Just when you think it's safe to lane split..

[Santron]

Just when you think it safe to filter between the cars.....

 

On PCH last evening I was out for a cruise and came to a light in downtown Huntington Beach. Traffic came to a stop, and I was about 3-4 cars from the front, so I slowly proceeded to make my way to the front, when about 5 feet from me the passenger door of a white Infiniti suddenly opened, and the guy leaned out to spit his chew out on the ground. I was only doing about 5-8 MPH and came to an abrupt stop about a foot away from his door, which he promptly closed, amazingly without even seeing me.

 

Some say that they feel best about splitting lanes only when cars are stopped, but the reason for my post is that I feel that it is dangerous in it's own way then. When cars are stopped, or, more precisely, too stopped (ie, when they know that they have some time before the light will change), there comes the danger that people will open doors to switch seats, get something out of the cooler in the back, dump trash (yes, I have seen it), etc... Last summer I was moving a pretty good clip between a very long line of cars when a door opened right beside me as I flew by. The guy was just as startled as I was, and it got me thinking that when cars are stopped there is a different kind of danger, which was just re-confirmed by my experience last night.

 

For me the lesson is: Don't get confident because they're stopped and boxed in - go SLOW and cover your brakes when they're stopped.

[Calvin (no socks)]

You witnessed....... "lane spitting".... which is legal in all 50 states....

[Shawnee Bill]

You witnessed....... "lane spitting".... which is legal in all 50 states....

 

Maybe, but I think prohibited on the sidewalk.

[russell_bynum]

Yep. Seen that several times. JB-BMW had someone do the same thing once, only he was brushing his teeth and opened the door to spit.

 

I was splitting on the way back from Torrey once, in "Sunday afternoon all the idiots returning from Vegas" traffic when some idiot girl suddenly lunged out the window. I guess her idea was to scream and flail her arms around wildly at the car next to them. She just about got a torso-ectomy with the nose of my RT doing the honors.

[bobiverson]

I was splitting on the way back from Torrey once, in "Sunday afternoon all the idiots returning from Vegas" traffic when some idiot girl suddenly lunged out the window. I guess her idea was to scream and flail her arms around wildly at the car next to them. She just about got a torso-ectomy with the nose of my RT doing the honors.

 

I know I'll get hammered for saying this, but...

 

Wouldn't this be a GOOD story to use when indicating that lane splitting is... uhh... not very bright?

[FlyingFinn]

I think this would be good story to use indicating that hanging out from the car window is... uh... not very bright.

 

--

Mikko

[russell_bynum]

I think this would be good story to use indicating that hanging out from the car window is... uh... not very bright.

 

Exactly.

[Mike]

I think this would be good story to use indicating that hanging out from the car window is... uh... not very bright.

 

Exactly.

 

I agree on that point. I do wonder about how much of risk you Calleefornyuns are taking when you lane split, though. I understand that it's legal there, and I even admit to doing it here (the Chicago area) on occasion, but the highway culture in the U.S. is generally pretty undisciplined.

 

In Europe, and probably in parts of Asia, lane splitting is universally accepted and expected. You always see motorcycles and scooters "filtering" through car traffic. Drivers don't seem to mind it--perhaps because so many were brought up on scooters--and, best of all, they seem to expect it. It occurs to me that, even in California, where it's legal, a high percentage of cagers really aren't prepared to see a bike splitting lanes.

[Santron]

I was splitting on the way back from Torrey once, in "Sunday afternoon all the idiots returning from Vegas" traffic when some idiot girl suddenly lunged out the window. I guess her idea was to scream and flail her arms around wildly at the car next to them. She just about got a torso-ectomy with the nose of my RT doing the honors.

 

I know I'll get hammered for saying this, but...

 

Wouldn't this be a GOOD story to use when indicating that lane splitting is... uhh... not very bright?

 

I can see how one could make that case, however, I really don't hear of all that many lane splitting accidents that actually happen. Not to say that there are none, but to me it is a wonderful tool for here in southern CA when the stoplights are all backed up 100+ yds, to be able to move to the front of the line and then get ahead of the pack when things get rolling.

