Splitting Lanes

General Discussion
41

I’m on a motorcycle on the highway, the traffic is crawling along at 15 mph, and there’s 6 feet between each line of cars. And, I’m in California, where lane sharing is legal. So I’m supposed to sit there and wait and take up space, because — what, exactly?

  1. Me slipping between lanes of cars scares you? And how does that change the situation? Lot’s of thing scare lots of people.

  2. You want to be able to jump change lanes without looking first? Not a reasonable behavior under any circumstances, why should it be reasonable now?

  3. You don’t want to be tempted to throw open your door to block me? Do I need to respond to this point?

  4. It’s dangerous. Well, yes, it is. To me. Not you in the car. But, of course, it’s dangerous to play with your stereo, read your GPS, argue with your mother in law, talk on the phone, text, read, eat breakfast, shave, play the tamborine, do your mascara, etc., but I’ve seen all these activities by car drivers, and never by a motorcycle rider. The “dangerous” argument is just not realistic. When I’m slipping through traffic I’m very watchful, very focused and very careful. The drivers are scary because they are hardly paying attention to what they’re doing. I’m not creating the danger, they are, and I’m trying my best to survive.

It seems to me that it’s perfectly OK to drive a Hummer that fills up the full width of a highway lane and blocks the vision of cars behind, but for some reason drivers seem to react with righteous indignation when a motorcycle shares a lane and gets through a traffic jam. Seems to me drivers need to get their priorities straight, stay awake and attentive, and do a better job of coping with a changing world.

42

Motorcycles, on the other hand, can filter right between the cars, and get where they are going, without hurting you, themselves, or anyone else.

BULL…Nice try…A for effort…

43

To me, its unnerving. So I prefer not to do it.

In an earlier post you said this…

“Motorcycles, on the other hand, can filter right between the cars, and get where they are going, without hurting you, themselves, or anyone else.”

If you feel that way…they why is it unnerving???

If the motorcyclist hits your car, their insurance will pay for the repairs on your car

Paying for a car is one thing…What’s the average price on someones life these days??? People have been killed by idiots on motorcycles splitting lanes…

The rest of us sane motorcyclists would appreciate it if you would stop trying to kill us just because you are pissed off at one of them, and we are the next one that you come across, and insist on taking out your revenge on us instead.

I didn’t read anywhere in the thread that said they were trying to kill any motorcyclists…Nor have I read about anyone being pissed or jealous about it. The PROBLEM is that people sitting in cars don’t expect seeing motorcycles driving between lanes and may not no they are there when they try to maneuver their vehicle within their lane to see around traffic…thus blocking the cyclists.

That then gets you dragged off to the nearest jail cell, as you tried get booked for attempted vehicular homicide.

And in this situation it would be IMPOSSIBLE to prove…“I was just trying to see around traffic…I didn’t see the idiot speeding between lanes…I was still within my lane.”

Sorry…but you haven’t convinced me it’s a good idea.

And as for riding…I owned my first bike when I got out of the Army…but between only able to drive in 5 months of the year…and then when I got married and started a family…I could no longer afford the toy…Haven’t driven one in 25 years. And I NEVER was stupid enough to split lanes although had plenty of opportunity to.

44
  1. It’s dangerous. Well, yes, it is. To me. Not you in the car.

Um WRONG…It is dangerous to the people in the car…People have actually been killed…Maybe not by the impact…but a motorcycle in an accident can easily start a fire…Let’s see…fire in a car in stuck traffic with many other cars within inches of the fire…YUP…that’s not dangerous at all.

45

I’m on a motorcycle on the highway, the traffic is crawling along at 15 mph, and there’s 6 feet between each line of cars. And, I’m in California, where lane sharing is legal. So I’m supposed to sit there and wait and take up space, because — what, exactly?

The problem is California has some of the most narrow lanes in the USA, especially around LA, and I am talking about the interstate. Check out the highways around LA and its suburbs, and you will find the semis pulling two short trailers instead of one long one because the lanes are so narrow. This is why you don’t see any 53’ trailers on the interstate highways in Southern California.

