Lane Splitting

[Dave_C]

I have been lane-splitting here in So. Cal for almost 20 years. In moderate to heavy traffic, I have found it to be very safe. My feeling is, when you are on a motorcycle, you need to realize that you are invisible, and ride as such. I think it would be more dangerous to sit in the middle of a lane in stop-and-go traffic, and risk getting rear-ended. Wadda you think?

[Fugu]

Yes, you're better of safely and sanely filtering between cars than being a sitting duck and waiting for a cell phone talking driver to turn you into a red spot.

 

I haven't done it much because I don't go to CA much, but I like it.

 

And given the choice between sitting in a bad spot anywhere, legal or not to split, I will illegally split to get myself out of a potential bind.

 

 

[Albert]

Well I give you the complete non-initiate (is that a word?) response since I've never lane split in my life. I'll also add that just watching it scares the bejeebers out of me, so take my words for what they're worth (probably very little).

 

I agree with your comment ". . . you need to realize that you are invisible, and ride as such . . . ", but I'm puzzelled how squeezing between 2 trucks, SUVs or whatever makes you more visible? The comment that lane splitting provides more options may or may not be true but I think the notion that "legal" lane splitting somehow opens new avenues of escape is a misconception. If I'm riding and aware, (which I hope is always) I am constantly evaluating all the alternatives available to me whether legal or illegal should the unforseen occur. If I happen to lane split in the act of accident avoidance I certainly won't contemplate its legality before its execusion.

 

As for the notion that simply riding in the "split" part of the lane is a safety enhancement I guess I'd have to fall back on my Missouri heritage and say "show me", cause I don't get it. Riding down the road using a full lane, knowing the 1/2 to 1/4 lane split section is available between the traffic as an option is one thing. If however, I ride the 1/4 lane just because I can, expecting the full lane to be my escape route then I fail to see the logic.

 

Again I'm probably missing some fundamental point due to my lack of any experience in its practice but, hey, you asked right.

[pbbeck]

I lane split under certain conditions. (1) Traffic is moving under about 20 mph. (2) The lanes are on the wider side. There are certain spots around here where freeway lanes are narrower, making it unwise to lane-split. (3) I maintain a speed differential of < +15 mph.

 

About Dave_C's comment, "I have found it to be very safe." Like me, you have been lane-splitting for almost 20 years (I assume without major incident). If my assumption is correct and you have never been hit or downed by a car while lane-splitting, that has reinforced your belief that it is very safe. Learning theory calls it positive reinforcement... I have done something for 20 years. I haven't yet been injured or killed. It must be safe.

 

It's not safe. It's INSANELY dangerous. I constantly tell myself that and because of it I hate doing it. While lane splitting, we are completely at the mercy of the vehicles around us (more so than normal.) Escape routes are eliminated, and one oblivious or angry driver can end us. Yes, I'd rather be between two cars than be rear-ended, but at the end of any extended lane-splitting session, I am mentally exhausted. I only lane-split by necessity.

[Dave_C]

It's funny how some bikers and non-bikers see lane splitting as so dangerous. I'm not saying I'm not on high-alert when I do it, but I am more apprehensive and know of more serious accidents in intersections than lane-splitters on the freeway. The rule is, no more than 15-20mph faster than the flow of traffic so you can respond. If someone has enough room to change lanes in front of you, slow down. I appreciate all the input on this hot topic.

[russell_bynum]

I agree with your comment ". . . you need to realize that you are invisible, and ride as such . . . ", but I'm puzzelled how squeezing between 2 trucks, SUVs or whatever makes you more visible?

 

It doesn't. You're invisible.

 

The most common accident on the freeway is a rear-ender. SunTzu said in The Art of War, "You can

ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold

positions that cannot be attacked."

 

Well...between two vehicles you're not in a "cannot be attacked" situation, but it IS nearly impossible to be rear-ended.

 

There is the risk of someone changing lanes into you, but that can be managed. For example: Don't split past a car when there's a gap on the other side that they might move into. If two cars are side-by-side and going essentially the same speed, the odds of one of them changing lanes into the other one is pretty low. It does happen, of course, but it's not likely.

 

Aside from that, the key is situational awareness. You need to keep your head up and stay aware of what's going on around you. After I'd been doing it a while, I discovered that I was almost never surprised by something that someone did. By "almost never", I mean it happened maybe once a month when I was commuting 120 miles a day, five days a week with probably half of that pure lane-splitting. I don't know how many cars I passed per month in that mode but it has to be in the hundreds of thousands. So...one surprise per 100K cars passed is pretty good odds.

 

Those surprises were not "HOLY SH*T!!!!" moments either. Just something I wasn't expecting that required me to alter my plan slightly. Managing the speed difference between you and everyone else, making slight speed variations to time passes with times where you are least likely to have issues, and keeping the bike in a good gear and covering the brakes gives you the ability to get out of most problems, should they arise.

 

Another big advantage of splitting is it means you're constantly moving forward through the rest of traffic. You don't have eyes in the back of your head. Yes, the bike has mirrors, but you can't spend much time looking in them since most of your attention needs to be ahead of you. When you're splitting and therefore going faster than everyone else, there's very little worry about something that you didn't see coming up and hitting you from behind.

 

If you're sitting there in traffic driving like a cager, you are to a large degree relying on other people to follow the rules, see you, and not run over you. That's a pretty big ask given the skillset and mental attitude of the average cager. When you're splitting, you're taking all of that away. You are taking sole responsibility for your wellbeing and you no longer even care if any of the other drivers see you, because it doesn't matter.

 

Another thing to ask yourself....What is the closure rate when that car behind you runs into you? What's the closure rate durin the average lane-change? You'll most likely see the lane change happening because by the time the car is out of your view, it is no longer a threat. If someone changes lanes into you, you have the option of just moving with them into the new lane while braking/accelerating to stay clear. The exception is, of course, if they were changing lanes into a gap that doesn't exist. In that (very rare) case, braking or accelerating will do.

 

 

If I'm riding and aware, (which I hope is always) I am constantly evaluating all the alternatives available to me whether legal or illegal should the unforseen occur. If I happen to lane split in the act of accident avoidance I certainly won't contemplate its legality before its execusion.

 

Yup, but like I said...it's VERY difficult to be aware of what's going on behind you. Most of the time, the best you can hope for is to detect something going wrong and react to it. That means you're already behind the curve before you've even started to react.