 

Just have to be very careful about it.

[quaintance]

I agree on that point. I do wonder about how much of risk you Calleefornyuns are taking when you lane split, though. I understand that it's legal there, and I even admit to doing it here (the Chicago area) on occasion, but the highway culture in the U.S. is generally pretty undisciplined.

 

In Europe, and probably in parts of Asia, lane splitting is universally accepted and expected. You always see motorcycles and scooters "filtering" through car traffic. Drivers don't seem to mind it--perhaps because so many were brought up on scooters--and, best of all, they seem to expect it. It occurs to me that, even in California, where it's legal, a high percentage of cagers really aren't prepared to see a bike splitting lanes.

 

It's interesting to me, I grew up in California and always looked on with amazement at the crotch rockets i'd see flying down between lanes and wondering how bad it'd be for one car to try and nose its way into another lane.. too many people here in the states don't comprehend the whole look before you leap motto with driving.

 

Now here I am living in Colorado where you don't lane split(unless you're visiting from California from what I've seen) and the few times i've ridden out to California, have refused to take it up.. I dunno, I have a hard enough time keeping people from merging into a whole lane to worry about someone just crossing over a little bit to risk it, personally.. but more power to ya.

 

amusingly, about Europe/overseas... I spent two months in Dublin, Ireland a few years back for work and got quite familiar with afternoon traffic in city center.. one day as I'm sitting there.. haven't moved in perhaps 3 minutes, this guy on a Triumph Speed triple comes strolling up between the cars, stops at my front bumper.. proceeds to try and wedge himself between my rental and the van in front of me so he can get over to the next lane and actually ends up standing up on the bike and partially standing on my bumper.. it was all just hilarious to me watching this guy.. in the states i'd be terrified the moment I touched the front bumper of some jerks BMW 5 series(what i had rented) he'd pull forward and start yelling at me.

[russell_bynum]

It occurs to me that, even in California, where it's legal, a high percentage of cagers really aren't prepared to see a bike splitting lanes.

 

From what I've seen, a high percentage of cagers aren't prepared for ANYTHING.

[Santron]

You witnessed....... "lane spitting".... which is legal in all 50 states....

 

Now THAT is hilarious...

[Santron]

It occurs to me that, even in California, where it's legal, a high percentage of cagers really aren't prepared to see a bike splitting lanes.

 

True, because most people just do the minimum due dillegence when driving anyway....

 

Interesting though, that the lane splitting thing is just so accepted in CA, even though not anticipated. I RARELY have a bad reaction to it. I would NOT want to try it any place else in the USA where it is not as accepted, though.

[russell_bynum]

I would NOT want to try it any place else in the USA where it is not as accepted, though.

 

I did it in El Paso once during rush hour. I wasn't even thinking "Is this legal?"...I just came up on some stopped traffic, slowed, checked to make sure nobody else was splitting behind me, and started splitting. The results: Just like here, most people didn't see me until it was too late for them to do anything anyway, but the few that did see me did not have a positive reaction. Most of them swerved over to close the gap and block me.

[Boffin]

I think this would be good story to use indicating that hanging out from the car window is... uh... not very bright.

 

Exactly.

 

I agree on that point. I do wonder about how much of risk you Calleefornyuns are taking when you lane split, though. I understand that it's legal there, and I even admit to doing it here (the Chicago area) on occasion, but the highway culture in the U.S. is generally pretty undisciplined.

 

In Europe, and probably in parts of Asia, lane splitting is universally accepted and expected. You always see motorcycles and scooters "filtering" through car traffic. Drivers don't seem to mind it--perhaps because so many were brought up on scooters--and, best of all, they seem to expect it. It occurs to me that, even in California, where it's legal, a high percentage of cagers really aren't prepared to see a bike splitting lanes.

 

In the UK splitting is universal - almost compulsory and we have narrow lanes. We also split on two-lane roads, between traffic flowing ion opposite directions - legal as long as you stay on your side of the line in the road.

 

In France if you do not split when a driver moves over for you (very common all over Europe) they will get extremely pissed at you for NOT splitting.

