This was in this mornings Orange County Register.
Clicky to Slpitting Lanes: Dangerous but Legal. You may need to click on "related Article" below the pic area.
Here you go.
When freeway traffic is at a standstill Al Jefferson squeezes past motorists on his Kawasaki motorcycle, carefully maneuvering between lanes.
"In general, most people are courteous and let you through," said Jefferson, who leads funeral processions through Orange County.
"Sharing lanes is legal and you'd be surprised the amount of drivers here that don't know that," Jefferson said.
"We can get in places that cars cannot," Jefferson said. "It's more of a convenience. Traffic is at a standstill and we can go around them."
Earlier this month, a motorcyclist was injured after splitting the carpool and fast lanes and crashing with two vehicles on the southbound 55 at the 22, according to the initial California Highway Patrol investigation. A story about the incident on The Orange County Register website sparked numerous comments about the dangers of sharing lanes.
Readers complained about bikers creeping up on them at a fast rate of speed, the "near misses," and how riders treat the void between the carpool and fast lane as their own private lane. Motorcycle riders countered, blaming distracted drivers for putting bikers in danger and arguing that lane splitting is safer than riding behind traffic.
RAISING AWARENESS
The CHP hopes that a new public awareness campaign Common Roads, Common Sense will help alleviate the number of motorcycle-involved collisions. Recent data shows a roughly 28 percent drop in the number of motorcyclists killed and an 11 percent reduction in the motorcyclists injured in the state the agency's first decrease in five years, the CHP said.
Motorcyclists such as Jefferson say they ride safely but often get a bad rap because many motorists don't understand the rights of bikers for example, that lane splitting is legal in California.
Motorcycles can travel faster than traffic during congested conditions and are allowed to legally split lanes, meaning they can ride in the unused space between two lines of moving or stationary vehicles, the CHP said.
California is the only state in the nation where sharing lanes is legal, said Robert Gladden with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
"For a motorcyclist, you need time and space around you," Gladden said. "When you're lane splitting, you decrease your time and space cushion."
"It's not something we recommend people do, but we understand that people are going to do it because it's legal," Gladden added.
As a general guideline, it's risky if motorcyclists share lanes when going above 10 mph or more than the traffic flow, said CHP officer Gabe Montoya.
"It's legal to split lanes but you can't do it if it's going to be in violation of speed limits or if you're going to be going at a speed that's significantly faster than the traffic through which you're trying to move," Montoya said.
"It's unsafe because you're not giving drivers the time to see or acknowledge that you're there, before they make a lane change or other movement," Montoya added.
Steve Spernak with the Orange County Traffic Officers Association said lane splitting often turns deadly.
"If you're doing 75 mph in the carpool lane and you jump into the No. 1 lane, that could end up as a fatal," Spernak said. "Especially if traffic slows down in the No. 1 lane and the motorcyclist can't slow down in time."
"The motorcyclist puts himself into no man's land, where he's unable to evade the collision or stop in time," Spernak added.
According to the Office of Traffic Safety, there were 389 fatal motorcycle-involved collisions statewide in 2009, 270 of which were caused by motorcyclists. That year, there were a total of 10,101 motorcycle-involved injury crashes.
The figures show that 262 motorcyclists died in the collisions they caused, by riding at an unsafe speed, making an improper turn or driving under the influence.
In Orange County, 17 fatal motorcycle collisions occurred in 2009 with a total of 735 motorcycle-involved crashes reported.
DISTRACTED DRIVERS
But Gladden emphasizes that motorists are becoming more and more distracted while driving their vehicles and need to focus on the road: "Distracted driving is a growing problem and people are talking on the phone. It's become a larger statistic in freeway crashes and fatalities."
Gladden said people in cars should give the same priority to driving that riders do when operating a motorcycle.
Also, Gladden said: "It really helps motorcyclists that car drivers understand they need to use their signals when they change lanes."
