Minnesota Lane Filtering - Coming 7/1/2025!

[omega man]

Heh. I split regularly when I worked on Congress Street and One International Place, especially getting onto the old elevated expressway to get onto 93 North.

Still alive. Did that for 20 years. So did a lawyer I worked with, who rode in from Nahant on his K1. Gotta pick your place and not hesitate when you're doing it. I rode home to Billerica from Congress at Faneuil Hall with a broken clutch cable on my K75. Split right through the city street traffic and right up onto 93. It was like a slow race trying to time it to the lights once I was off at Wilmington and on 129 to get home.

Lately? Quite a bit has changed (mutated) in 25 or so years.
OM

 

[Scott9999]

I attended the Hawthorne PD slow speed cone course April of 2018. End of the training I filled up and made ready to get on the highway toward home. By the time I gassed up and got on the highway, within minutes 2 of the motor officers who trained us that day lane split by me so I pulled out and followed them.

Traffic was stop and go with go not being over 10mph. These two motor officers were moving at 35-45mph through lanes of traffic. The law says a motorcyclist should not exceed the speed of surrounding traffic by more than 10 mph. Apparently they were violating the states law concerning splitting lanes. I followed them until they got off perhaps 15 miles down the road and kept filtering through the maze of vehicles for over an hour getting out of the area.

I wasn't all that thrilled with filtering, but I'll lane filter to the front legally here when possible

The California CHP has been, in my personal experience and interactions with them as a motorcyclist, exceedingly reasonable about enforcing traffic laws in general, and the lane filtering law specifically. That 10 mph over is a fairly relative term, as far as enforcement.

When a cyclist is traveling too fast through traffic, you know it, and can recognize it. I know how quickly my reflexes and Brembo binders can stop my bike. I also know how to read the traffic, even to the point of watching the driver's eyes in their rear mirrors, as well as their overall attentiveness, or "twitchy-ness'. That doesn't make me "safe" when lane splitting. I'm not "safe" on that motorcycle in freeway traffic, period. I'm am "SAFER" when I'm lane splitting, because of my riding habits, experience, and ability. Is the 21 year old kid on a sport bike splitting 10MPH bumper to bumper traffic at 70 MPH, equally safe? I kind of doubt it. That's why the CHP pulls the kid over, while I motor by at maybe 35-45 mph, without being bothered. Now, to a cager, ALL lane splitting motorcycle riders are unsafe. In fact, the very fact that they are EVEN RIDING motorcycle, proves that they are idiots to many inexperienced such citizens in their cars. That's an ignorance problem with the cagers, not a safety problem, IMHO.

I can't vouch for those two, particular CHP motor-hot-shots, but I'm guessing that they were riding pretty safely, too. Which is, in fact, the spirt of the law, if not the very letter of it.

 

[brownie0486]

The California CHP has been, in my personal experience and interactions with them as a motorcyclist, exceedingly reasonable about enforcing traffic laws in general, and the lane filtering law specifically. That 10 mph over is a fairly relative term, as far as enforcement.

When a cyclist is traveling too fast through traffic, you know it, and can recognize it. I know how quickly my reflexes and Brembo binders can stop my bike. I also know how to read the traffic, even to the point of watching the driver's eyes in their rear mirrors, as well as their overall attentiveness, or "twitchy-ness'. That doesn't make me "safe" when lane splitting. I'm not "safe" on that motorcycle in freeway traffic, period. I'm am "SAFER" when I'm lane splitting, because of my riding habits, experience, and ability. Is the 21 year old kid on a sport bike splitting 10MPH bumper to bumper traffic at 70 MPH, equally safe? I kind of doubt it. That's why the CHP pulls the kid over, while I motor by at maybe 35-45 mph, without being bothered. Now, to a cager, ALL lane splitting motorcycle riders are unsafe. In fact, the very fact that they are EVEN RIDING motorcycle, proves that they are idiots to many inexperienced such citizens in their cars. That's an ignorance problem with the cagers, not a safety problem, IMHO.

I can't vouch for those two, particular CHP motor-hot-shots, but I'm guessing that they were riding pretty safely, too. Which is, in fact, the spirt of the law, if not the very letter of it.

They were violating their states filtering law based on the speed over traffic they were filtering through. Letter of the law? The law is clear, 10mph over the traffics speed while they were 25-30 over traffics speed [ which was stopped or crawling along at maybe 10mph ].

