I understand the legality of lane splitting/filtering/sharing/etc. but cannot for the life of me think it is a good idea.
They made it legal here in AZ last year, and I have seen several near misses. it just does not seem like a safe idea to me. 4 wheelers just don’t pay enough attention. and 2 wheelers tend to like to show off. add the two of them together and you have the two wheeler getting the short end of the stick.
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That’s true, and that’s a very important reason why having it legal isn’t terrible. No one makes me lane-split. Heck, no one makes me ride a motorcycle. So I take my chances. It’s like having a gun - it’s your choice even though just a bit more than 50% of all gunshot deaths are self-inflicted.
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In California, they can go around you on the other side of you for every lane, except the far left one they can only do that on the right side in that case.
I think we have the right balance here in California. We allow lane splitting and require helmet use.
Death and injury rates for motorcyclist, when adjusted for population, California is nowhere near the worst.
What I don’t get are the states that prohibit lane splitting, yet will let you ride around without a helmet?! Not wearing a helmet is far more dangerous to a motorcycle than lane splitting will ever be.
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It’s what you’re used to. It doesn’t bother me at all when people do it. My folks are well into their 80s. There are things about driving that bother them, but lane splitting is not one of them.
If you move over a little bit or try, almost every motorcyclist, that will go by, you will give you a little hand gesture, letting you know they appreciate it.
Interesting you think you have the right balance but that’s another discussion. I tend to think helmets make people feel good but maybe less effective than advertised. I could very well be wrong.
I saw one cycle accident. No helmet but I don’t think it would have made much difference. We were all going 70 plus. I was back about a half mile and saw a dust cloud ahead and slowed down. A cycle was following too close and when traffic stopped ran his head right into the back of the van. Big dent, blood all over the hatch. But the worst was the car behind him ran right over the cycle and driver. Whether he died banging his head or when he got run over I don’t know. Even with a helmet, his neck would have been broken. 20 years ago and still fresh in my mind. Cause of death though was tail gating.
Helmets are proven life savers, have been for decades.
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Everything we do has risks. Being born is a huge risk.
Back in the late '70s-early '80s, I came upon a motorcycle accident immediately after it happened, but I have no clue as to the cause of the accident.
Both the biker and his girlfriend (who was riding with him) suffered compound leg fractures, and the guy was screaming in agony. Another motorist and I did our best to calm them until the EMTs and the cops arrived, but there was really nothing we laymen could do until professionals came on the scene.
Like you, I can still picture that accident in my mind, and I hope that I never have to see another one like that.
And 85% of homicides are by firearms.
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always leads to death…
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Good for you, and good for them.
There are deaths and then there are unnecessary deaths.
“I want to die in my sleep like my grand dad - Not kicking and screaming like the passengers in his car.”
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