infront of me being all irritated by the traffic trying to get around it. mostly, the only time i think i woudl lane split is if someone was comming up behind me fast at a stop,then if i get in trouble with the man, i can say, well he was coming fast and thought he was gonna rear end me man.

 

[JimmyD]

People are generally pretty tame, regardless of the road rage. They know that if they open their door or they swerve out into the way of a biker they're going to cause an accident and no one wants to deal with that.

I've had cagers give me death threats while I was splitting lanes or driving on the shoulder to get around backed up traffic. They yell and scream all they want but generally don't do anything about it. I'm the same, 75% mouth, 25% calculation. :smile:

 

[The Vulcaniser]

i don't lane split, except when traffic is stopped i might sneak around a couple of cars and stop in front of them..... although where i live, i don't have to deal with a lot of traffic. A traffic jam here is when you get a dozen cars waiting at the level crossing for a train to go through :lol: And no traffic lights to speak of.
When i ride around Newcastle (Australia's 6th largest city) 2 hours down the road, i don't get caught up in enough slow moving traffic to worry about lane splitting. Besides, i'm pretty sure it's illegal here.

 

[Vicken]

Is California the ONLY state in US where Lanesplitting is legal?

 

[VindianaJones]

?

i don't lane split, except when traffic is stopped i might sneak around a couple of cars and stop in front of them..... although where i live, i don't have to deal with a lot of traffic. A traffic jam here is when you get a dozen cars waiting at the level crossing for a train to go through :lol: And no traffic lights to speak of.
When i ride around Newcastle (Australia's 6th largest city) 2 hours down the road, i don't get caught up in enough slow moving traffic to worry about lane splitting. Besides, i'm pretty sure it's illegal here.

Not sure i understand ( fully ) the term Lane Splitting. Is that where traffic is stopped ahead of you and a bike will take the opportunity to go around vehicles by moving into that area around the car that has JUSSSST about enough room for a bike? If so, then in my humble opinion. Your asking to be hit and deserve to be. I find nothing more irritating that someone on a motorcycle or bycicle who ( while using all the laws of the motorized nation ) take the opportunity to ride within and over the speed limit of cars and then think they have the right to act like a pedestrian as well. You can't have it both ways. I can see exactly why someone in a car ( who has been waiting patiently for 5 minutes in traffic ) would get angry if someone on a bike or motorcycle would then switch to using the laws of the pedestrian and go around. You can't have it both ways and if you think you can, then you run the risk of getting hit and deserve to get hurt!

 

[JasonFMHS]

its not legal here in Texas but i find myself doing it every once in a while as long as its not too far.

 

[Timalew]

Not legal here either, used to do it in Deutschland all the time.

 

[Jake '53]

People are generally pretty tame, regardless of the road rage. They know that if they open their door or they swerve out into the way of a biker they're going to cause an accident and no one wants to deal with that.

I've had cagers give me death threats while I was splitting lanes or driving on the shoulder to get around backed up traffic. They yell and scream all they want but generally don't do anything about it. I'm the same, 75% mouth, 25% calculation. :smile:

Seen it. summer '74, Friday afternoon, north bound I-5 parking lot, just south of Janzen Beach, OR. I was lucky to be behind the guy it was done to and haven't lane split since.

 

[crazydave]

It's the only one I know of where it's still legal. I'm sure someone else will chime in if that's not the case

 

[crazydave]

Actually it's worse then that. Lane splitting involves riding in between the slow moving traffic exactly on the dividing line of the highway. You basically are riding on the dots or the line that separates the lanes.

While most people I have seen do this they do it moving fairly slowly, when someone does it at say 40 mph that's totally insane especially on a full dresser with bags hanging off it etc.

 

[ikarus1]

if someone opens the door on me to intentionally hurt me, they are taking their life in the hands should I survive. That is assault and it's illegal in all US states, IMO.

 

[RichLockyer]

It's legal in CA (said to be "not addressed by CA law", which make sense because if something is legal then it ISN'T addressed by law), BUT there is a catch-all law that can be used, and that is a violation of the basic speed law.... driving too fast for conditions.

It is rarely enforced as such, but "officer discretion" allows for a citation if you are moving (any vehicle) more than 15mph faster than the adjacent lane of traffic, carpool lanes excepted because it is literally treated by the law as a separate roadway.

 

[ikarus1]

NC Law is basically "do it at your own risk", the law doesn't address it. But I take it as "implied permission" as long as you don't violate other laws, such as moving too fast for conditions etc.

I suppose any officer could cite you for unsafe movement etc. if you did it as to attract undue attention such as the guy flying past everyone.

I have seen plenty of crotch-rocket types blasting through traffic, right past patrol cars and everyone else, seemingly with no regard for anyone. I try to be smoother than that.

 

[Jake '53]

if someone opens the door on me to intentionally hurt me, they are taking their life in the hands should I survive. That is assault and it's illegal in all US states, IMO.

That's a big "IF" that I don't think is worth having to face just to save a few minutes.

 

[eidian]

crazydave: By virtue of the title of your thread, you are correct: unsafe lane-splitting is not worth it. However, do remember that a rider can safely lane-split in stopped traffic. I've done it for hundreds (if not thousands) of miles in LA/OC road traffic during rush hour and have only tapped three mirrors in a year and-a-half on the 500R; I always stopped and asked if the driver's mirror is okay and two of them didn't even know that I tapped their mirror but were appreciative that I stopped, backed up and asked...the one who did know actually chuckled and asked, "Miscalculated, huh?".

In big cities like Los Angeles where 80% of drivers fit in to either the a-hole or idiot cateogry, lane-splitting in stopped traffic is a must. The first three months that I had my 500R I didn't have the confidence/skill to split lanes. The more I rode, the more I noticed other skilled riders riding up to the intersection. What was the result? They got to get ahead of the waiting cars which meant that they weren't breathing in the exhaust of the cars and weren't baking in the heat coming from the cars in the 100+ degree summer heat like I was. They weren't getting cut off or almost hit by a-holes who didn't use their turn signals and forced their way into my lane once traffic started to move the way I was.

Lane-splitting? If it's legal where you are and you are cautious/courteous enough to do it in stopped traffic...use it.

 

[hharada]

I believe lane splitting is also legal in Nevada.

I think it's just asking for trouble and haven't tried it myself.

It may be different for cage drivers who live in the states that allow it, but for ones not accustomed to having motorcycles splitting the lanes, we don't drive, being alert for a bike squeezing in between us and the car next to us. We tend to do things like wandering within the width of our lane and opening the door to see if we can find out what the heck has kept traffic at a dead stop for the last 10 or 15 minutes.

 

[ervins]

OMG then I am one of those fast lane splitters...Traffic flowing at 10mph and I will go between cars...Anyone ever see 238/ 580 traffic? Freaking hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have lane split for 15 miles when there where accidents coming from customer site...I have lane split and entire 20+ mile commute. If not it means I am in that parking lot called traffic for hours...I'll pass. I am not saying to be wreckless but for sure get out of the fastest possible lane splitting lane if you are not going to go faster than traffic. People may not like lane splitting and other riders may not like it either but at least be courteous to those who do, do it.

 

[phobos512]

I split on the 15 going north (coming home) the last time I went down to Advanced Kawi. First time I'd ever been in a position to do so. This was by Glen Helen Pavilion, there was a concert later that evening. It was over 100F and my bike was hitting 230s and I was just dying. I finally said screw it and went for it when another bike passed me by, I just hopped in and followed. No problem whatsoever, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The air moving across me felt sooo good after sitting in that heat.