Front Page Article Today: San Francisco Chronicle (Way to Go!)

[Road_Runner]

BTW: These exact guidelines have been in place for a very long time here in CA. This is a better publicized republish of them. The media is clueless about it, and has actually reported here that they are new laws.

Whether or not these guidelines were in place for a long time, they were never written down and available to the public until just now. It was always hearsay and common knowledge before that. Thanks to the CHP for finally clearing things

Glad also that they finally put it out to the public at large. I have read the 10/35 many times, but I suppose it was not official.

 

[jwhite518]

BTW: These exact guidelines have been in place for a very long time here in CA. This is a better publicized republish of them. The media is clueless about it, and has actually reported here that they are new laws.

Whether or not these guidelines were in place for a long time, they were never written down and available to the public until just now. It was always hearsay and common knowledge before that. Thanks to the CHP for finally clearing things

Glad also that they finally put it out to the public at large. I have read the 10/35 many times, but I suppose it was not official.

I'm curious to know where you read them.

 

[SacramentoMike]

The info has been on the CHP's website for quite a while. This must have just been some kind of a release for the sake of publicizing existing rules. For the benefit of drivers who thought it was illegal, I hope.

As to where to find it--it's here.

 

[jwhite518]

The info has been on the CHP's website for quite a while. This must have just been some kind of a release for the sake of publicizing existing rules. For the benefit of drivers who thought it was illegal, I hope.
As to where to find it--it's here.

Really? I admit it's been ages since I bothered researching it, but I had no idea this stuff had been available before January 2013. It was always whatever was "safe and prudent" in the eyes of the observing officer. If there were formal guidelines, the cops weren't sharing them with us. Then all of a sudden people started talking about this web page as if it were new material.

 

[James Burleigh]

As a recent transplant to the great Republik 'O Kalifornia, I am learning the joy of lane sharing.
I have a question for you native/long term splitters though. Does this apply to all multi lane roads (i.e in town) or just the higher speed highways?

Greg

Hi, Greg. I haven't had a chance to read all the responses to this thread yet, but I'll just add that on weekends I tend to reduce the amount of lane sharing I do, particularly around town. It's just a different vibe than rush hour, and I feel like it comes across more as just obnoxious behavior. But of course whatever day of the week it is, if traffic is backed up, knock yourself out.

 

[James Burleigh]

The info has been on the CHP's website for quite a while. This must have just been some kind of a release for the sake of publicizing existing rules. For the benefit of drivers who thought it was illegal, I hope.
As to where to find it--it's here.

Really? I admit it's been ages since I bothered researching it, but I had no idea this stuff had been available before January 2013. It was always whatever was "safe and prudent" in the eyes of the observing officer. If there were formal guidelines, the cops weren't sharing them with us. Then all of a sudden people started talking about this web page as if it were new material.

It hasn't. SacMike is full of sh*t, as usual.

The CHP guidelines only went up this year.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Or you could do a search like I did and find references and links to it in this forum from 2007.

You know how to do a search, don't you? You just pucker your lips, and blow. (Maybe that was something else.)

 

[gregory]

As a recent transplant to the great Republik 'O Kalifornia, I am learning the joy of lane sharing.
I have a question for you native/long term splitters though. Does this apply to all multi lane roads (i.e in town) or just the higher speed highways?

Greg

Hi, Greg. I haven't had a chance to read all the responses to this thread yet, but I'll just add that on weekends I tend to reduce the amount of lane sharing I do, particularly around town. It's just a different vibe than rush hour, and I feel like it comes across more as just obnoxious behavior. But of course whatever day of the week it is, if traffic is backed up, knock yourself out.

Thanks JB-- I don't really have much opportunity here in Redding to split, as the traffic is not all that bad. I agree about the preception of being obnoxious when I do.

 

[user 213]

BTW: These exact guidelines have been in place for a very long time here in CA. This is a better publicized republish of them. The media is clueless about it, and has actually reported here that they are new laws.

Whether or not these guidelines were in place for a long time, they were never written down and available to the public until just now. It was always hearsay and common knowledge before that. Thanks to the CHP for finally clearing things up.

Back in the early '80's lane sharing guidelines that read nearly identical to the freshly published stuff were printed right there in the DMV Motorcycle instruction book for CA. I remember reading about it in '83 when I wanted to get an endorsement while living in CA, stationed at El Toro. I ended up not wanting to pay CA taxes, so had to wait until I was up in OR again, but I rode a lot of miles in CA back then and the basic lane sharing rules were well known if you took the time to read them. Car drivers didn't know or care, and it wasn't in the DMV auto handbook back then, (no idea if it is now, but it should be.)

 

[jwhite518]

BTW: These exact guidelines have been in place for a very long time here in CA. This is a better publicized republish of them. The media is clueless about it, and has actually reported here that they are new laws.

Whether or not these guidelines were in place for a long time, they were never written down and available to the public until just now. It was always hearsay and common knowledge before that. Thanks to the CHP for finally clearing things up.

Back in the early '80's lane sharing guidelines that read nearly identical to the freshly published stuff were printed right there in the DMV Motorcycle instruction book for CA. I remember reading about it in '83 when I wanted to get an endorsement while living in CA, stationed at El Toro. I ended up not wanting to pay CA taxes, so had to wait until I was up in OR again, but I rode a lot of miles in CA back then and the basic lane sharing rules were well known if you took the time to read them. Car drivers didn't know or care, and it wasn't in the DMV auto handbook back then, (no idea if it is now, but it should be.)

Well obviously I'm wrong on this one. First time that's ever happened. I don't remember ever seeing the rules in the MC handbook. Got my CA license in 81, but I'm pretty sure I've re-taken the written test at least once. Oh well, my bad.

I happier news, they published my letter about lanesplitting in today's SF Chronicle. The original article posted above by James Burleigh prompted some letters. One of which said that lanesplitting was crazy and what if he moved over in his lane and caused a crash. Here's my response, headlined "Darwin for bikers."

https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/letterstoeditor/article/Letters-to-the-editor-Feb-15-4280444.php

 

[SacramentoMike]

The following is a cut and paste from the Lane Splitting Guidelines in the CHP website (emphasis added).

"Messages for Other Vehicle Drivers

1) Lane splitting by motorcycles is not illegal in California when done in a safe and prudent manner.
2) Motorists should not take it upon themselves to discourage motorcyclists from lane splitting.



3) Intentionally blocking or impeding a motorcyclist in a way that could cause harm to the rider is illegal (CVC 22400).



4) Opening a vehicle door to impede a motorcycle is illegal (CVC 22517).


5) Never drive while distracted.
6) You can help keep motorcyclists and all road users safe by

• Checking mirrors and blind spots, especially before changing lanes or turning
• Signaling your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic
• Allowing more following distance, three or four seconds, when behind a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency"

The language used allows interpretation by police but offers usable guidelines for all vehicle operators ("should, may, etc., rather than "must" and so on) with the exception of the specifically illegal actions cited in 3 and 4, above.

This information in these guidelines should be presented to the pubic in a much broader way than just having them published in a web page that's of interest almost exclusively to motorcyclists. 47% of California drivers do not know lane splitting is legal in California (see post 26 in this link).

 

[pegscraper]

"Splitting the difference: It's legal for motorcycles to zip between cars, but now the CHP has set up sensible rules."

I love getting the word out to the public that this is legal behavior. As part of getting the word out, I recently posted in FB: "Just a reminder, in California it is legal for motorcycles to split lanes between cars. It's not that California is an anomaly. It's that the other 49 states are. Every country in the world except the USA allows motorcycles to share lanes with cars (safely, responsibly)."

I don't know if it has really been written down for the general public before but I kept reciting to all my cage driving acquaintances that it is legal to lane split in CA because a CHP officer told me so. I worked off a speeding ticket by attending traffic school back in '79 when the CHP instructor said it was okay for a MC rider to split lanes no faster than 15 mph faster than the flow of taffic. I guess now its officially a conservative 10 mph more than the flow of traffic.

Come on you other states. Get with it. There is nothing worse than trying to get from the Las Vegas race track after a NASCAR race while the traffic is jammed up for hours.