[Albert]

Very well spelled out, you've increased my understanding of the technique. Most of your points make sense to me too. However you would need to vastly increase the size of my cajones to get me to try it though.

[motoguy128]

Lane splitting is made much easier if hte cars EXPECT motorcyle to regularly pass them on the right when traveling in the left lane. It alos help if car use turn signals and their rear view mirrors when changing lanes.

 

As I mentioned in another post. In very heavy traffic in France, I witnessd very efficient lane splitting by motor cops and other mostly riders on heavy sport touring bikes. The traffic was flowing at maybe 80-90kph, and the motorcycles were crusing at around 110-120kph. I think the posted limit was 120 or 130kph. They were doing this around banked turns as well. You could see all the cars edge over the the left ot let them through.

 

But alas... most Europeans actually pay attention to what they are doing when driving and actually use their mirrors and signals. I think part of socialism is respecting that you share public space and not having a sense of entitlement.

 

The US isn't ready for socialism if that is a requirement... so perhaps we're not ready for lane splitting. We can't even stop folks from cruising in the left lane.

[jaytee]

Russell hit most of the salient points, IMHO, but a couple thoughts to add or elaborate on:

 

I have been hit three times by cars coming into my lane when I was between two cars - it is rare, no doubt, but it does happen... The first time my foot was rubbed by their tire, the second time a mirror hit my mirror and the third time the side of a panelvan hit my handlebar. In all cases the car immediately heard/felt the contact and swerved hard away from me as I accelerated out. Once, when a car started to cut into me I reached out and thumped thier trunk and they swerved back into their lane. Never was I in any danger of losing control of the bike. In every case I felt safer in the horrific traffic conditions than had I been restricted to the lane between two bored and distracted drivers.

 

In my opinion, ALL those rare events ended MUCH better than had I taken that contact from behind.

 

Look, all the car drivers on the road (idiots notwithstanding) train themselves to check for *cars* before they lane change. Cars are bigger, have larger lights, and are generally easier to spot. I am never truly worried when I am splitting between two cars. I am, however, worried when I am passing slow cars on one side with open spaces to the other. I have many times had to ride out a lane change beside the car changing into me and ended up splitting a whole lane over.

 

As to Fear, when you first start splitting it is admittedly *terrifying*. It is a completely different skill set and requires time and practice to master. It is also mentally exhausting.

 

Albert: Unfortunately statistics are not only hard to come by but also of dubious value. I can, annecdotally, say that *every* motorcyclist I know and *every* motorcyclist that they know (when I've asked) that commutes in places that traffic is heavy lane splits and would never think about not doing it during rush hour.

 

Why? It *is* safer. Eliminating rear-end car on motorcycle violence increases your survivability of a car caused accident significantly on roads where left-turns are impossible (i.e. highway/freeways) Also, you spend *less* time exposed to traffic since on a typical 50 mile one-way commute you probably spend 10-15 minutes less than if you stayed in your lane. It is my opinion that virtually any major metro area would be well served by allowing lane splitting. It relieves congestion during rush hour, lowers air polution, frees up parking, speeds up traffic, and generally makes your teeth whiter!

 

So why arent their more places that allow it? I have to think that FEAR is the main reason why. It looks dangerous (so it must be more dangerous)and startles car drivers that are not used to it. Motorcyclists who dont have the skill sets are likewise intimidated and so do not push for it in states where it is not legal. Lane sharing also offends some people's sense of fairness: "I have to wait in this long ass line of parked/slow cars so YOU DO TOO!!"

 

Finally, I like to sport/tour (emphasis on the sport). The lack of legal splitting has just about eliminated any state but California from my itenerary. I am not willing to compromise my safety, not to mention having to avoid all metro areas in other jurisdictions. I could just ignore the law and figure if traffic is that bad no cop is likely to get me, but then I wouold ahve to deal with irate locals who open doors in front of illegaly splitting motorcycles and whatnot.

 

Califonia is a nutty place in a lot of regards, but they certainly have this right.

 

JT

 

 

[upflying]

Lane splitting threads are like loud exhaust, tires and oil threads. Everyone has an opinion.

I've been splitting safely for 20 years. The concentration needed to split makes you a better and safer rider. Splitting is the #1 reason for owning a bike in Ca..car pool lane privileges/free toll crossings is second.

[vizhip]

I guess the problem I see around here is, the lanes are so narrow that the trucks barely fit them these days... and splitting them could sandwiche you easily between 2 of the 18 wheelers...

 

I was following a friend who was riding on his Harley... and even riding in the single lane, a 18 wheeler moved into him to force him AND me off to the side... I think the only reason he stopped was because he saw my car (yes, I was in a cage) and froze with the outside wheels in our lane before he moved back into his own lane...

 

He never intended to SWITCH lanes, he just fell out of position... and that fall off almost caused both of us to wreck, because there was no escape due to the concrete barriers next to us...

 

The other thing that bothers me about lane splitting is... what do you do in the rain... when that little white line that you are straddling becomes slick ???

 

and what do you do when you come up on another motorcycle splitting lanes that is going much slower than you ??? or if a motorcycle comes up behind you screaming out of the sun ???

 

I have enough trouble just riding on the road right now, I don't think I could begin to get a handle on lane splitting...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[Dave_C]

Lane splitting is made much easier if hte cars EXPECT motorcyle to regularly pass them on the right when traveling in the left lane. It alos help if car use turn signals and their rear view mirrors when changing lanes.

 

As I mentioned in another post. In very heavy traffic in France, I witnessd very efficient lane splitting by motor cops and other mostly riders on heavy sport touring bikes. The traffic was flowing at maybe 80-90kph, and the motorcycles were crusing at around 110-120kph. I think the posted limit was 120 or 130kph. They were doing this around banked turns as well.

 

You could see all the cars edge over the the left ot let them through.

 

But alas... most Europeans actually pay attention to what they are doing when driving and actually use their mirrors and signals. I think part of socialism is respecting that you share public space and not having a sense of entitlement.

 

The US isn't ready for socialism if that is a requirement... so perhaps we're not ready for lane splitting. We can't even stop folks from cruising in the left lane.

 

 

I'm sorry Motoguy, you don't get it being in Iowa. The way people drive in a big city, they aren't ever EXPECTING anything, so it's best to just slip by them before they've noticed. The 405 is no 2-lane highway.

[Dennis Andress]

Oh Wow! Another lane splitting thread!!

 

Lane splitting -- in large California cities -- is cool. Try it on CA 99 somewhere between Bakersfield and Fresno and watch the cager road rage. Point being, there is more acceptance of it in places where traffic sucks. It wasn't this way 10 or 15 years ago. But, then we lane split to get out of traffic, now we do it for safety. Legalizing it in another state would only begin the process.

 

[motoguy128]

 

Finally, I like to sport/tour (emphasis on the sport). The lack of legal splitting has just about eliminated any state but California from my itenerary. I am not willing to compromise my safety, not to mention having to avoid all metro areas in other jurisdictions. I could just ignore the law and figure if traffic is that bad no cop is likely to get me, but then I wouold ahve to deal with irate locals who open doors in front of illegaly splitting motorcycles and whatnot.

 

 

 

I find this a little commical because the best roads to ride are place where lane splitting isn't possible or unnessesary. When traveling on the motorcycle, I avoid major metro areas like the plague.

 

I guess what I'm pointing out is that lane splitting only really needed on congested 4+ lane roads and highways. These are hardly ideal places for sport touring... and there usually a way around these areas that includes great twisty, scenic roads.

 

You my friend... need ot get out of hte suburbs and metro areas and explore all the million of miles low traffic rural roads. Having a GS...adds gravel roads which gurantees you won't run into any traffic jams.

 

 

For me, lane splitting would be a nice convenience, but it stil doesn't make riding through area like Chicago pleasurable.

 

 

Is dental work enjoyable just because they inject pain blocking meds into you gums???

 

 

 

I'm just not sure I could argue that threading you way through stop and go traffic makes you a lot safer. I think you're simply trading one risk for another... specifically getting rear ended for hitting the side of a car that changes lanes in front of you or takes our your rear wheel just as you pass... maybe even intentionally to block you path. Now instead of being hit from behind, you are poentially thrown to the pavement, into the side of another car, or if traffic is moving...you risk being run over.

[Funride]

Hmmmmm,

 

I live near Philly, the Big Apple, and Boston. The drivers up here in the NE would think nothing of suddenly turning to CUT YOU OFF. They would be upset with the fact that your passing them and cut you off "to prove a point". Not because they don't see you.

 

Around here it is not so much an issue of not being seen but rather I am bigger than you and can cut you off.

 

I wait in line keeping one eye in the rear view mirror ready to hit the gas if the guy/girl behind me is not slowing down because he is on the cell or doing the fix the hair thing.

[smiller]

Lane splitting threads are like loud exhaust, tires and oil threads. Everyone has an opinion. I've been splitting safely for 20 years. The concentration needed to split makes you a better and safer rider.

Yep. And yes, everyone has an opinion but only some have any real experience. And it's probably a good idea to have some of that before commenting on relative safety. In reality lane splitting is much safer than the alternative in heavy stop-and-go traffic. That, and given the huge number of motorcyclists doing it every day in California one might expect pure carnage yet somehow... not.

 

One can postulate endlessly about how dangerous it 'looks' but in the end we have several real-world labs (California and most European cites) where the danger just doesn't seem to materialize. I don't see how one can argue against real world experience. And if car drivers 'aren't used to it' then change the law and they'll get used to it. I haven't had to ride very much in urban traffic since leaving California but when I do it's terrifying just waiting for someone to rear-end me. I can't tell you how much more dangerous it feels to ride on a stop-and-go freeway when you can't lane split. Prohibiting it in that environment is stupid, just plain stupid.

[4wheeldog]

I guess the problem I see around here is, the lanes are so narrow that the trucks barely fit them these days... and splitting them could sandwiche you easily between 2 of the 18 wheelers...

 

I was following a friend who was riding on his Harley... and even riding in the single lane, a 18 wheeler moved into him to force him AND me off to the side... I think the only reason he stopped was because he saw my car (yes, I was in a cage) and froze with the outside wheels in our lane before he moved back into his own lane...

 

He never intended to SWITCH lanes, he just fell out of position... and that fall off almost caused both of us to wreck, because there was no escape due to the concrete barriers next to us...

 

The other thing that bothers me about lane splitting is... what do you do in the rain... when that little white line that you are straddling becomes slick ???

 

and what do you do when you come up on another motorcycle splitting lanes that is going much slower than you ??? or if a motorcycle comes up behind you screaming out of the sun ???

 

I have enough trouble just riding on the road right now, I don't think I could begin to get a handle on lane splitting...

 

Regards -

-Bob

 

First off, lane splitting is a misnomer......You are actually sharing a lane. It is illegal to swerve back and forth between lanes, so you do not actually ride on the line. Second, your fear of getting caught next to a vehicle is not the problem you might think, because you are never more than 1/2 a vehicle length from not splitting......All you have to do is resume a normal lane position to stop splitting, which requires you to finish passing a vehicle or drop behind one. Your manueverability is a big plus.

 

There is a lot to get a handle on when you first do it, but splitting is definitely an option worth using, if it is available.

[Dennis Andress]

Hmmmmm,

 

I live near Philly, the Big Apple, and Boston. The drivers up here in the NE would think nothing of suddenly turning to CUT YOU OFF. They would be upset with the fact that your passing them and cut you off "to prove a point". Not because they don't see you.

 

Around here it is not so much an issue of not being seen but rather I am bigger than you and can cut you off.

 

I wait in line keeping one eye in the rear view mirror ready to hit the gas if the guy/girl behind me is not slowing down because he is on the cell or doing the fix the hair thing.

 

We went through that exact thing maybe 15 years ago. In some areas, cagers still behave that way on weekends.

[Dennis Andress]

I'm just not sure I could argue that threading you way through stop and go traffic makes you a lot safer. I think you're simply trading one risk for another... specifically getting rear ended for hitting the side of a car that changes lanes in front of you or takes our your rear wheel just as you pass... maybe even intentionally to block you path.

 

 

Splitting works best when you and your bike are nimble and able to move quickly. I find that I lose my agility at speeds below about 25. If things get so bad that I have to "thread" my way I'll usually stop and take a look around for a better approach.

[russell_bynum]

Lane splitting threads are like loud exhaust, tires and oil threads. Everyone has an opinion. I've been splitting safely for 20 years. The concentration needed to split makes you a better and safer rider.

Yep. And yes, everyone has an opinion but only some have any real experience. And it's probably a good idea to have some of that before commenting on relative safety. In reality lane splitting is much safer than the alternative in heavy stop-and-go traffic. That, and given the huge number of motorcyclists doing it every day in California one might expect pure carnage yet somehow... not.

 

One can postulate endlessly about how dangerous it 'looks' but in the end we have several real-world labs (California and most European cites) where the danger just doesn't seem to materialize. I don't see how one can argue against real world experience. And if car drivers 'aren't used to it' then change the law and they'll get used to it. I haven't had to ride very much in urban traffic since leaving California but when I do it's terrifying just waiting for someone to rear-end me. I can't tell you how much more dangerous it feels to ride on a stop-and-go freeway when you can't lane split. Prohibiting it in that environment is stupid, just plain stupid.

 

+1

 

One of these days I will probably get a ticket for splitting in a state that doesn't allow it. Whatever...I'll gladly be alive to deal with the ticket vs. squashed under an SUV somewhere. I do NOT want them to put "At least he wasn't breaking the law" on my tombstone.

 

And FWIW, I had pretty much the same objections and concerns to splitting as everyone else before I started riding. After about a week of commuting and not lane splitting, I tried it out of sheer terror. Once I broke down that artificial "this is dangerous" wall in my head I realized how much more in control of the situation I was. Instead of taking a defensive position (while hugely outnumbered and outgunned), I went on the offensive. There's still risk, of course...you're on a piss-ant little motorcycle sharing the road with multi-ton vehicles. But...when you're splitting, you're playing to different rules where you can use the bike's characteristics (namely "narrow" and "nimble") and to your advantage rather than playing by the car's rules and having those things be a disadvantage.

[Mister Tee]

One of these days I will probably get a ticket for splitting in a state that doesn't allow it. Whatever...I'll gladly be alive to deal with the ticket vs. squashed under an SUV somewhere. I do NOT want them to put "At least he wasn't breaking the law" on my tombstone.

 

And FWIW, I had pretty much the same objections and concerns to splitting as everyone else before I started riding. After about a week of commuting and not lane splitting, I tried it out of sheer terror. Once I broke down that artificial "this is dangerous" wall in my head I realized how much more in control of the situation I was. Instead of taking a defensive position (while hugely outnumbered and outgunned), I went on the offensive. There's still risk, of course...you're on a piss-ant little motorcycle sharing the road with multi-ton vehicles. But...when you're splitting, you're playing to different rules where you can use the bike's characteristics (namely "narrow" and "nimble") and to your advantage rather than playing by the car's rules and having those things be a disadvantage.

 

+1

 

The Tee learned to ride in a State that does not allow lane splitting, and started it when he came to California. In some of our major cities, if you don't lane split, you don't MOVE.

[upflying]

Just a bit more explanation on my previous "better and safer rider" comment. Safe and successful splitting requires intense concentration. You basically read every vehicle you pass and expect and anticipate the unexpected. This leads to perfection, excellence and self-discipline. Not bad attributes to have when riding in any situation.

Can I go far to say that lane splitting could make you a better overall rider because many consider splitting dangerous?

Would you agree dangerous activity promotes self-preservation and hones your survival skills?

[Jeepster]

I wait in line keeping one eye in the rear view mirror ready to hit the gas if the guy/girl behind me is not slowing down because he is on the cell or doing the fix the hair thing.

And if you have a cage in front of you at a light where are you going to go? Probably right where you would be if you were lane sharing.

Safely tucked up beside a car where approaching cars would have a hard time hitting you. Just because some people want to split lanes is no reason you HAVE to do it.

It is just another useful tool to have if you need it.

Personally I'm with Russell on this I still do it outside Ca.as conservatively as I think I can get away with

Just a bit more explanation on my previous "better and safer rider" comment. Safe and successful splitting requires intense concentration. You basically read every vehicle you pass and expect and anticipate the unexpected. This leads to perfection, excellence and self-discipline. Not bad attributes to have when riding in any situation.

+1 Thanks Bob well put.

[der Wanderer]

In reality lane splitting is much safer than the alternative in heavy stop-and-go traffic. That, and given the huge number of motorcyclists doing it every day in California one might expect pure carnage yet somehow... not.

 

I don't know of the statistics in CA. I know lane splitting (not lane sharing) is very common in Paris. I also know it's a carnage.

 

I don't think it's possible to make statements as absolute as "lane splitting is much safer than in the alternative". It's clearly a way to move much faster than the rest of traffic while shifting risk from one type of risk to another.

 

Making that choice is one's prerogative, but putting nice rosy colored glasses on top of it could end up making one less safe by underestimating the risks.

[jaytee]

The lack of legal splitting has just about eliminated any state but California from my itenerary. I am not willing to compromise my safety, not to mention having to avoid all metro areas in other jurisdictions.

 

I find this a little commical because the best roads to ride are place where lane splitting isn't possible or unnessesary. When traveling on the motorcycle, I avoid major metro areas like the plague.

 

I think you completely missed my point. To get to anywhere requires traveling on freeways and local highways. In California, I don't have to time every approach to the next metro area to coincide with the least traffic in order to get through it to the other side as quickly as possible. Also, I don't have to worry about road construction so much, or slow coastal traffic. If you have never ridden PCH (CA-1) then you wouldn't understand what I'm talking about - but trust me that San Diego to San Francisco along PCH is a beautiful stretch marred by constant traffic.

 

I want to GET to the sport touring location, not spend all my time on sub-par byways that in CA are often just flat argiculture land in order to arrive in Mendocino County or the Western Sierra. I completely agree that once I am where I want to spend a day or two riding the 'sport' roads I avoid metro areas, but if you only have 4-5 days I would much rather GET THERE rather than put along through half a dozen cities rush hours in line with all the other cagers.

 

 

I guess what I'm pointing out is that lane splitting only really needed on congested 4+ lane roads and highways. These are hardly ideal places for sport touring... and there usually a way around these areas that includes great twisty, scenic roads.

 

You my friend... need ot get out of the suburbs and metro areas and explore all the million of miles low traffic rural roads. Having a GS...adds gravel roads which gurantees you won't run into any traffic jams.

