Lane Splitting Bill Pending Vote In Texas Legislature

[Nosecone]

For you Texas riders, House Bill TX81RSB 506 will be coming up for a vote in the Texas Legislature. It is a reintroduction of a bill to allow lane splitting in Texas. Contact your Representative if you are interested.

 

[DeweyIsgod]

I'd be all in favor of the law seeing as I play in downtown Houston traffic for 10 miles before picking up the HOV lane home, but I'd be a little scared to actually do it. Drivers here can be pretty militant about defending their place in line.

If it would be supported with road signs in commonly congested areas to educate cagers (in both English and Spanish of course), then I could see it working over time. But without and education campaign, I think it would lead to vindictive road rage incidents...and Texas drivers are well armed.

BTW, I did a search but I couldn't find a draft of the bill itself which I'd be interested in seeing.

 

[Nosecone]

Authors name is Carona, filed 01-21-2009.

 

[odot]

I did some lane splitting a couple times when I first moved down here. It really pissed pups off. So I opted against it. Then I did it again some years later and I got a ticket for it. I'd like to see it legal but would only do it with stopped traffic as these klowns down here have no fucking klue how to drive.

 

[jmdaniel]

I'm not in that big of a hurry, considering the attitudes/incompetence/unaware behaviors of the drivers today.

 

[DeweyIsgod]

Bill text for anyone interested:

81R4578 JAM-D

By: Carona S.B. No. 506

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the operation and movement of motorcycles during periods of traffic congestion.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 545.060, Transportation Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as

follows:

(a) An operator on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic:

(1) shall drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane, except as provided by Subsection (e); and

(2) may not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely.

(e) The operator of a motorcycle may operate the motorcycle for a safe distance between lanes of traffic moving in the same

direction during periods of traffic congestion if:

(1) notwithstanding Section 661.003©, the operator and any passenger wear protective headgear that meets the safety

standards adopted by the department; and

(2) the operator operates the motorcycle:

(A) at a speed not more than five miles per hour greater than the speed of the other traffic;

( B) in traffic that is moving at a speed of 20 miles per hour or less; and © in a location other than a school crossing

zone or a location where the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

 

[Potential]

Haha. So if traffic is stopped, you can't legally go faster than walking speed when lane-splitting.

 

[wfooshee]

I've always understood lane sharing to be not on the right shoulder. I don't know about the left shoulder. This specifically says between lanes, which would mean no to the left side.

Cali riders? Left side is out of bounds or not for you guys?

 

[Bounce]

This will work in conjunction with the existing texas "developed shoulder" rules to make for a nice way to get around obstructions and traffic jams.

 

[MikeYork5]

No shoulders - only 'between' the lanes

 

[Fred W]

Haha. So if traffic is stopped, you can't legally go faster than walking speed when lane-splitting.

What's the problem with that? I know that technically when traffic is stopped at an intersection this is called filtering, but the Texas proposal would also allow you to split lanes through stop and go traffic during rush hour.

It sure beats the options in the other 48 states.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I've always understood lane sharing to be not on the right shoulder. I don't know about the left shoulder. This specifically says between lanes, which would mean no to the left side.
Cali riders? Left side is out of bounds or not for you guys?

Here in Cal there is no specific law "allowing" lane splitting. Since it's not specifically prohibited, as elsewhere, it is allowed. The law (and the CHP website) are purposefully vague on it, allowing officers plenty of judgment room, either for issuing citations or for assigning fault in accidents. The CHP website says this: "Lane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner." So there you are. Just be safe and prudent, no sweat. Even the bike's speed relative to other traffic is not specified, although it is generally understood that within 10 or 15 mph of other traffic is ok. (I've heard this a lot, but also just saw the same figure in an article in the S.F. Chronicle.)

As to which shoulder is ok, if either, in a one-lane situation, that's another "vague" area. I've done it and seen it done when the conditions were favorable, like a one-lane offramp where the stopped traffic was mostly off to one side or the other waiting to turn one way, and the bike wanted to go the other way. I doubt many LEOs would even worry about that here. On the other hand, like lane splitting/sharing in general, it is not specifically probihited, so it would be hard to cite a rider for it, as long as he was inside the fog lines. There are certainly circumstances when I wouldn't even try it--when it seems to violate the "safe and prudent" rule. The Texans seem to have gone farther and specified that it only applies to " a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic".

