Lane sharing

[pawtracks]

For those who may not even know what I am talking about

Link

My riding buddy & I are in the Navy and stationed in California.

He just got back from seeing his father in D.C. and said to me on his return

"Man am I going to miss lane splitting when I leave CA"

He saw biker after biker suffering in stop-go traffic while home last week

Not trying to open up a debate over is it good, is it bad, etc...

Even in CA you won't find it written down in any laws, DMV books, etc...

It is just tolerated if done (in the opinion of the observing Leo) safely

Just wondering if any other states "tolerate" it.

I for one feel much safer moving forward than waiting for cell phone suzy soccer mom to rear-end me in stop-go traffic.

My job involves a move nearly every 3 years so I am always learning how things are done "here"

Next stop Italy (FJR is excited) :yahoo:

 

[Scab]

I have no idea what the actual law says here in ole Bama. But if you try it around here, some redneck will open the door on his rusted buick.

 

[fjrchik]

It was a proposed law last year here in TX to make it legal at speeds below 20 mph. Not sure what happened to it, but it didn't get finalized. Doesn't seem to matter though, I see it everywhere.

 

[worldbound4now]

Not legal in NV, but practiced widely in Las Vegas. We are populated with more and more people trying to escape So Cal.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I have no idea what the actual law says here in ole Bama. But if you try it around here, some redneck will open the door on his rusted buick.

I didn't know Buick made trucks...

 

[zorkler]

with the traffic in this area 90 percent of the riders do it .

 

[FJR1300]

For those who may not even know Even in CA you won't find it written down in any laws, DMV books, etc...

Actually, it is allowed by law in California. Here's the text from the CHP's site: "Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible under California law but must done in a safe and prudent manner."

It's not allowed here in Missouri, but I did it through four miles of Lake traffic two weeks ago. It was still a little stop-n-go because not everyone is cooperative... if you know what I mean.

 

[borrec]

I think CA is the only state that allows lane splitting. Here are 2 sites to check when leaving your state.

https://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/laws.asp

https://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/PrintLaws.html

 

[Geezer]

Well, in most places you will just piss people off if you try lane splitting. Even in California I see stories about cars trying to block the bike from splitting.

In NYC lane splitting is pretty much the norm for all vehicles. Very few drivers seem to even acknowledge that there are lanes on the city streets. I don't ride my bike there.

 

[TheAxeman]

Well, in most places you will just piss people off if you try lane splitting. Even in California I see stories about cars trying to block the bike from splitting.
In NYC lane splitting is pretty much the norm for all vehicles. Very few drivers seem to even acknowledge that there are lanes on the city streets. I don't ride my bike there.

That may be in NYC but come out onto Long Island and lane split and you will pay with a ticket. The further you get away from the city the less it seems to be tolerated.

 

[FJRocket]

Personally, I don't do it, although I wish I could. I seem to never get used to those big bulges behind me. Not my ass, the paniers. As Pending will tell you, I tend to cut it close in tight quarters and have been known to "rub" the bags. :blushsmiley: I can't seem to give myself enough clearance behind me. Is that just a practiced art, kind of like driving a big rig? Seems to me that if I can get the bars through, I should be OK. Guess then it's just a matter of not turning until I clear the obstacle at the rear. Silly, isn't it. :blushsmiley:

As far as doing it in Indiana, I'm with Bama, in that I hardly ever see it done, and would be very afraid of car doors being flung open. Lane SHARING is legal here, but there is no accomodation for SPLITTING. So you are allowed to ride two abreast (with mutual consent), but you are not allowed to restrict anyone full use of their lane. I would suspect that means even for cars that are stopped, let alone crawling. Bummer.

Here's a great link for cycle laws by state, thanks to the AMA:

AMA's state law link for motorcycles

 

[JimLor]

Not legal here in VA and I wouldn't do it anyway. Dimwits around here would do their best to kill ya!

 

[pawtracks]

Thanks FJRocket,

https://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/laws.asp

That is exactly what I was looking for.

Good thing to bookmark when you move as much as I do.