 

I would not however, like the idea of lane splitting where the cage drivers may be irate and armed....

 

Cya, Andy

[AdventurePoser]

I agree. For me, lane splitting is a necessary evil, brought on by our choked roadways. I rarely split if the the traffic is moving much above 20 miles per hour.

 

But, when it is really gridlocked, LS is a wonderful thing!

 

Steve in So Cal

[Carnadero]

..because most people just do the minimum due dillegence when driving anyway....

Ain't that ever the truth....

[bakers_rt]

I have to say all you guys from other states that opine LS is dangerous and more power to us and all that , well I bet 98% of you would change your tune if it became legal. I will admit Lane splitting does have its dangers and as a matter of fact when I took up motorcycles I promised my wife and myself that I wouldnt split. It is probably good I kept that promise or awhile too as splitting is not something youwant to do without some decent bike skills.After aqwhile, little by little, you get tired of other bikes splitting by you. a little bit here and a little bit there and soon you have a full blown addiction.In my area it sems most cagers will give you room IF they see you which most do not. I have gotten to the point where i am probably a bit obnoxious and am sure I have split with a 1/2" to spare on either side. It is amazing how you get a feel for how wide your bike is after a while. I do try not to split at over 30 but have splitat 50 with cars doing twenty coming back from holiday trips with lines of cars for miles. being in a pack makes it worse . There i fessed up and feel better now

[quaintance]

I'll agree that if it were legal i'd probably lane split if I were ever in heavy traffic.. cars moving say ~10mph but I'm rarely in that kind of traffic anyways so no big deal..

 

what I would do a lot is probably filter my way up to the front of a stop light.

 

Now.. what I'd never do.. is

 

theres several points where I'm sure he's going to become one with the bumper of a truck.

[bakerzdosen]

well, if LS ever becomes legal where I live.... I'm IN!!!!

 

Even in the days before I'd ever ridden and was driving in CA, I'd go through a two step process:

1) Surprise at seeing my first lane-splitter of the day.

2) Guilt for not pulling over further to let them by.

 

I'd then proceed to be more aware of bikers and pull over to the side of the lane that was not being used to split

 

Yeah, I'm probably not in the majority, but it's always appealed to me.

[AviP]

Out here in the NYC area, heavy traffic is a way of life. It's almost everyday that a 10 mile commute takes 1 hour. So I split lanes whenever I ride.

 

My rule is to split lanes upto traffic speeds of 30mph and at a max speed of 30mph. This works for me because I monitor the drivers and cars' mirrors to see where their drivers are looking. I don't think it's physically possible to exceed that speed without significantly increasing the risk.

 

The question is not whether you can fit into the gap between 2 trailers or whether you'll clear the mirrors on the 2 sedans in front of you, or whether the saddlebags will clear (BTW, on an RT if the mirrors clear, the saddlebags will always clear), it's whether you can avoid a potential situation where you get squeezed out by 2 cars.

 

And one finger should always be on the brake.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

I know I'll get hammered for saying this, but...

 

Wouldn't this be a GOOD story to use when indicating that lane splitting is... uhh... not very bright?

 

 

I'm not going to hammer you. I'm inviting you to come to CA and learn to lane share. We can start easy... I know where the lanes are wide and the traffic is horrible. We'll start slow and increase speed gradually so that you're never out of your comfort zone. Then, when you've got the hang of it we'll go find some narrower lanes. To finish it off, we'll go out on the Bay Bridge in traffic and watch all the nutcases go by at 70 MPH in narrow lanes.

 

I don't advocate the last part, but I guarantee that some first hand experience with reasonable lane sharing will change your mind.

 

Regarding traffic, lost hours, and fuel consuption, lane sharing is about the brightest idea I've heard in a long time.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Regarding traffic, lost hours, and fuel consuption, lane sharing is about the brightest idea I've heard in a long time.

 

Sure is, and as soon as the rules makers start paying more than lip service to ecology and conservation of resources, we might even see legislation legalizing it. Don't communicate your sentiments here, send 'em to your congressperson.

 

The illigitemi tied 55 mph into federal highway funding, they could do it for lane sharing.