Personally, I FREAKIN' LOVE IT. There's nothing greater than passing up wads of cars just waiting and waiting for a big slowdown, always safely and prudently, of course, and getting where you're going in less than half the time. Many drivers here in Cali will even move slightly aside within their lane as you approach, which I always acknowledge with a wave. It's tough now to travel out of state and know I'm stuck in whatever line I'm in, like a dang White Freightliner. Hope it spreads.

 

[RenoJohn]

Here in Cal there is no specific law "allowing" lane splitting. Since it's not specifically prohibited, as elsewhere, it is allowed. The law (and the CHP website) are purposefully vague on it, allowing officers plenty of judgment room, either for issuing citations or for assigning fault in accidents. The CHP website says this: "Lane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner." So there you are. Just be safe and prudent, no sweat. Even the bike's speed relative to other traffic is not specified, although it is generally understood that within 10 or 15 mph of other traffic is ok.

Thanks for posting this. Interesting stuff, and I for one always was curious as to what was allowed when visiting your state. This is very helpful.

 

[twistedcricket]

Here in Cal there is no specific law "allowing" lane splitting. Since it's not specifically prohibited, as elsewhere, it is allowed. The law (and the CHP website) are purposefully vague on it, allowing officers plenty of judgment room, either for issuing citations or for assigning fault in accidents. The CHP website says this: "Lane splitting is permissible if done in a safe and prudent manner." So there you are. Just be safe and prudent, no sweat. Even the bike's speed relative to other traffic is not specified, although it is generally understood that within 10 or 15 mph of other traffic is ok.

JamesBurleigh showed me the finer points of this practice when I visited CA last year. I thought it was great!

I'm going to dig around NE's legislative website and see if it's prohibited here

 

[Toecutter]

Haha. So if traffic is stopped, you can't legally go faster than walking speed when lane-splitting.

5 mph is a pretty brisk walk, especially when on the freeway and traffic is parked. You don't want to go much faster than that, if you're looking to arrive in one piece.

Cali riders? Left side is out of bounds or not for you guys?

I think it's a gray area, since there's no actual law that allows sharing in the first place. It's just not illegal, yet. Since there's usually a curb or guardrail immediately adjacent to the left side, I choose between the cars.

Shoulders are definitely out, except for emergency vehicles.

 

[wfooshee]

I'm going to dig around NE's legislative website and see if it's prohibited here

It's prohibited in all states except California, and while it's not specifically defined and allowed there, it is not prohibited. Florida's puts it this way:

The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken.No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.

Two motorcycles are allowed to share the same lane riding abreast.

 

[Potential]

I think 5 mph is much slower than you guys realize. Average walking speed for an adult is 4 mph; you'd cover four miles in one hour of nonstop walking. Try having someone walk along the shoulder while you follow alongside them on your FJR; you'll see how slow it is.

In California, riding on the shoulder is not legal. It has nothing to do with lane-splitting; you're outside the lanes in that case. Of course it's tolerated, for cars too, if you're making a right turn at a nearby intersection and are just getting past cars that are going straight, but that's it.

Even when you have two formerly same-direction lanes at an intersection, where one is for left-turn only and the other is for going straight, it's not safe and probably thus illegal to lane-split between them.

The easiest rule to remember is you should only lane-split in a situation where you can safely stay inbetween lanes if you need to (such as the two cars beside you accelerating as fast as you do so you can't get in front of them).

 

[SacramentoMike]

". . . such as the two cars beside you accelerating as fast as you do so you can't get in front of them."

Um, you're on an FJR, right?

Anyway, the "5" is only for the Texas proposed legislation. As I said, there's more leeway here. And 5 is way better than stopped.

 

[Potential]

". . . such as the two cars beside you accelerating as fast as you do so you can't get in front of them."

Um, you're on an FJR, right?

Anyway, the "5" is only for the Texas proposed legislation. As I said, there's more leeway here. And 5 is way better than stopped.

I was talking about Texas when referring to the 5 mph limit. And yes I meant in general, not specific to the FJR; not all bikes can accelerate quickly.