WA Lane Splitting Bill

[escapefjrtist]

Ok y'all, we've got another chance at lane splitting sharing in the PNW! Flood the phone lines to your representative and push this bill through the House!

Lane Splitting Bill Passes Washington Senate

--G

 

[Speedygg]

Thanks for the heads up George. Did my fist lane splitting in California last summer and it was awesome! I was a bit timid at first but car drivers were rolling down their windows waving me to pass them in the traffic jams. I suspect Washingtonian drivers will need some conditioning before they are as accepting of this as Californians are. Hope it passes!

 

[sickchilly]

Sorry, on a boat for a beer cruise and can't focus enough to read at this point, but is the bill still promoting that half-assed speed-limited left-hand margin/shoulder crap?!

 

[blufjr]

Don't know if you care what I wrote to three of the House members that sit on the Trans Highway Committee, but I will share with you all anyway.

Re: HB1157

House of Representative members: Sharon Wylie, Ed Orcutt, and Liz Pike,

I currently live in your Vancouver district or have lived in your district and still own a house there. I am writing you regarding ”lane sharing for safety act” currently on your table for review. This bill has passed the Senate and is now up to you to approve so the House can vote on it and then send on to the Governor. HB1157.

I am writing because I am a motorcyclist and a strong supporter of this bill. Although it isn't perfect in that it didn't follow the guidelines established in California (CA had higher speed limits), I believe it is in the right direction to improve safety for motorcyclist and the flow of traffic. Most likely having it's most influence in the Seattle area, it will also improve things in Vancouver. Rejecting this bill is like sending someone to their death, simple as that. Motorcyclist get killed everyday, some times on their own accord, sometimes by automobiles, and sometimes due to drink. I'm only addressing those that get killed by automobiles here, as in those killed by being rear ended. If those riders had had the option of placing themselves between cars, their lives could have been saved. Not really hard to accept, when you look at it that way. This is factual, and has been shown in studies out of the USC, Berkeley as noted in the Bill. The benefit to other drivers is that it also helps the movement of traffic, so people get home quicker. Whether that is 2 seconds, 2 minutes or 20 minutes isn't as important as the possibility of saving a life, but does add a positive to the issue.

If you don't ride a motorcyclist, you are at a disadvantage, and may look at this issue from a automobile driver's point of view only, which would be one of lacking experience and assuming the worst that you can imagine. Since I have had experience in lane sharing and ride a motorcycle, I can assure you that it isn't that scary and certainly do not feel at risk of dying, but quite the opposite. A point that most do not cover is the attention one must have while lane sharing. You cannot think of anything other than the act of splitting lanes, movement of cars immediately in front of you, 2, 3, 4 cars in front of you and cars in the lanes next to you. While lane sharing you can't count on cars using their blinkers so you have to rely on your ability to read car movement like in tire movements, what that car did when it was 4-5 cars in front of you, then being prepared for surprises. Riding between cars allow the motorcyclist to see more of what is happening up front and can make adjustments. Having to ride behind a SUV, that limits your visibility to the back end of the SUV, puts a rider at a disadvantage. Riding a motorcycle is nothing like driving a car when in traffic and those prepared to lane share are most likely the highest qualified drivers on the highway at that time, due to their attention to what is going on around them, and preparedness to avoid accidents. I know I am, much more so than when I drive a car, and my car driving is vastly improved since I started riding a motorcycle 21 years ago.

Please review HB1157 positively and send to the floor so we can advance safety on our highways.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Hattan

 

[JamesW]

Why do I find 2 numbers? HB1157, and/or HB 5378.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Good luck. My few forays into the Seattle area have more than convinced me of how badly you need this to pass into law. After many years of splitting legally, it's physical pain to be out of state and have to sit in a horrible traffic jam with plenty of Wide Open Spaces between cars. I'd like to hope California's finally getting our lane splitting law on the books was a factor in these new bills coming up in other states--and that it's the start of a nation-sweeping trend.

 

[Fontanaman]

Go here to find your district and sent a note of support on this bill.

 

[Heen]

I will send a note to support the west-siders. As I recall I think I hit "rush minute" in the tri-cities once.

 

[allrider]

Just contacted my rep's. It looks like 5378 is making progress but 1157 is not. Anyone understand why?

 

[Ignacio]

Different language, one is House, one is Senate. The one making progress has more sponsors. Variety of other things if you go look at the actual bills. Start with the "digest".

 

[blufjr]

If 5378 passes and 1157 doesn't then we will have created an odd ball State. Understanding between driver and motorcyclist will be different than where this practice has been going on for years. They should have just written it like CA has been doing so. Surest way to have both of these bills fail is to have two bills, and then create one that has no foundation based on actual use. 5378 is new and an odd ball proposal. 1157 is sim. to what is being practiced. IMO.

 

[Ignacio]

If 5378 passes and 1157 doesn't then we will have created an odd ball State.

Both bills would never pass. The system is designed to account for this. Plenty of decision points along the way including things like substitutions, engrossed bills, reconciliation, conference, and other techniques.

Besides, 1157 is already dead as it didn't make calendar cutoff date....

 

[AdamK]

https://8ballsinthewind.blogspot.com/2017/03/not-my-fault-lane-sharing-bill-not.html?spref=fb

 

[Ignacio]

https://8ballsinthewind.blogspot.com/2017/03/not-my-fault-lane-sharing-bill-not.html?spref=fb

Interesting, and not surprising, commentary. With 98 elected Representatives from around the state it often does become a factor of personality and personal experience. Getting 50 or more Reps on the same page at the same time is no small feat after having gotten 32 of the 49 Senators to pass.

My understanding is that unless the bill makes it through the House Transportation Committee (and any other committees it might subsequently be referred to) by March 29 it would die. If people want it passed this session then they're going to need to convince Klipborn to give it a hearing....or convince one of her committee members to convince her....or caucus leader to convince her.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Thanks for the link Adam.

Not very encouraging news, looks like selective sharing / filtering will continue for those willing.

--G

 

[AdamK]

Public protest over SB5378 refusing to be heard this friday at the washington state capitol

https://www.meetup.com/seattleriders/events/238431271/?rv=ea1

 

[Heen]

How did it go today?

 

[AdamK]

Sounds like the WSP showed them videos of illegal lane splitting and convinced them it's a bad idea.

https://www.king5.com/news/politics/motorcyle-lane-splitting-bill-stalled-in-house/423552562

 

[Auburn]

Sounds like the WSP showed them videos of illegal lane splitting and convinced them it's a bad idea.
https://www.king5.com/news/politics/motorcyle-lane-splitting-bill-stalled-in-house/423552562

Too bad they didn't show them all the cars that made motorcycles their hood ornaments over the past few years, or where the MC rider moved between cars to keep from being hit and the car got rear ended instead.

I still wrote my reps and senator to urge passing. They need to look at this as a safety thing, that will help get cars off the road and increase MC ridership.