I don't have a problem with their violating the letter of the law as they were. But the faster one filters through traffic like that, the risk of an incident with a cager is increased exponentially. They were in a hurry to get back to the station either to end their day or go on patrol. IMO, it set/s a bad example by motor officers in view of all those cagers [ the majority which may not even know they were violating the law.

Before I left for the training in Ca. I looked up the filtering law/s. Just a wee bit surprised when the motor riders weren't following their states law.

 

[r0ckrat]

I attended the Hawthorne PD slow speed cone course April of 2018. End of the training I filled up and made ready to get on the highway toward home. By the time I gassed up and got on the highway, within minutes 2 of the motor officers who trained us that day lane split by me so I pulled out and followed them.

Traffic was stop and go with go not being over 10mph. These two motor officers were moving at 35-45mph through lanes of traffic. The law says a motorcyclist should not exceed the speed of surrounding traffic by more than 10 mph. Apparently they were violating the states law concerning splitting lanes. I followed them until they got off perhaps 15 miles down the road and kept filtering through the maze of vehicles for over an hour getting out of the area.

I wasn't all that thrilled with filtering, but I'll lane filter to the front legally here when possible

Clarification regarding "The law says... " whatever regarding lane splitting in CA.

What "The law" actually says is that it is legal, and that "the California Highway Patrol may develop educational guidelines". CHP has published guidelines that basically say *my paraphrasing* "if we (CHP officers) think you (riders) are doing it dangerously, we will ticket you. Here are some basic strategies that are considered 'best practices' for people who need guidance in order to do something."

You can read more here, which includes a basic outline of the guidelines. But the actual law follows the classic "golden rule" - use your best judgement and be safe, otherwise you will be cited for reckless driving.

 

[r0ckrat]

They were violating their states filtering law based on the speed over traffic they were filtering through. Letter of the law? The law is clear, 10mph over the traffics speed while they were 25-30 over traffics speed [ which was stopped or crawling along at maybe 10mph ].

I don't have a problem with their violating the letter of the law as they were. But the faster one filters through traffic like that, the risk of an incident with a cager is increased exponentially. They were in a hurry to get back to the station either to end their day or go on patrol. IMO, it set/s a bad example by motor officers in view of all those cagers [ the majority which may not even know they were violating the law.

Before I left for the training in Ca. I looked up the filtering law/s. Just a wee bit surprised when the motor riders weren't following their states law.

They were NOT violating the splitting law, see my previous post, as THERE IS NO ACTUAL LAW REGARDING THE SPECIFICS OF HOW A RIDER MAY SPLIT.

Repeating myself, but here: For your reading, is the complete CA code regarding splitting: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/...nNum=21658.1.&nodeTreePath=15.3.1&lawCode=VEH

Find me the vehicle code where "the law says 10 mph over the traffic speed" if you still believe otherwise.

 

[r0ckrat]

And just for completeness, here is an image of the CHP's guidelines from 2018. Again, these are not law, these are CHP guidelines, and do not exist in the California state code.



The best bit:

 

[brownie0486]

Clarification regarding "The law says... " whatever regarding lane splitting in CA.

What "The law" actually says is that it is legal, and that "the California Highway Patrol may develop educational guidelines". CHP has published guidelines that basically say *my paraphrasing* "if we (CHP officers) think you (riders) are doing it dangerously, we will ticket you. Here are some basic strategies that are considered 'best practices' for people who need guidance in order to do something."

You can read more here, which includes a basic outline of the guidelines. But the actual law follows the classic "golden rule" - use your best judgement and be safe, otherwise you will be cited for reckless driving.

Interesting, the golden rule isn't a rule at all when it's officer discretion whether you're filtering dangerously or not. One of the Hawthorne motor officers, when asked, stated 10mph over traffic speed was suggested by CHP. A CHP motor officer there verified that's their recommendation to motor riders who filter.

Leave it to law enforcement to not get it correct.

 

[pauls1150]

I'd opine that most motor officers are better riders than most of the viewers of these threads. They will split faster than I am willing to try. (I think our fairings and mirrors are pretty close... varies by year...)
But all people make mistakes - not long ago, I talked with a local deputy who actually did not know that obtaining something like a credit card number or social security number by fraudulent means was actually a crime, and not "just" a crime, but a felony; I had to bring up the code and show it to him.
And by the way, cagers' ignorance problems can easily create safety problems for all of us.
Be careful out there!

 

[r0ckrat]

Interesting, the golden rule isn't a rule at all when it's officer discretion whether you're filtering dangerously or not. One of the Hawthorne motor officers, when asked, stated 10mph over traffic speed was suggested by CHP. A CHP motor officer there verified that's their recommendation to motor riders who filter.

Leave it to law enforcement to not get it correct.

Suggested, and recommendation... Those are not "the law states" or "the law is" - those are suggested, recommended practices.

 

[brownie0486]

Suggested, and recommendation... Those are not "the law states" or "the law is" - those are suggested, recommended practices.

Understood sir. I get it, the two motor officers either didn't want to state the law or couldn't state the law. Perhaps they were answering on the side of caution.

 

[PGlaves]

kbasa may correct me, but I understand that for years California had no law regarding filtering: it simply wasn't illegal. Then they devised some recommendations but still had no law governing it. Then they finally got around to writing and adopting a law.

 

[r0ckrat]

@PGlaves is right. Until someone complained that "there outa be a law" nothing was said about it, unlike every other state that had a law specifically forbidding it. Is drinking water legal or illegal if there is no law? Actually making a law served no real purpose.

 

[kbasa]

kbasa may correct me, but I understand that for years California had no law regarding filtering: it simply wasn't illegal. Then they devised some recommendations but still had no law governing it. Then they finally got around to writing and adopting a law.

There's still no law. It's not illegal and that's largely thanks to the CHP's efforts to keep it that way. That said, the CHP has provided guidelines, but they're not laws.

In California, if you get in an accident while lane splitting, it's all on you, fwiw.

 

[r0ckrat]

In California, if you get in an accident while lane splitting, it's all on you, fwiw.

In most cases that may be true, unless the driver comes across the solid boundary into the carpool lane... Or is caught on camera doing something stoopid (There was an incident near the Getty on I-405. Car driver suddenly swerved out of the carpool lane, nailed a splitting biker, did major damage but didn't kill him. Was solo in the carpool, and was a tech driving a customer's car or something like that. About 4 years ago. Caught on camera from someone behind the incident.)

 

[Scott9999]

In most cases that may be true, unless the driver comes across the solid boundary into the carpool lane... Or is caught on camera doing something stoopid (There was an incident near the Getty on I-405. Car driver suddenly swerved out of the carpool lane, nailed a splitting biker, did major damage but didn't kill him. Was solo in the carpool, and was a tech driving a customer's car or something like that. About 4 years ago. Caught on camera from someone behind the incident.)

That happened SO many times to me during my freeway commuting days. Sometimes I could see it coming, i.e. either the in drivers eyes in the rear view mirror, or what's called by LEOs "furtive movements", or maybe we call it "twitchy" movements, too involved in conversation, playing with their phone, or maybe they made an unsafe lane change a mile ahead while you were coming up behind 'em. However, in a certain percentage of cases, maybe 15% to 20%, it was just "wham", They are suddenly inches from contact moving your direction fast, and all you can do is react. Not bragging about my riding prowess (I think it's more about my guardian angel and the God who sent him), but I keep my head on a swivel and generally know instinctively where my out is. So, it's wham, react, and a half second later "thank you God". Not even time enough to get angry at the driver. "React" is usually swerving and/or braking, but occasionally involves a quick right wrist twist.

If you're riding in close quarters, lane splitting or not, it's definitely going to happen to you. If you're aware and prepared, you have a chance to prevent injury and/or death, i.e. your own. Sometimes, it's just your turn to have a bad day.

 

[brownie0486]

A 2023 study by the University of California, Berkeley, found that around 17% of motorcycle crashes were attributed to lane splitting.

California Motorcyclist Safety

www.chp.ca.gov

"Lane splitting can be dangerous and extreme caution should be exercised. It should not be performed by inexperienced riders. The risk of death or serious injury during a lane splitting collision increases as speed and speed differential increases. These general safety tips are provided to assist you in the practice; however, they are not guaranteed to keep you safe. Every rider has the ultimate responsibility for their own decision-making and safety."

 

[r0ckrat]

A 2023 study by the University of California, Berkeley, found that around 17% of motorcycle crashes were attributed to lane splitting.

California Motorcyclist Safety

www.chp.ca.gov

"Lane splitting can be dangerous and extreme caution should be exercised. It should not be performed by inexperienced riders. The risk of death or serious injury during a lane splitting collision increases as speed and speed differential increases. These general safety tips are provided to assist you in the practice; however, they are not guaranteed to keep you safe. Every rider has the ultimate responsibility for their own decision-making and safety."

That relates to the amount of time spent and number of miles travelled in traffic...

There is also no information there about who is actually "at fault" in those collisions. I'd wager that 90% of those lane splitting incidents were vehicles making improper lane changes. I.e. not signaling, not checking their mirrors, not looking at what is right next to them, etc.

There is also a very long standing statistic that more than 50% of all collisions happen within 20 miles of home. Go figure...

 

[brownie0486]

That relates to the amount of time spent and number of miles travelled in traffic...

There is also no information there about who is actually "at fault" in those collisions. I'd wager that 90% of those lane splitting incidents were vehicles making improper lane changes. I.e. not signaling, not checking their mirrors, not looking at what is right next to them, etc.

There is also a very long standing statistic that more than 50% of all collisions happen within 20 miles of home. Go figure...

Does it matter who's at fault when reporting numbers of collisions when filtering? I don't think it will matter one bit if you become part of those statistics.

 

[r0ckrat]

Does it matter who's at fault when reporting numbers of collisions when filtering? I don't think it will matter one bit if you become part of those statistics.

Point number one - You didn't include numbers of collisions when filtering. You included a percentage of overall collisions in an unknown pool of collision types. The use of the words "attributed to" also indicated that you believe (or the study was flawed in it's wording and you just copied) that lane splitting was the primary factor in those incidents. That's what I was pointing out.

Point number two:
The single statistic means nothing without the rest of the report. You included a link to CHP's motorcycle safety website (which I didn't see any mention of the study on), but didn't include any additional information about the source of the statistic other than "a study by Berkeley", and then quoted information from the 2018 CHP guideline document that reiterates that lane splitting "can be dangerous". Not that it IS dangerous, but that it CAN BE.

Side note: Anything you don't have experience doing can be dangerous. If you are new to juggling, I wouldn't recommend juggling with sharp objects, but juggling chainsaws isn't especially dangerous once you learn how.

This, and the rest of your posts in this thread, make it feel strongly like you have an axe to grind about lane splitting and that you believe it's a dangerous practice that no one should partake in.

Final note: If you don't want to do it, don't. Nobody is forcing you to - it's your choice. But stop trying to tell other people that they shouldn't - even though it's legal and can be done as safely as any part of riding a motorcycle. It can even increase your safety in many situations when done judiciously and with a great deal of situational awareness. Motorcycling isn't safe. You don't have the protections of getting into a box and being transported in a safety net to your destination. Everyone here gets that.

With that, I am done. Sorry to the OP that it devolved in this way. Personally, I am happy that other states are getting out of their own way and allowing riders the opportunity to find the additional safety that can be afforded through judicious and careful lane filtering.

 

[brownie0486]

Point number one - You didn't include numbers of collisions when filtering. You included a percentage of overall collisions in an unknown pool of collision types. The use of the words "attributed to" also indicated that you believe (or the study was flawed in it's wording and you just copied) that lane splitting was the primary factor in those incidents. That's what I was pointing out.

Point number two:
The single statistic means nothing without the rest of the report. You included a link to CHP's motorcycle safety website (which I didn't see any mention of the study on), but didn't include any additional information about the source of the statistic other than "a study by Berkeley", and then quoted information from the 2018 CHP guideline document that reiterates that lane splitting "can be dangerous". Not that it IS dangerous, but that it CAN BE.

Side note: Anything you don't have experience doing can be dangerous. If you are new to juggling, I wouldn't recommend juggling with sharp objects, but juggling chainsaws isn't especially dangerous once you learn how.

This, and the rest of your posts in this thread, make it feel strongly like you have an axe to grind about lane splitting and that you believe it's a dangerous practice that no one should partake in.

Final note: If you don't want to do it, don't. Nobody is forcing you to - it's your choice. But stop trying to tell other people that they shouldn't - even though it's legal and can be done as safely as any part of riding a motorcycle. It can even increase your safety in many situations when done judiciously and with a great deal of situational awareness. Motorcycling isn't safe. You don't have the protections of getting into a box and being transported in a safety net to your destination. Everyone here gets that.

With that, I am done. Sorry to the OP that it devolved in this way. Personally, I am happy that other states are getting out of their own way and allowing riders the opportunity to find the additional safety that can be afforded through judicious and careful lane filtering.

I threw up a link, no more or less. If you disagree with that linked message, fine by me. I have no axe to grind on filtering, but the link isn't projecting my thoughts, simply someone elses based on research. Why are you attacking the messenger for the message in the linked article?. It's not MY study nor results. I've not made any posts about whether I believe one should or shouldn't filter, perhaps you should take step back there pal

If you want the specifics of the Berkley study, there's probably a way to get their road to their analysis as to how they arrived at that conclusion.