Just to be clear I shouldn't have interchanged terms lane splitting and lane sharing.

When I said lane sharing I meant sharing it with a car, not another motorcycle.

Even though the CHP site says:

"Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible under California law but must done in a safe and prudent manner."

and nearly the same thing was in the CA MSF training book

I still have not seen a link to or a reference to CA law that states the policy (vice CHP opinion)

I took the CA MSF course 2 months ago and a 34 & 40 year CA resident were teaching it.

Both agreed pretty much with the original article I linked to and also added over the years state lawyers have been very careful to provide a clear as mud definition of pretty close to no "official" policy.

 

[Toecutter]

For all you poor saps in the unenlightened states, do the LEO's laneshare?

 

[tcfjr]

Here's some links I found to pages on the California DMV site related to motorcycle lane sharing:

• Driver's Handbook - "Although it is not illegal to share lanes with motorcycles, it is unsafe."
• Driver Education Curriculum Project (PDF) page 49 section 09.I.06(4) - "Lane splitting is where one vehicle drives side-by-side or passes using a lane occupied by another vehicle. It is legal in California for motorcycles to split lanes, but it creates a hazardous situation for both motorcyclists and drivers of other vehicles."

 

[evil_henchman]

"Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible under California law but must done in a safe and prudent manner."

What that means is that if you're lane splitting and anything happens, no matter who's fault it is, you're at fault because it must have been unsafe or imprudent to lane split in the first place. Very difficult to argue successfully otherwise.

Bottom line is be damn careful cuz if anything happens you're gonna pay. Unless somebody's stupid enough to do something deliberate like open a door. I'll probably to do my best to put my front wheel right in their lap if that happens. I don't remember getting anything more serious than a glare from cagers when lane splitting and I do it all the time. In fact, a lot of people actually move over and wave when I go by.

 

[pawtracks]

What that means is that if you're lane splitting and anything happens, no matter who's fault it is, you're at fault because it must have been unsafe or imprudent to lane split in the first place. Very difficult to argue successfully otherwise.
Bottom line is be damn careful cuz if anything happens you're gonna pay. Unless somebody's stupid enough to do something deliberate like open a door. I'll probably to do my best to put my front wheel right in their lap if that happens. I don't remember getting anything more serious than a glare from cagers when lane splitting and I do it all the time. In fact, a lot of people actually move over and wave when I go by.

Well said!

I agree, for every jackass who looks straight at me in the mirror and then moves over to try and squeeze me out there are 1000 who will make room, wave, move over, etc... and think "That lucky bastard, this traffic sucks, I wish I wasn't stuck in this cage!"

For all you poor saps in the unenlightened states, do the LEO's laneshare?

On this subject you see some CHP Leo's make some hairy lane changes, splits, sharing, down-right cutting cages off. Something I would never think of doing to another driver. When I see that it just gives motorcycle riders a bad image.

 

[twowheelnut]

There is no written vehicle code pertaining to lane sharing in CA. Simply, it is not illegal to share lanes. HOWEVER, it is completely at the discretion of Johnny Law as to whether or not you have violated any other vehicle codes such as 'Unsafe Lane Change' or 'Reckless Driving (riding)'. He'll usually nail you for sharing lanes at excessive speeds or sharing lanes at speeds excessively faster than the other traffic.

One other note: There is an LA area state senator who is slated to introduce a bill making sharing illegal in California. He missed his window by not introducing it this past February, but rumor has it that he's to make an attempt early next year. So, dudes in Cali, get your keyboards ready and please, refer to the action as 'lane sharing' which is way more Sheriff Taylor friendly that the Darth Vader sounding, 'lane splitting'.

 

[03silverbullet]

One other note: There is an LA area state senator who is slated to introduce a bill making sharing illegal in California. He missed his window by not introducing it this past February, but rumor has it that he's to make an attempt early next year. So, dudes in Cali, get your keyboards ready and please, refer to the action as 'lane sharing' which is way more Sheriff Taylor friendly that the Darth Vader sounding, 'lane splitting'.

Do you have the senators name?