Results of CA Lane Splitting Study

Didn't know where to put this on the forum thought this might be appropriate.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article3204990.html

I'll start

What we learned is, if you lane-split in a safe or prudent manner, it is no more dangerous than motorcycling in any other circumstance,? Office of Traffic Safety spokesman Chris Cochran said. ?If you are speeding or have a wide speed differential (with other traffic), that is where the fatalities came about.?

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article3204990.html#storylink=cpy

in my own experience, I believe I put myself at the most risk lane splitting when late and trying to make up time or to hurry. As the OTS spokes above states, it's the "speed differential." If I was just trying to keep moving, or passing excessively slow vehicles, distracted drivers, bunches of cars all pacing each other, I think that it was not only a safe practice, but far safer than being at the mercy of the truly horrible, insane, stupid, distracted, angry people on the freeway. In IL I do it much less, but sometimes it just seems like I'm a target if I don't somehow take the initiative.

and FWIW, I once tried following two CHiPs up the slammed 405, on identical bikes as my 11RT. It was like following Moses, but the sea kept closing back in behind him. I'd still be Egypt. Wet.

Glad to see this. It's probably unsurprising for those of us in CA. I spend ~20 miles each way on the 405 every day at rush hour(s), and it's fine. At the low speeds typical of that setting, I don't feel it's unusually dangerous. I'm generally slower than average, which I know because I rarely pass other riders, and routinely let others pass me.

Your post, 26667, raises a question I've wondered about. We know that in the rest of the country lane-splitting doesn't have the legal blessing that it does here. But are there places it is more tolerated, or less tolerated? Or is it just a matter of avoiding ever being seen doing it, elsewhere?

JamesInCA said:

We know that in the rest of the country lane-splitting doesn't have the legal blessing that it does here. But are there places it is more tolerated, or less tolerated? Or is it just a matter of avoiding ever being seen doing it, elsewhere?

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Illegal here in Ohio. Very seldom seen. Always followed by horns, curses and waving fingers. May find yourself squeezed if they see you coming in the rearview mirror.

ditto...sort of

lkraus said:

Illegal here in Ohio. Very seldom seen. Always followed by horns, curses and waving fingers. May find yourself squeezed if they see you coming in the rearview mirror.

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I think Chicagoans would get out of their stopped cars and run after you with a kitchen knife if they didn't think they might drop their phone.

Used to get lane squeezing and door openers when we tried in Houston many years ago on I-45 between Galveston Island and Space City.It wouldn't play well here.
I changed my commuting route to avoid any moving parking lots...and enjoyed the roads that got me home with a smile.

Done it in CA a few times , luckily i always seem to be in the flowing direction and not needed. The dingdongs on the sportbikes and minimal gear amaze me in their not so cool methods that most folks think about when asked how it works.
A loaded GSA is a bit tight in spots already

henzilla said:

Used to get lane squeezing and door openers when we tried in Houston many years ago on I-45 between Galveston Island and Space City.It wouldn't play well here.
I changed my commuting route to avoid any moving parking lots...and enjoyed the roads that got me home with a smile.

Done it in CA a few times , luckily i always seem to be in the flowing direction and not needed. The dingdongs on the sportbikes and minimal gear amaze me in their not so cool methods that most folks think about when asked how it works.
A loaded GSA is a bit tight in spots already

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There are a lot of idiots working to get lane splitting banned in CA by doing it extremely unsafely and scaring the crap out of drivers. Sadly, that's a side effect of being the sunshine state and sport bikes being so cheap.

I lane split every day on my way to work and people in California are pretty polite, especially after the CHP showed support of it. Lots of waving and friendliness on my part and lots of drivers who even make room for me to go by. Of course, with my white helmet and RT, many probably think I'm a cop myself.

I feel it's the only safe method to get through traffic and feel like I wouldn't be able to sit in a traffic jam on a bike waiting to get rear ended in another state. I'd probably ride much less if I weren't in Cali.

We have crazy riders in Texas as well

natrab said:

There are a lot of idiots working to get lane splitting banned in CA by doing it extremely unsafely and scaring the crap out of drivers. Sadly, that's a side effect of being the sunshine state and sport bikes being so cheap.

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You mean like this?

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81762060/

What I don't understand is many years ago in St Louis I used to lane split carefully, not every day but probably once a week when traffic backed up, more often if construction going on. I never had a problem, or a ticket. What changed, have we lost our collective minds.

Rod

No, I haven't lost my mind yet-give me more time & I'll report back -if I can after it happens.
FWIW: In my experience in Mexico cities it's expected of MC's or you get the "sign"; in France, in cities, it's expected & so commonly done that it seems as though there's another lane in there between each pair of lanes-as in a constant flow...
I'm happy to not live that way!
My commutes in KY were twisty & hilly & mostly alone on the road and in KS, also mostly alone & wide open spaces & blue skies with an overabundance of fresh air(also called prevailing winds) Either place, certainly no need to split em...

natrab said:

There are a lot of idiots working to get lane splitting banned in CA by doing it extremely unsafely and scaring the crap out of drivers. Sadly, that's a side effect of being the sunshine state and sport bikes being so cheap.

I lane split every day on my way to work and people in California are pretty polite, especially after the CHP showed support of it. Lots of waving and friendliness on my part and lots of drivers who even make room for me to go by. Of course, with my white helmet and RT, many probably think I'm a cop myself.

I feel it's the only safe method to get through traffic and feel like I wouldn't be able to sit in a traffic jam on a bike waiting to get rear ended in another state. I'd probably ride much less if I weren't in Cali.

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And then there was the guy on my ride home Monday, lane-splitting up the 405 on a Can-Am Spyder.

We know that in the rest of the country lane-splitting doesn't have the legal blessing that it does here.

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Well, sort of. DMV/CHP do not, now, actually give it their blessings, it's just that they do not actively prohibit it. But splitting on a three-wheeler is ridiculous; trikes and sidecars are legally "motorcycles" here, but seriously ... a little common sense is in order.

I split almost every day when commuting. While nowhere near as dense as SoCal, up on the Centrl Coast in SLO we're plagued by the lookie-lews who, coming south from the Bay Area on Hwy101, arrive at the top of the Avila Beach grade and see the Blue Pacific for the first time in hours. "Oh, look John!! The Ocean!!! Slow down so I can take a snap shot!!" On any given day traffic can back up behind them three or four miles, especially during the summer "vacation" season.

For the most part people do allow cyclists through. Oddly enough the worst encounter I've had was with a group of out-of-state Harley bagger riders wandering around in both lanes as traffic crawled. I slowly picked my way through, but the looks I got were less than "brotherly" and the attempt several guys made to impede my passage would have gotten them "unsafe operation" tickets if an officer had seen it.

When the Chps aren't on a run to a call, they crawl along in traffic like everyone else. I was kind of surprised to find that out one afternoon when I edged between him and an eighteen-wheeler, but it didn't raise an eyebrow from him.

One thing to remember is to concentrate keenly on your path, and commit to pass quickly; it's not like a vehicle can instantly jump sideways a foot or two but why be in their blind spot any longer than necessary. And be considerate.

I lived in California for many years and rode a sport bike. I would always lane split when traffic was bad. The way I always did it in the daytime was to ride with my high beam on, pass traffic no faster than 10 MPH and always wave when people parted lanes for me.

tonyfr said:

I lived in California for many years and rode a sport bike. I would always lane split when traffic was bad. The way I always did it in the daytime was to ride with my high beam on, pass traffic no faster than 10 MPH and always wave when people parted lanes for me.

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We have a winner......

Here on the central coast it is so common that cars often times pull over for you.