David Davis, 60, commutes from his home in Long Beach to his job in Anaheim and said he normally doesn't notice bikers until he hears their roaring exhaust.
When Davis sees motorcyclists trying to share the lane, he eases off the line. "I give them more space when I see them ... just trying to be helpful," Davis said.
Spernak said most motorists are aware that splitting lanes is legal. "Ninety percent of them do, which is why most motorcyclists can get away with it," Spernak said.
Sheryl Eberly, 50, who rides a 2008 Heritage Softail, said there are times when motorists try to block her when she attempts to pass them. "You'll have that no matter what," she said, adding that it's no different when she attempts to change lanes while she's in a car.
Eberly said she shares lanes instead of sitting in traffic to prevent her bike from overheating.
"When traffic is moving, I don't mind moving along with it," said Eberly, while working at the Harley-Davidson of Anaheim.
For the most part, Spernak said, motorcyclists will typically split lanes when traffic flow is slow.
"But they do it in a responsible and educated way," he said.
My Edit Comments:
One thing I noticed is they had a graphic in the actual News Paper and E-Register article that shows a path a bike might take weaving in and out of cars. That is not very safe or smart. II believe the writer is trying to show this is normal what riders do. I don't think the writer is a motorcycle supporter.
I also must admit that I believe there are far more cagers aware of motorcyclists now than there were in the past (my perception). They do move out of your way. There are also many distracted drivers on the bloody cell phones too. But more than not, people see me and move over to let me by. I always wave when they do this, wanting to be a good ambassador for us riders, not like some moron doing 75mph between the cars while traffic is at 30mph.
Also they caught some riders passing between a cage and a wall, that I will NOT do. I mostly pass on the right and usually only in the HOV (many are much wider than normal lanes) and number one lanes. The white line on the freeways represents the shoulder, and you shouldn't be crossing over it and riding there, that's not legal to ride on the shoulder.
Anyway, interesting stuff. Glad the stats are getting better for motorcycle riders.
Ride safe.
Clicky to Slpitting Lanes: Dangerous but Legal. You may need to click on "related Article" below the pic area.
Here you go.
When freeway traffic is at a standstill Al Jefferson squeezes past motorists on his Kawasaki motorcycle, carefully maneuvering between lanes.
"In general, most people are courteous and let you through," said Jefferson, who leads funeral processions through Orange County.
"Sharing lanes is legal and you'd be surprised the amount of drivers here that don't know that," Jefferson said.
"We can get in places that cars cannot," Jefferson said. "It's more of a convenience. Traffic is at a standstill and we can go around them."
Earlier this month, a motorcyclist was injured after splitting the carpool and fast lanes and crashing with two vehicles on the southbound 55 at the 22, according to the initial California Highway Patrol investigation. A story about the incident on The Orange County Register website sparked numerous comments about the dangers of sharing lanes.
Readers complained about bikers creeping up on them at a fast rate of speed, the "near misses," and how riders treat the void between the carpool and fast lane as their own private lane. Motorcycle riders countered, blaming distracted drivers for putting bikers in danger and arguing that lane splitting is safer than riding behind traffic.
RAISING AWARENESS
The CHP hopes that a new public awareness campaign Common Roads, Common Sense will help alleviate the number of motorcycle-involved collisions. Recent data shows a roughly 28 percent drop in the number of motorcyclists killed and an 11 percent reduction in the motorcyclists injured in the state the agency's first decrease in five years, the CHP said.
Motorcyclists such as Jefferson say they ride safely but often get a bad rap because many motorists don't understand the rights of bikers for example, that lane splitting is legal in California.
Motorcycles can travel faster than traffic during congested conditions and are allowed to legally split lanes, meaning they can ride in the unused space between two lines of moving or stationary vehicles, the CHP said.
California is the only state in the nation where sharing lanes is legal, said Robert Gladden with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
"For a motorcyclist, you need time and space around you," Gladden said. "When you're lane splitting, you decrease your time and space cushion."