 

Again, I think you completely miss the point. Look, Southern California is a VAST city. It covers a tremendous amount of miles and every road is attached to a town, city, metroplex. Every city has locals going to and from work and shopping. Everywhere there is good riding has traffic surrounding it until you get WAY up in Northern California - and I can almost be in *Texas* if I am putting in that kind of mileage on a trip. Don't get me wrong, I like to take back roads when I can, but in other states you seriously sacrifice travel time to get there. Not to mention, I lane share on 2 lane roads frequently. It takes me to the front of traffic stopped at lights, gets me around slowdowns caused by construction, gets me through hot low-lying valleys where there is often not enough roads for the locals to use (can anyone say NAPA??)

 

For me, lane splitting would be a nice convenience, but it stil doesn't make riding through area like Chicago pleasurable. Is dental work enjoyable just because they inject pain blocking meds into you gums???

 

It's not that its pleasurable, it's that it's *safer* and *faster*. But don't take my word for it, ask those who have the skill and opportunity.

 

I'm just not sure I could argue that threading you way through stop and go traffic makes you a lot safer. I think you're simply trading one risk for another... specifically getting rear ended for hitting the side of a car that changes lanes in front of you or takes our your rear wheel just as you pass... maybe even intentionally to block you path. Now instead of being hit from behind, you are poentially thrown to the pavement, into the side of another car, or if traffic is moving...you risk being run over.

 

That's because you are ignorant of the subject. (I am not trying to insult you here...) I completely understand that people with very limited experience with lane sharing or who have only seen it done by law-breakers in states where it is ilegal have a sceptical point of view. But take it from the horses mouth - it *is* safer and it speeds traffic not only for the motorcyclist, but for all the other cars as well.

 

What really gets me is that so many motorcyclists that don't live in CA assume that the same respected CA board members they take riding tips, tech tips and travel tips from are somehow idiots to our experienced, reasoned position on lane-sharing. Why would you listen to us on everything else and randomly decide that since it isn't done where you live that we don't know what we are talking about???

 

JT

[der Wanderer]

JT, you (or CA) don't have a monopoly on lane splitting. I have done it in several European countries, in Japan and in several states in the US, for thousands of miles.

 

I agree with Bob's comments on concentration, but with a challenge to him. Why would you not always ride with that level of concentration? Especially if the risk is higher when not line splitting, your awareness should be even higher then?

 

Or in the contrary, maybe the increased concentration is a consequence of the intrinsic risk in line splitting. If it was so safe, why bother? I fully understand that doing it right requires very acute skills, but possessing those skills does not magically erase the risk, it merely helps manage it.

 

In my experience, I have line split for one and only one reason: to gain time. I happen to believe that where and when I have done it, it was riskier than not doing it (and as a matter of fact the only time I went down was while line splitting and being ran out of room by a car that either did not see me or did not like me).

 

I have been willing at times to accept that risk, as a trade-off. It's a case by case basis, and I respect people who knowingly make that choice, as well as people who decide not to do it. What worries me is a perception that "it is safe (or safer)". That is in my view putting one's head in the sand.

 

That is my opinion based on my experience, but of course you are entitled to yours.

[russell_bynum]

Why would you not always ride with that level of concentration? Especially if the risk is higher when not line splitting, your awareness should be even higher then?

 

In a perfect world, you would.

 

But...when you are riding passively with the flow of traffic it is very difficult to stay in that state of focus.

 

When you are riding agressively, on the offense, it is much easier to stay engaged because you have to. Not because it's more risky, but because your strategy requires actively moving through traffic. Your focus is very specific: The clear path through the cars. When you are passive, your strategy doesn't REQUIRE you to do anything. You just ride along with everyone else. If you lose focus, most likely nothing is going to happen.

 

I'll say this much: I find lane splitting to actually be relaxing. Not while you're doing it, of course, but when I'm splitting, I'm 100% focused. I don't have a mortgage. I don't have something going on at work tomorrow. I don't have a leaky faucet to fix at home. All I have is the open path through the cars. When I'm done splitting, I always feel really refreshed and clear. I guess its a Zen experience for me. I get the same thing riding at the racetrack and shooting firearms.

[jaytee]

Or in the contrary, maybe the increased concentration is a consequence of the intrinsic risk in line splitting. If it was so safe, why bother? I fully understand that doing it right requires very acute skills, but possessing those skills does not magically erase the risk, it merely helps manage it.

 

...What worries me is a perception that "it is safe (or safer)". That is in my view putting one's head in the sand.

 

That is my opinion based on my experience, but of course you are entitled to yours.

 

If traffic is moving smoothly at 65-75mph then certainly lane sharing is a choice that is really only justified by wanting to save time.

 

But if you are talking rush-hour suburb or metro traffic moving at 15-50mph then I disagree. Yes, it's faster, but it also reduces risk for all the reasons stated earlier. It does require a certain level of familiarity and skill, yes, but you reduce the risk of the most common serious life-threatening car/bike encounter on the freeway significantly - i.e. getting rear-ended. In addition, when properly done, it significantly reduces the risk of a car coming into you by virtue of you being shielded by other cars in your lane. Finally, annecdotally, getting run into by a slow side-swipe between cars is much less likely to result in your going down than getting hit from behind.

 

It *is* safer. IMHO. But I lane split all the time. Literally every time I am on a bike I split lanes. I split them at every stop light. I split them every time the car-pool lane slows down. I split them every time I go to work. I split them every time I go on vacation. I do it becasue it helps me get places quickly, safely, and lowers my vehicle's footprint on community infrastructure.

 

Yes, it requires concentration. But MANY things require concentration. Requiring your attention does not make something inherrently unsafe, it just requires more decisions of you than hanging in a lane waiting for something to happen to you. It is a pro-active stance as opposed to a passive stance. Riding curves is not inherrently less safe than riding in a straight line through town, but, all things being equal, you are more likely to have someone turn left in front of you or fail to stop in town than sliding off the mountain side on the twisties.

 

As someone who also has some expereince on European roads, I challenge your experience in foreign countries as it relates to American metro areas based on road size (ours are generally larger), driving styles, traffic flows, road designs, etc. I think it's fair to say that in the US, California riders with their year-round good weather, heavy populated cities, and huge road network are some of the most expereinced lane splitters.

 

It still amazes me that whenever splitting threads come up we hear a typical chorus of nay-sayers from everywhere except where it is a reality of motorcycling. You would think forum members would give us a little more credit than that.

 

JT

[SWB]

Bingo, Russell.

 

I'm dang near paranoid about being hit from behind. I am under no delusions about lane splitting; I've seen things happen a few feet in front of me, like, for example, how quickly a sports car can move across 2 or 3 lanes right THRU where I could have been. In those situations, I tell myself "there but for the grace of God, I'm dead", if I'm in that nuts way. But like you, I feel I at least have a chance of controlling events if it's in front of me or to the side.

 

Lane splitting - ditto. I don't lane split if the lanes are marked too closely together. I keep a 10 to 15 mph speed differential (fast enough to clear most danger, but slow enough to lock up the binders and stop in most situations). I don't lane split over 35 or 45 mph tops, i.e. just not enough time to react to a vehicle a few feet away. The biggest risk, really, is the classic "following too closely" situation. You've got plenty of room to stop until you suddenly don't, after the cager ahead moves in front of you. If you're at too-close quarters and traveling too fast when he makes his move; SMACKDOWN.

 

And, like another poster mentioned, I'll avoid lane splitting if reasonably possible. It leaves me exhausted too, mentally and physically. Lane splitting for 45 minutes is a bit like close quarters combat, intense, focused, and "life and death". Not fun at all, but sometimes better and safer than the alternative.

 

Scott

[der Wanderer]

It still amazes me that whenever splitting threads come up we hear a typical chorus of nay-sayers from everywhere except where it is a reality of motorcycling. You would think forum members would give us a little more credit than that.

 

Seems like you did not read or understand my point.

1) I have lane split as a daily reality for years in many countries, including in the US (even though my experience here is much less indeed, and your points on road width difference, etc, have some value - I say some because cars are also quite different in size, but at the end of the day it's drivers who matter). In any case you still give me the impression that you think you have a monopoly on experience and informed opinion. Not the case.

2) I am not a nay-sayer; I am not saying it should not be done; I am questioning, based both on my experience and on the very statements made here by people who line-split, whether one can reasonably affirm that it is safer. I have no problem with you or anyone doing it - and I will likely continue doing it myself, where and when I decide to. But I don't have my head in the sand with respect to the risk of doing it. I just do it to save time, with full understanding that I trade one type of risk for another.

3) Since we all agree on one thing - it takes special skills and training and concentration - I am sure you would agree that there must be risk? As a skydiver and someone who has done a lot of very risky stuff, I know that skills and training and concentration are the tools I use to manage and mitigate risk. Does not mean there is no risk.

4) I'll liken it to speed. No doubt riding at 150 mph is riskier than riding at 50 mph (in the same conditions). To do it well requires skills, concentration, etc. Concentration tends to increase with speed, and helps hone skills, much as Bob described line splitting does. That will help manage the risk but not remove it.

 

[jaytee]

...In any case you still give me the impression that you think you have a monopoly on experience and informed opinion. Not the case.

 

Granted. My appologies for apparently sounding arrogant.

 

 

I am sure you would agree that there must be risk? As a skydiver and someone who has done a lot of very risky stuff, I know that skills and training and concentration are the tools I use to manage and mitigate risk. Does not mean there is no risk.

 

Here I think you miss my point. Any activitiy involving motorcycles is inherently dangerous. Mitigating risk is something that skills, practice, familiarity, strategy and raw talent all play a role in. I am giving my personal opinion - based on being a current active all-the-time lane sharer/splitter - that given the totality of personal experience, thoughtful reason, what I have read on accident statistics (incomplete data for sure), other's annecdotal experiences (and no doubt personal bias), that on the whole, lane splitting, once mastered, has the net effect of *reducing* risk of great bodily injury or death on the style roads with which I have the most experience: namely, western US metropolitan highways. This is not just a casual opinion.

 

 

4) I'll liken it to speed. No doubt riding at 150 mph is riskier than riding at 50 mph (in the same conditions). To do it well requires skills, concentration, etc. Concentration tends to increase with speed, and helps hone skills, much as Bob described line splitting does. That will help manage the risk but not remove it.

 

But is it riskier to ride in Southern California-style rush hour traffic (where nearly all of the quite common accidents are rear-end hits) inbetween the car and truck-sized bread of a motorcyclist sandwich or by learning how to confidently lane share/split and removing that risk entirely? I submit not.

 

JT

[EffBee]

Look at it like a boxing match. I'm TRYING to hit you, whether of malice or incompetence. If you are in a fixed position, I'm going to clobber you. If you're agile and are using the entire available area to dart, duck, slide through and zip, I'm going to have a lot harder time. Sure, if you're in motion you do run the risk of "running into" a punch. But if you're on the lookout and learn to see what I do to telegraph my actions before I take them, you can avoid the sucker punch.

 

Personally, give me the freedom and let me decide how best to use it to my advantage. Otherwise, I am the equivalent of tethered to the car in front of me and am at the total mercy of the car behind me and whatever skills he/she has surrendered to their immediate need for music, food, make-up, cell phone, texting, miscreant offspring, etc. I'd rather bet on me.

[leikam]

Debating the relative risk of splitting v.s. not strikes me as a bit like debating the best technique for running with the bulls. The bigger risk is getting on a bike in the first place.

 

That said, I split lanes every time I ride... on the freeway, on surface streets, in heavy traffic, in light traffic, at a crawl, at full speed, in the rain, in the dark, on a curve, on dark rainy nights between two big rigs on a freeway connector ramp. Traffic moves in clumps. I'll do what I can to be outside of those clumps.

[sgendler]

I don't know of the statistics in CA. I know lane splitting (not lane sharing) is very common in Paris. I also know it's a carnage.

 

I'm wondering how you know this? I did a lot of lane splitting in Paris, and aside from the difficulty of doing so on a big BMW in a european city with mostly narrow roads, I found it pretty much the same as here, only with many, many, many more motorcycles and scooters than you get over here. Also, there was apparently no requirement for two wheeled vehicles to actually abide by traffic laws. Riding on sidewalks, riding up the wrong side of the center line, going the wrong way up one way streets, and riding across pedestrian squares was just par for the course (and really fun once you got used to it). Lane splitting on french motorways was incredibly easy and disciplined, with cars leaving lots of room and every single vehicle on the road aware enough of others to get out of the way in advance of a car closing from the rear. In Italy, I saw plenty of people lane splitting up the center lane of a 2 lane highway in heavy traffic - folks lane splitting in both directions in the same space presents a whole new challenge.

 

Count me among the folks who have been lane splitting for a decade with very few incidents. I am almost never surprised by the behaviour of drivers and can usually tell when a driver is going to move over on me even before they know it themselves, just because I can see the pattern of the traffic and can see that they are going to think that gap up there is going to be free just as I slide through it. So I don't.

 

In 10 years, I've had 2 incidents where cars juked over into a gap I was about to occupy with no warning whatsoever. In both cases, the cars were at a complete standstill and the driver pulled a no-warning lane switch in order to avoid having the gap closed on them after signaling. In neither case did I lose control of the motorcycle or get injured (I got a bruise on my inner thigh from having it squeezed into the tank, once). Fundamentally, a car changing lanes from 0mph just can't do it that quickly. I didn't have time to get completely out of the way, but I had enough time to start my maneuver and blunt the force of the impact to the point of being negligible. I'll take that over a rear-ending any day. 2 incidents in 10 years is pretty good odds since most of those years were better than 50,000 mile years with 30,000+ commuting miles. Safer than track days, apparently

 

I don't think it's possible to make statements as absolute as "lane splitting is much safer than in the alternative". It's clearly a way to move much faster than the rest of traffic while shifting risk from one type of risk to another.

 

Making that choice is one's prerogative, but putting nice rosy colored glasses on top of it could end up making one less safe by underestimating the risks.

 

I don't think anyone here is discounting the risks inherent in lane splitting. We are just making the point that the risks inherent in lane splitting in a sane manner are obviously lower than the risks of not lane splitting in the same traffic to anyone who has actually spent any time doing it. There is probably a window of time when you first start lane splitting when that isn't necessarily the case, and you do have to survive the learning process, but once you have, there is just no doubt in my mind that the average rider is safer lane splitting than not. A rider who is poor at it, either because of timidity or poor peripheral vision or alertness, may not agree, but there is no doubt in my mind that for a rider who is even of average skill, lane splitting is the safer alternative - never mind its convenience.

 

Additionally, I actually find it to be kind of fun. It is mentally challenging in a way that riding a twisty road is not - more like playing chess than riding a motorcycle, really - and I enjoy both modes of riding quite a bit.

[sgendler]

I guess the problem I see around here is, the lanes are so narrow that the trucks barely fit them these days... and splitting them could sandwiche you easily between 2 of the 18 wheelers...

 

Lane splitting is something of a misnomer. If traffic is moving faster than 10mph or so, generally you don't pass directly between two cars all that often. more often than not, you are snaking along, passing the car to your left while you are between the two cars on your right and vice versa. the gap isn't big enough for a car to move into, but it is big enough for the bike. I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone into the canyon between two big rigs and 4 of those 5 were probably done when the trucks were at a complete standstill. A truck on one side with cars on the other isn't a big deal unless his lane position is right on the line.

 

He never intended to SWITCH lanes, he just fell out of position... and that fall off almost caused both of us to wreck, because there was no escape due to the concrete barriers next to us...

 

Exactly why most folks will only pass a truck with cars on the other side. Additionally, because trucks can drift around a little very close to the line, most truck drivers are much more careful when side by side with other vehicles. Your guy didn't see you, so he was careless. But if there were 2 or 3 cars next to him, the odds of him sliding out of his lane are actually considerably lower.

 

The other thing that bothers me about lane splitting is... what do you do in the rain... when that little white line that you are straddling becomes slick ???

 

The vast majority of freeways in california don't have painted lines. They have reflective, hard plastic bumps called Botts dots, laid out in groups of 4 or 5. You cannot comfortably ride on them in dry or wet conditions, but you have reasonable traction on them in either. Nobody rides on the line. You have to alternate between one side or the other. All lane splitters are accustomed to timing their lane switches to fall in between the groups of dots. In fact, it takes some time to train yourself to be willing to ride over the dots if you need to. Many riders won't make a move if they have to hit the dots, prefering to drop the anchors instead. It's kind of annoying if you are stuck behind them. Which brings us to...

 

and what do you do when you come up on another motorcycle splitting lanes that is going much slower than you ??? or if a motorcycle comes up behind you screaming out of the sun ???

 

It's really not a big deal. Most riders are aware enough to spot a rider behind them in relatively short order and then it is trivial to drop in behind the next car and let the other bike past. On the fairly rare occasions that I get stuck behind someone going very slow who doesn't notice, I wait a while and then shift over to the next lane and pass him or else I wait for a gap in the lane next to him and go around. It is pretty rare that I need to do it, though. Most folks tend to split at similar speeds.

 

 

[sgendler]

Hmmmmm,

 

I live near Philly, the Big Apple, and Boston. The drivers up here in the NE would think nothing of suddenly turning to CUT YOU OFF. They would be upset with the fact that your passing them and cut you off "to prove a point". Not because they don't see you.

 

You'd think that, based on their behaviour with other cars, but I lane split a fair bit in Boston, NYC, and Washington DC and didn't find it markedly more difficult, or the response from drivers terribly different, than in California. The surface streets of Boston and NYC are narrower, which makes it a little more difficult on a big bike, but road rage was no more prevalent than in california, in the several hundred miles I've ridden in each of those cities. Hardly a scientific sampling, but it is what I observed.

[Francois_Dumas]

I do it, everybody here does it... just sitting in a traffic jam with your bike is not only very boring, you also look ridiculous doing that in this country.

 

Do I like it?

Nope.

Is it safe?

Not really..... but that greatly depends on where you are, and how you do it.

 

(It is certainly not common, OR allowed, in ALL European countries).

 

One comment somewhere up was interesting: 'most accidents on freeways are rear-enders'.

Maybe in the US,can't agree to that here.

 

Most accidents in Europe seem to be caused by trucks overturning these days.

Their drivers falling asleep, making coffee, driving too fast, not keeping their distance....

 

Second, especially in vacation times (July/August) come weird accidents caused by inexperienced (long-haul) vacation-drivers. They too fall asleep, react strangely in emergency situations etc.

 

Rear-ending happens mostly when there's fog.... that happens a lot here, being a coastal country. I don't care to be on the road on the bike in fog, or after dark and try to avoid it in the car even.

 

No, lane splitting isn't 'safe', nor is any other activity on the bike.

Just eating our modern food isn't safe anymore either.. so there...

[upflying]

Coincidentally, this article appeared in the August 15th issue of the "Contra Costa Times".

It is a report of a motorcyclist who was taken off life support at a local hospital. The motorcyclist was riding a Harley Davidson on Highway 24 in the Lafayette area.