Even in Florida, where the lanes are made extra wide for senior citizens, you can’t split a lane and keep a safe distance between your motorcycle and other vehicles. I seriously doubt you will find a place in California where "the traffic is crawling along at 15 mph, and there’s 6 feet between each line of cars. "

46

Motorcyclists, you have never met me. You don’t know me. I could be the best driver on the planet or I could be a drunk. You wouldn’t lend me five dollars, but you’ll trust your life that if the tiniest gap between the cars in an adjacent lane gives me a chance to cut in, I won’t do it if I see you coming by lane-splitting. Feeling lucky?

47

Wentwest, if you choose to split lanes that’s your right, at least in California. But it would be folly to not acknowledge that it’s dangerous.

Yes, there are other things going on in the roadways that are also dangerous. That does not make splitting lanes any less so. I, for one, don’t advocate the other dangerous activities either.

48

The CA cop that gave me my ticket for “unsafe lane change” (when really I was lane stradling) asked if I had a death wish (this was 1974).

49

Its un-nerving to me because it is a skill I do not practice.
Just like climbing ladders up 50 feet to clean out gutters is un-nerving.

If I mess up, I’m going to get hurt.
I prefer NOT to take that risk, but I’m not going to tell other people they shouldn’t be doing that activity just because I don’t want to do it.

If someone is walking down the middle of a highway, and gets hit by a motorcyclist lane splitting through congested traffic, the pedestrian is the bigger idiot, by far. I have yet to hear of an accident that killed a car driver when they got hit by a motorcyclist.

As for this part:

“I didn’t read anywhere in the thread that said they were trying to kill any motorcyclists…Nor have I read about anyone being pissed or jealous about it.”

I’ll quote several people in this thread, and how they feel about motorcyclists:

Caddyman - “Most motorists (car drivers) would consider it a minor accident, not even worth stopping for… They might use their cell-phone to report some debris in the center lane that needs to be cleaned up…”

Bscar - “One day, some guy sitting in his car will look in his rear view mirror while he’s stuck in rush hour traffic and see some guy riding between cars on his motorbike, then open his car door when the bike rider gets really close to his car out of spite/road rage.”

Now, neither one of them stated that they actually do this, but they have written what happens on the road every day, to quite a few motorcyclists.

I’m going to state the obvious here, and get it out of the way:

MOTORCYLING IS DANGEROUS, EVEN WHEN DONE CORRECTLY.

Why is riding a motorcycle dangerous?
Because the rider is exposed to impact damage, unlike the driver of a car or an SUV is, since they are well protected inside a cage made of metal, plastic, and glass.
At the most, the rider has a layer of ballistic nylon, leather, and a fiberglass/plastic/foam helmet to keep their body intact. Some prefer not to use any of these aids when they ride, and that’s their right to dress however they feel is appropriate for their tastes.

I don’t agree with them on that stance, either.
But its their call.

So, right off the bat, we as riders are willing to take those chances to enjoy riding our motorcycles. So honestly, we don’t give a rat’s posterior if you think lane splitting is dangerous.

So, seriously, why is it easy for me, a motorcyclist, to allow other motorcyclists to choose to either wear or not wear protective gear, and either lane split or not lane split, without getting bent out of shape, but you and others like you get all bent out of shape because a motorcyclist chooses to lane split legally past you in traffic, in an area where its legal to do so.

And yes, people can safely filter through traffic, on a motorcycle, without incident.
It happens all the time, not only in California, but in other countries, all day long.

The biggest threat to motorcyclists are car drivers who don’t pay attention while they are driving their cars, and then, in one way or another, hit the motorcyclist.

This happens most often at intersections, than it does on highways.

I’m willing to wager that more motorcyclists are injured in intersections every year, than are injured while lane splitting. Probably many times as many. I’m also willing to bet that if you just looked at the numbers of accidents in California alone, the intersection accidents would greatly out number the lane splitting accidents.

As for you only being able to ride your bike for 5 months out of the year when you were younger, that’s what happens when you live in the area that you live in. Plenty of people live in areas where they can ride 12 months out of the year. Others 7 or 8 months. You choose where you live, for the most part, during the course of your life.

And as for the 25 years that you haven’t owned one of these “toys”, as you declared it, again, that is your own personal CHOICE. And I’m glad you weren’t stupid enough to lane split when you had the opportunity. Again, yet another choice, made by you.

So, in the end, this whole topic resolves around PERSONAL CHOICE.
This time, by a select group of people, who are very easy for everyone to spot.

