Lane-Sharing Graphic from OC Register

James Burleigh · Jun 22, 2008

I wanted to pull this out of FJRBluesman's post that addressed the article in general to focus on the lane-sharing graphic in particular. Also, I elected to post this under "California" instead of NEPRTs, since I'd like to hear what fellow California commuters think about the graphic.

Anyway, here's the graphic. Reminds me of a comics page "What's wrong with this picture?" The answer IMHO--a lot!

Here are my comments. I welcome others--particularly you SoCal folks who are familiar with the type of HOV lane they describe, which we don't have up here (is that really the "safest" place to be?).

JB comments:

Obviously the choice of the phrase "lane splitting."
The example on the right isn't lane sharing; it's excessive lane changing. Lane sharing is typically (for me anyway, and I think many others) up between the nos. 1 and 2 lanes. Sure we occasionally go wide to get past a tight situation, but it ain't the norm, and it sure ain't as safe. Trouble with the graphic is, I'm guessing, cagers will look at this and think, "bullsh*t that it's reasonable to ride that way!" and the graphic will lose credibility.
Lane sharing isn't riding "on the line between two lanes." It's sharing a lane.

I think they showed the dramatic lane changing across the graphic for dramatic visual effect. This is clearly "lane splitting 101 for cagers." I would have loved to be able to consult to the artist on this graphic before publication.

But maybe I got it all wrong :rofl: . What do other commuters think?

Jb

FJRBluesman · Jun 22, 2008

I agree JB. My favorite is the author gave us our own little bike lane in between the double yellows! Cool. I don't think that wil hold up in court. Cross a double yellow get a ticket.

Also never sighted any traffic laws.

I also agree I'd rather be on the freeway doing the same speed and going in the same direction. Intersections and drive ways are not your friend for day dreaming cagers.

Silver Penguin · Jun 22, 2008

Agree with everything you said there JB. The fact that they used the term splitting rather than sharing, grated on my nerves as soon as I read it.

The illustration on the right perhaps gives the impression that weaving between lanes is a practice exclusively done by motorcyclists. May I suggest that the kind of lane changing shown, is often done by aggressive car and truck drivers, and as such is just as illegal and dangerous.

This would have been a good place to point out that CAREFULLY done lane sharing, can actually speed traffic flow for all. The more of us that take to our bikes, and make efficient use of the lanes provided, the more room there is for other vehicles. (And we use less gas too).

Fairlaner · Jun 22, 2008

I am gonna keep quiet on this one. :huh:

R

Hit the Road Jack · Jun 22, 2008

I think the graphic is obviously created by an artist who not only doesn't ride a motorcycle, but isn't even a very good car driver!

IMHO proper lane **ing should be a smooth line indicating the path of least resistance between the clots of cars! No drastic swerving or extreme maneuvers.

I actually witnessed some pretty good lane sharing yesterday. I was driving my Grand Cherokee (after taking my son to LAX) north on I-5 up the long incline between Castaic and Gorman. The road is 4 lanes wide as I recall and the car pace slows from ~75 down to ~55-60.

A pack of HD's were able to maintain their pace of ~70+ uphill (under strain) by making their way between the cages, but not weaving.

And guess who they were? Yep, Hell's Angels! Doing a lot better job representing the motorcycling community than those wheelying in their flip-flops.

James Burleigh · Jun 22, 2008

Fairlaner said:
I am gonna keep quiet on this one. :huh:
R

I thought you might, Tiger, especially with all that nonsense about how you can't use the right shoulder...

UberKul · Jun 22, 2008

Not trying to stir things up (well maybe a little) but I noticed this the other day when doing a little scooter research.

From a California Highway Patrol website. https://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html

Riding TipsLane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner

I know TWN is hot on this but I haven’t quite grasped the offensive nature of the term. Maybe it’s like calling any black rifle an assault weapon? :dntknw:

vstarjunkie · Jun 22, 2008

The artist also forgot to draw all the trash and debris that builds up in his little "safe zone". IMO, the 57 south between the 10 and 55 is the worst for trash build up.

There was a guy in my HOG group who got a ticket for doing the "best" place technique and received a hefty fine, about $375 if I remember correctly.

I have personally found that the safest place for me is between the 1-2 lanes, even if a carpool lane is present. (Less pucker moments have happen there).

I have also notice lately; the double yellow lines don't mean anything anymore. Drivers and motorcyclists enter and exit as they please, especially when they see brake lights ahead. Anyone else notice that too, compared to say, two-three years ago?

03silverbullet · Jun 22, 2008

If you look at the left side of the graph were it says the place to be, it's actually illegal in ca. You can not cross any portion of the double double yellow line, although motorcyclist do it all the time. My friend stayed in between the double yellow lines as he passed cars and was issued a ticket. However, if he just crossed the double yellow a little bit as he passed cars and got back into his lane, the cop may have given him a break.

I have been doing it like that for years and have never been ticketed.

One good thing about the article is that it will help to raise the publics awarness of motorcycles.

Silver Penguin · Jun 22, 2008

Fairlaner said:
I am gonna keep quiet on this one. :huh:
R

Probably a smart move there, Richard.

I believe there is a new term being coined, to clarify a particular technique of high-speed lane sharing. It's going to be called 'Fairlaning'

James Burleigh · Jun 22, 2008

Silver Penguin said:
I believe there is a new term being coined, to clarify a particular technique of high-speed lane sharing. It's going to be called 'Fairlaning'

:clapping:

DE OPPRESSO LIBER · Jun 22, 2008

Being from the right coast and the fact that it's not a friday, please excuse the question, since it is clearly out of ignorance. When lane @*#-ing, does anyone EVER ride between two cars while they are next to each other??? What are the incidences of accidents from lane $%^ing? i.e. types of accidents, numbers, end results, etc.?

flying junior · Jun 23, 2008

This is a sorry piece of journalism. Poor mope of a reporter didn't talk to anyone who really knows about lane sharing. We don't see any attribution for the graphic, except that it's from "The Register." In this day and age of shrinking newsrooms they are giving important stories to green reporters, then putting them online and in the paper with less and less editorial direction and less and less editing.

The reader comments posted on the OCR website following the story are a hoot.

Shameful example of journalistic misfeasance.

RsvlFeej · Jun 23, 2008

DE OPPRESSO LIBER said:
Being from the right coast and the fact that it's not a friday, please excuse the question, since it is clearly out of ignorance. When lane @*#-ing, does anyone EVER ride between two cars while they are next to each other??? What are the incidences of accidents from lane $%^ing? i.e. types of accidents, numbers, end results, etc.?

Of course. Since Cali cagers are so busy yapping on their cell phones, playing with their computers and otherwise multi-tasking while driving, they can't be expected to maintain ANY sort of spacing/lane discipline/common-sense tactics like actually leaving themselves an out in case something happens. Therefore, the lane-sharing biker will often find himself between two cars (or worse, a jacked-up 3/4 ton pickup and a commuter van, or semi, or Volvo, or... you get the idea).

The stats discussed elsewhere show lane-sharing is quite a bit safer for the bikers (for one thing, the bikes don't get rear-ended nearly as often because they're not in the wrong place EVERY time the brake lights flash). In my last 75K miles or so of lane-sharing in the fairly congested Sacramento area, I've had uncounted numbers of people change lanes (or start to change lanes, or start to 'pinch') as I'm approaching. You learn to deal with those scenarios very early on the learning curve. The two who have made contact both clipped a saddlebag with their front bumper AFTER I was mostly past them - still can't figure out how to keep that from happening - and those 2 incidents won't show up in any stats anywhere. I pulled over to exchange info each time, the cagers continued on their oblivious way.

twowheelnut · Jun 23, 2008

That graphic is wrong on so many different levels... This is just sad and I hope an editorial from Johnny Law shows up.

Further, the safest lanes to share are 1 & 2 (Notice I said 'lanes to share' and not 'between 1 & 2'. Riding the line is not cricket), not the in the double yellow of the right side of the HOV lane. Too many illegal lane changes by cages happen there.

UberKul said:
Not trying to stir things up (well maybe a little) but I noticed this the other day when doing a little scooter research.From a California Highway Patrol website. https://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html

Riding TipsLane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner

Click to expand...

I know TWN is hot on this but I haven’t quite grasped the offensive nature of the term. Maybe it’s like calling any black rifle an assault weapon? :dntknw:

It's all about public perception. 'Splitting' is a negative word, whereas 'sharing' is positive. As example: Would you rather share my pie or have your head split open?

Khunajawdge · Jun 23, 2008

twowheelnut said:
That graphic is wrong on so many different levels...
It's all about public perception. 'Splitting' is a negative word, whereas 'sharing' is positive. As example: Would you rather share my pie or have your head split open?

Uhh Tim? This may explain something? I asked you prior to the Morro Bay campout; "would you like to come by my place and split some wood for the fire?" and you said you would!

As it turned out you didn't show, but that's OK, we'll see you next time! :cowboy:

As far as staying with the topic (sort of?)...

The commuter road is just paved territory for those who need to use it. Some one way streets (here and in other countries) change direction depending on which way the majority of the traffic needs to head at a given time of day. For example, sometimes all four lanes are headed south in the AM and in the PM they are reversed to head North. We regulate our bridges (the Golden Gate Bridge in SF Bay) in this way. When doing this there isn't as much need for the lane sharing idea, even by motorcycles. Yes, these streets and roads are locally regulated and posted as to when these changes of direction occur. This is just another option of transportation design and management but hey, California drivers decided to allow lane sharing on most roads besides. Lane splitting is OK if it is pursued responsibly, just ask the CHP.

Slappy · Jun 23, 2008

Khunajawdge you just said the magic word. Ask the CHP. Every single cop in Cali will give you a different answer. Basically if you are a good boy or girl, dont ride like a yutz and keep it smooth they wont bother you. Down in San Diego East County they will light you up for splitting on surface streets. They also frown on you for sharing any other lane other than the #1 lane.

DE OPPRESSO LIBER to answer your question. Its a different culture out here. I first got my motorcycle license in DC. The whole east coast mentality is different. Basically you are "Ill be damned if you are getting there before I do." Where as out here its more like "hello, tiffany, did you see the shoe, wait, oooh pretty, wait, who am I talking to." People are much more accepting of lane sharing than they are in the rest of the country. Most accident while sharing are due to two things. Either a cage just being an *** or people not riding their ride. Things happen really quick in a four foot wide cars on both sides space doing 30 mph.

James Burleigh · Jun 23, 2008

DE OPPRESSO LIBER said:
When lane @*#-ing, does anyone EVER ride between two cars while they are next to each other???

Um, sometimes....

madmike2 · Jun 23, 2008

James Burleigh said:
DE OPPRESSO LIBER said:

When lane @*#-ing, does anyone EVER ride between two cars while they are next to each other???

Click to expand...

Um, sometimes....

And then.....very carefully while observing every vehicle for errant behavior.

Lane-Sharing Graphic from OC Register

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