 

According to CHP officer Tom Maguire, "Arroyo was traveling eastbound at 65 mph in heavy traffic and splitting lanes when a green four-dorr vehicle made sudden lane change, forcing the motorcyclist to move out of the way. This caused Arroyo to lose control of the motorcycle which began swerving and eventually both riders were thrown off".

 

Reports like this is a great example of how lane splitting could someday become illegal in California.

Remember, freedoms are taken away when someone abuses them.

 

[Ralph_OK]

I would love to be able to split lanes. But, unfortunatly (or fortunatly, depending on how you look at it), I live in Oklahoma city where there is rarely any traffic . Sorry, don't mean to brag . Of course, the other problem is there are few curves , so I guess that's the drawback.

 

Seriously, when travelling thru major cities with actual traffic is terrible. I haven't had the previledge on a bike yet, only in cages. Most of my motorcycle trips have been to Arkansas, so no traffic there either. I appreciate all of you guys' input. If I ever get out to California (on a bike), I look forward to lane splitting. I try to soak up all of the knowledge I can so that I can be smart about it. I'm sure there are a lot of new to CA or young riders that just split lanes without knowing what to expect. I want to be prepared.

 

Ralph

[Smoky]

EffBee,

 

You've recently moved from LA to Seattle.

 

How have you found the riding in city traffic without the ability to lane-split?

 

Has it been as big a difference as you expected?

[pbbeck]

Interesting legal tidbit, though I can't remember where I heard this. I think it might have been here on this forum. The CA vehicle code (CVC) works a little differently than in other states. In a state like Massachusetts, the vehicle code defines behaviors that are legal. Behaviors that lie outside those definitions are considered illegal. In CA, the CVC defines those behaviors that are illegal, and what is not specifically addressed in the CVC are considered legal. Lane splitting or lane sharing is not addressed at all by the CVC, and is technically not illegal.

 

Russell... you are spot on about situational awareness. You're right... in all the years I've been splitting, I haven't been truly surprised by anything. Plus, one thing I've noticed is that in many cases, the tolerances really aren't as close as they may appear from the perspective of the car driver. As sgendler notes, most often it's an exercise of snaking around cars - not going directly between them (especially with a bagged-up Beemer!) But that's where the law can bite you in the hiney. While the CVC says nothing about lane-splitting, it has a lot to say about unsafe lane changes.

[Dave in Doodah]

This all makes me want to move to CA... anybody want to hire an over-paid, middle aged, pastey cabana boy?

[knight88]

I'm sorry Motoguy, you don't get it being in Iowa. The way people drive in a big city, they aren't ever EXPECTING anything, so it's best to just slip by them before they've noticed. The 405 is no 2-lane highway.

 

That's what I do, pass them before they know what happened, LOL

[Dave39]

I split lanes for the first time on my recent Oregon tour. I would never have attempted doing it except that the traffic was essentially at a stand-still. I saw something last week that convinced me that it can be very dangerous. We were driving down a congested, grid-locked freeway (in a van) crawling along about 15-20mph when a HD chugged past us doing about 25-30mph lane splitting. Suddenly in front of him a car on his right switched to the left lane right in front of the bike. The rider had good enough reflexes to stop in time, but maybe not next time.

[Dave McReynolds]

I split lanes for the first time on my recent Oregon tour. I would never have attempted doing it except that the traffic was essentially at a stand-still. I saw something last week that convinced me that it can be very dangerous. We were driving down a congested, grid-locked freeway (in a van) crawling along about 15-20mph when a HD chugged past us doing about 25-30mph lane splitting. Suddenly in front of him a car on his right switched to the left lane right in front of the bike. The rider had good enough reflexes to stop in time, but maybe not next time.

 

When we lane split, we have to anticipate that every car that has a lane open to switch to will switch lanes, exactly as you describe. That's how we're able to have the reflexes needed to react as the rider you saw.

 

The danger of a car switching lanes is not limited to lane splitting. I once was following behind a car in the right lane. Next to that car was a Harley in the left lane. The car in the right lane, without signaling or looking, suddenly switched into the left lane, right where the Harley was. In one of the most beautiful moves I've ever seen a motorcycle make in traffic, the Harley swerved to the left until he was on the center stripe of the road, and accelerated past the car. There was no noticeable time lag between the time the car started swerving into him and the time he swerved out of the way. It was like they were dance partners, albeit in an unwilling dance, or like he was a matador in a bull fight. No finger gestures or shouted obscenities, just excellent professional control of his motorcycle. Whether the woman was ever even aware of what she'd almost done, I have no idea.

[vizhip]

Thanks 4wheeldog and sgendler for taking the time to better explain lane splitting... I definitely had a misconception there about what it was...

 

Doesn't mean I am considering it anytime soon... but it helps to understand what it is really about...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[Warren_H]

I recently installed a headlight modulator and find that it helps "move" cars out of the way. A modulator on a white RT would be the ticket.

[upflying]

I recently installed a headlight modulator and find that it helps "move" cars out of the way. A modulator on a white RT would be the ticket.

While cagers who move out of the way for a lane splitters are being courteous, there is no legal requirement them to do so. As for modulators, many motorists use flashing high beams as a form of a "visual" horn or an extended middle finger. Some ignorant drivers may interpret a modulator equipped motorcycle as kindling for road rage.

[jaytee]

I recently installed a headlight modulator and find that it helps "move" cars out of the way. A modulator on a white RT would be the ticket.

While cagers who move out of the way for a lane splitters are being courteous, there is no legal requirement them to do so. As for modulators, many motorists use flashing high beams as a form of a "visual" horn or an extended middle finger. Some ignorant drivers may interpret a modulator equipped motorcycle as kindling for road rage.

 

Yet another barn-burner of a topic - maybe I can work in oil too, somehow???

 

Anyway, having had modulators on bikes in SoCal, I can say with personal conviction that modulators have a net effect of many times more motorists noticing you and moving over while lane splitting. On one trip (where I anally counted) I had 35 cars move over during my Riverside to LA commute with a modulator running and only 8 move without it.

 

Now I admit that they can be annoying if a guy with a modulator on sits and rides your ass for no reasn, but when lane splitting they are immensely valuable.

 

JT

[upflying]

Jaytee, not saying they don't work but all it takes is that one who is annoyed by them. As an added bonus, a modulator may make some motorists think you are a LEO. Odd however, I never see modulators on LEO motorcycles..at least in Nor-Cal.