So, the people who are members of this group are the only ones who get to make the choice.
Not you in your cars. Not you behind your computer.
We choose to do so, or not, at our own personal risk.

You leave us with our choices, and you keep making yours.
We’ll smile at you at the intersection, and wish you a great day, while we continue to enjoy ours.

BC.

50

I have seen many more car fires out on the road than I have seen motorcycle fires.
Very few people die from car fires, last time I checked.

Its not nearly as dangerous to the car occupants as you are trying so desperately to portray.

BC.

51

A motorcycle doesn’t need 6 feet of space.
Typically, 3 feet is the widest span of handlebars in the motorcycle realm.

Its up to the motorcyclist’s discretion to know exactly how wide his bike is, and be able to judge whether or not they can fit their bike through that space in traffic.

And there are plenty of car drivers who can’t keep their vehicles in their lanes.
Plenty more that can’t keep a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of them.
And most definitely can’t judge distances to prevent themselves from hitting a curb, or a parked car, or countless other things, every day.

Here’s a hint:

If a state has to make the lanes wider for senior citizens, maybe those people actually shouldn’t be driving at all. If they can’t safely keep their vehicle within an 8 foot lane, adding 2 extra feet isn’t actually helping matters, in all honesty.

BC.

52

Yes, I do feel lucky.

But please clarify:

Are you saying that you are going to change lanes only when you see a motorcyclist lane splitting, if there’s an opening?

Or are you saying that if you see an opening, you are going to take it, and you might not see us coming?

Your post seems sinister.

but you can’t say for certain that I won’t lend you 5 dollars, under the right circumstances. I have for other people, at random times in my life.

BC.

53

People have been thinking and doing that for quite a long time.
Opening a door on a motorcyclist in traffic is a really bad thing to do.
The police officers really frown on it, and typically, the first officers to arrive to highway accident scenes are typically motorcycle officers.

You door a motorcyclist that legally lane splitting through traffic, and a couple of motorcycle cops are the first ones to show up, and you are guaranteed a trip to jail.

BC.

54

I agree with you that there are stupid people on motorcycles, running around loose in traffic.
Don’t judge the rest of us on the actions of those few.

BC.

55

Guess what?

It can be done safely.
Its done so every day, many times a day, by many different riders, in many different places.

You need to wrap your head around the thought that it IS being done, and it IS being done SAFELY by the vast majority of riders who choose to do it.

Cars drive within inches of each other every day, and the chances of them coming in contact with each other is exactly the same as the car and motorcycle situation. The only difference is the outcome of the contact.

Cars don’t fall over as easily as motorcycles do.

BC.

56

I still can’t see how you can say that’s BULL when it happens every single day, all over the world.

No effort involved on my part.
Its happening out there.

BC.

57

Its un-nerving to me because it is a skill I do not practice.
Just like climbing ladders up 50 feet to clean out gutters is un-nerving.

You’re NOT understanding what I’m saying…You say it’s unnerving…yet at the same time you also say it’s easy to do…If it’s so easy to do…then why is it unnerving?? Kinda mutually exclusive isn’t it.

And yes, people can safely filter through traffic, on a motorcycle, without incident.

So what…That prove NOTHING…Guess what…people drive drunk all the time also without incident. In fact according to the Fed’s statistics…they only catch about 10% of all drunks on the road…That means that 90% of them are never caught…So based on your logic DUI is also safe???

Re-Read what Caddyman and BScar said…Neither one was promoting trying to kill a motorcyclist…they were saying what COULD happen…There is a difference.

We choose to do so, or not, at our own personal risk.

Let me answer this in two parts…

First off it’s NOT just your personal risk… You are risking the life and safety of everyone around you. If you hit a car at 50mph I guarantee you it won’t be just you who’s injured or killed.

Second…Let’s just say that you are lane splitting and get in a accident and you are the only one who’s injured…Many states like NH…you don’t have to have insurance…guess who pays for your hospital visit…Guess who has to pay for the damages to other peoples property if you damage it??? Sorry, but your logic is flawed.

58

Bladecutter, I’ve been riding bikes for 37 years. Have a current license and have a bike.

Wait your turn in traffic! Don’t like waiting in traffic, change jobs or live somewhere else.

59

Except for your first point, I agree with you.

60

People have been thinking and doing that for quite a long time.

I know that. I was being facetious. I thought “;)” was the universal sign.