"It's not something we recommend people do, but we understand that people are going to do it because it's legal," Gladden added.
As a general guideline, it's risky if motorcyclists share lanes when going above 10 mph or more than the traffic flow, said CHP officer Gabe Montoya.
"It's legal to split lanes but you can't do it if it's going to be in violation of speed limits or if you're going to be going at a speed that's significantly faster than the traffic through which you're trying to move," Montoya said.
"It's unsafe because you're not giving drivers the time to see or acknowledge that you're there, before they make a lane change or other movement," Montoya added.
Steve Spernak with the Orange County Traffic Officers Association said lane splitting often turns deadly.
"If you're doing 75 mph in the carpool lane and you jump into the No. 1 lane, that could end up as a fatal," Spernak said. "Especially if traffic slows down in the No. 1 lane and the motorcyclist can't slow down in time."
"The motorcyclist puts himself into no man's land, where he's unable to evade the collision or stop in time," Spernak added.
According to the Office of Traffic Safety, there were 389 fatal motorcycle-involved collisions statewide in 2009, 270 of which were caused by motorcyclists. That year, there were a total of 10,101 motorcycle-involved injury crashes.
The figures show that 262 motorcyclists died in the collisions they caused, by riding at an unsafe speed, making an improper turn or driving under the influence.
In Orange County, 17 fatal motorcycle collisions occurred in 2009 with a total of 735 motorcycle-involved crashes reported.
DISTRACTED DRIVERS
But Gladden emphasizes that motorists are becoming more and more distracted while driving their vehicles and need to focus on the road: "Distracted driving is a growing problem and people are talking on the phone. It's become a larger statistic in freeway crashes and fatalities."
Gladden said people in cars should give the same priority to driving that riders do when operating a motorcycle.
Also, Gladden said: "It really helps motorcyclists that car drivers understand they need to use their signals when they change lanes."
David Davis, 60, commutes from his home in Long Beach to his job in Anaheim and said he normally doesn't notice bikers until he hears their roaring exhaust.
When Davis sees motorcyclists trying to share the lane, he eases off the line. "I give them more space when I see them ... just trying to be helpful," Davis said.
Spernak said most motorists are aware that splitting lanes is legal. "Ninety percent of them do, which is why most motorcyclists can get away with it," Spernak said.
Sheryl Eberly, 50, who rides a 2008 Heritage Softail, said there are times when motorists try to block her when she attempts to pass them. "You'll have that no matter what," she said, adding that it's no different when she attempts to change lanes while she's in a car.
Eberly said she shares lanes instead of sitting in traffic to prevent her bike from overheating.
"When traffic is moving, I don't mind moving along with it," said Eberly, while working at the Harley-Davidson of Anaheim.
For the most part, Spernak said, motorcyclists will typically split lanes when traffic flow is slow.
"But they do it in a responsible and educated way," he said.
My Edit Comments:
One thing I noticed is they had a graphic in the actual News Paper and E-Register article that shows a path a bike might take weaving in and out of cars. That is not very safe or smart. II believe the writer is trying to show this is normal what riders do. I don't think the writer is a motorcycle supporter.
I also must admit that I believe there are far more cagers aware of motorcyclists now than there were in the past (my perception). They do move out of your way. There are also many distracted drivers on the bloody cell phones too. But more than not, people see me and move over to let me by. I always wave when they do this, wanting to be a good ambassador for us riders, not like some moron doing 75mph between the cars while traffic is at 30mph.
Also they caught some riders passing between a cage and a wall, that I will NOT do. I mostly pass on the right and usually only in the HOV (many are much wider than normal lanes) and number one lanes. The white line on the freeways represents the shoulder, and you shouldn't be crossing over it and riding there, that's not legal to ride on the shoulder.
Anyway, interesting stuff. Glad the stats are getting better for motorcycle riders.
Ride safe.
Last edited by a moderator:
