Less time then cras but enough to remember
Splitting Traffic
- Thread starter webbashl
- Start date
Got that right. Once is plenty enough to make you forever vigilant.
From my experience living and daily commuting in SD, CA, I believe that lane splitting during a commute in SoCal is the rule rather than the exeption. There is a risk involved. It can be more dangerous than riding in a traffic free road. Does lane splitting have less than a risk than driving within the lane in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic? In my opinion, yes. Here's my justification: In non SoCal traffic, a risk of a rear end collision occurs everytime a car comes to a stop behind you. Most of the time this risk occurs at traffic lights. During bumper to bumper stop and go traffic, this risk occurs several times every minute that you are in grid lock traffic. You expose yourself to this risk everytime a car stops behind of you. (It is comparable to the number of miles driven per year. Statistically, the more miles driven, the greater the chance of an accident.) In comparison to lane splitting, I feel as though the risk of getting hit while lane splitting is far less than the risk of getting rear ended. In fact, I feel safest in stop and go traffic while riding between the front fenders of cars. In my opinion, drivers have a tendency to avoid collisions. Cars are less likely to side swipe each other or rub fenders. Drivers after all are not NASCAR racers. For this reason, I would rather ride in between cars.
The worst place to be as a lane splitting rider is in a blind spot. From the news reports of moto/car collisions that are lane splitting related, most of the reports are of car drivers who do rapid lane changes inorder to capitalize on opportunities to jump into openings in traffic. Many cagers do not check rear and side mirrors before perfoming lane changes. Rarely do cagers blindly drive into the sides of other cars. I cannot say the same for the miss judged distances that result in rear end collisions. As stated above, I do not want to be the meat in a car sandwich. From my experience and vigilant pursuit of moto v car news reports, rear end collisions occur more than fender rubbing... ergo, I lane split.
My definitions:
Lane splitting (aka lane sharing)- riding between lanes of traffic during stop and go traffic at a speed ~5miles above the rate of surrounding traffic (as long as traffic is moving less than or equal to 30 miles an hour.) At 30-35 mph, I fall back in line with traffic as it is now moving.
Filtering- riding between rows of cars stopped at a traffic light in order be at the front of the line at a light.
Lane splitting is not illegal in CA. As stated, CHP lane split all the time. As previously mentioned, CHP moto cops have pulled over once or twice in the past inorder to let me pass. how cool is that? My definition above is the "guideline" that a few CHP guys have told me i the past. It is not uncommon to see riders fly by stationary cars locked in grid lock at 50+ miles an hour. Those guys are significantly increasing their collision risks.
In my opinion (this will be my last one), any motorist who would even consider doing something malicious to a lane splitting rider is frustrated that someone is moving through traffic while they are not.
I have seen everything from dual sports to gold wings splitting lanes. if during a commute I see a non lane splitter, a majority of the time, the bike has non CA license plates. I agree with everyone and respect the reasons why they dont lane split or why they feel its unsafe to do so, but given the horrible commute times in SoCal, my risk benefit analysis favors splitting and filtering. Filtering alone (and not splitting) can safe a ton of time in itself. I never sit through more than one light cycle while at a stop light because Im at the front of the line when the light turns green!
In SoCal it can take as much as 15-20 min in a car to just get onto the freeway as there are stop lights on the entrance ramps limiting the rate of vehicle entry. The line to get to the enterance ramp can be a mile long. Because a bike can get on the HOV entrance ramp it takes one minute to enter the freeway. Time savings: 19 minutes. When you do finally get on the freeway the cager will be crawling in stop and go traffic. Depending on how far on the freeway you travel, the commute time may vary. If you compare not moving in a car (2-3 mph) to moving at a safe lane splitting speed of 25 mph the time savings can be as much as 75%.
A typical traffic free commute on the freeway of 10 miles can be covered in 10 minutes. one mile every minute is 60mph, assuming that you dont speed. no one speeds in SoCal, right?
in certain areas of SD and LA namely the 5, 405, 805, 710 and 210, the 10 mile commute in a car during rush hour can take over an hour. The same commute lane splitting can be done in about 20 minutes. Time savings: 40 minutes. Total savings: 60 minutes. I made this commute everyday and dreaded the days taking the cage to work. A 21 minute commute on the bike became 1:20 in the cage.
The average CA cager knows that lane splitting is allowed. Most of them know about it and accept it. In fact, every foreign country I have ever been to accepted it as well. HK, Manila and Mexico City come to mind. Sorry for the rant, but Ive been in this conversation a ton of times. The more I talk about it the more the cagers keep an eye out for all of us.
one less car means we get home sooner.
The worst place to be as a lane splitting rider is in a blind spot. From the news reports of moto/car collisions that are lane splitting related, most of the reports are of car drivers who do rapid lane changes inorder to capitalize on opportunities to jump into openings in traffic. Many cagers do not check rear and side mirrors before perfoming lane changes. Rarely do cagers blindly drive into the sides of other cars. I cannot say the same for the miss judged distances that result in rear end collisions. As stated above, I do not want to be the meat in a car sandwich. From my experience and vigilant pursuit of moto v car news reports, rear end collisions occur more than fender rubbing... ergo, I lane split.
My definitions:
Lane splitting (aka lane sharing)- riding between lanes of traffic during stop and go traffic at a speed ~5miles above the rate of surrounding traffic (as long as traffic is moving less than or equal to 30 miles an hour.) At 30-35 mph, I fall back in line with traffic as it is now moving.
Filtering- riding between rows of cars stopped at a traffic light in order be at the front of the line at a light.
Lane splitting is not illegal in CA. As stated, CHP lane split all the time. As previously mentioned, CHP moto cops have pulled over once or twice in the past inorder to let me pass. how cool is that? My definition above is the "guideline" that a few CHP guys have told me i the past. It is not uncommon to see riders fly by stationary cars locked in grid lock at 50+ miles an hour. Those guys are significantly increasing their collision risks.
In my opinion (this will be my last one), any motorist who would even consider doing something malicious to a lane splitting rider is frustrated that someone is moving through traffic while they are not.
I have seen everything from dual sports to gold wings splitting lanes. if during a commute I see a non lane splitter, a majority of the time, the bike has non CA license plates. I agree with everyone and respect the reasons why they dont lane split or why they feel its unsafe to do so, but given the horrible commute times in SoCal, my risk benefit analysis favors splitting and filtering. Filtering alone (and not splitting) can safe a ton of time in itself. I never sit through more than one light cycle while at a stop light because Im at the front of the line when the light turns green!
In SoCal it can take as much as 15-20 min in a car to just get onto the freeway as there are stop lights on the entrance ramps limiting the rate of vehicle entry. The line to get to the enterance ramp can be a mile long. Because a bike can get on the HOV entrance ramp it takes one minute to enter the freeway. Time savings: 19 minutes. When you do finally get on the freeway the cager will be crawling in stop and go traffic. Depending on how far on the freeway you travel, the commute time may vary. If you compare not moving in a car (2-3 mph) to moving at a safe lane splitting speed of 25 mph the time savings can be as much as 75%.
A typical traffic free commute on the freeway of 10 miles can be covered in 10 minutes. one mile every minute is 60mph, assuming that you dont speed. no one speeds in SoCal, right?
The average CA cager knows that lane splitting is allowed. Most of them know about it and accept it. In fact, every foreign country I have ever been to accepted it as well. HK, Manila and Mexico City come to mind. Sorry for the rant, but Ive been in this conversation a ton of times. The more I talk about it the more the cagers keep an eye out for all of us.
one less car means we get home sooner.
No, too dangerous here.
Almost everytime I ride... Cali...
I split every day.
I couldn't stand this traffic in Sacramento if I didn't. I only do it at stoplights and only if traffic is less than 25-30mph. Honestly it can be very safe if done correctly. What are the odds of someone pulling into the other lane if there is already a car there? Yeah of course I have been squeezed a little bit but you just need to be vigilant.
All in all I think it is well worth it and has never led me into an accident. Even though it is legal I can tell it really ticks a lot of people off. Oh well. Maybe they should buy a bike and get back at me?
I couldn't stand this traffic in Sacramento if I didn't. I only do it at stoplights and only if traffic is less than 25-30mph. Honestly it can be very safe if done correctly. What are the odds of someone pulling into the other lane if there is already a car there? Yeah of course I have been squeezed a little bit but you just need to be vigilant.
All in all I think it is well worth it and has never led me into an accident. Even though it is legal I can tell it really ticks a lot of people off. Oh well. Maybe they should buy a bike and get back at me?
Rayabusa0818
Never Forgotten
If I was asked that question my response would be "no sir."AM -->
Exactly....ibified @ Dec. 17 2007 said:
But, if he happens to ask you if you know why he pulled you over and you ADMIT that it was because you were lane-splitting, he will have your ass.
Rayabusa0818
Never Forgotten
You are just a rogue
The only times I may have lane split which is illegal in my state is during heavy slow moving congestion.
Projekt
Registered
That is always my answer these days.
Pfal
Registered
I posted this last year on another forum concerning lane splitting. It's a lengthy read but a good one.
A couple of weeks ago in the beaver county area a rider became an organ doner after being rear ended sitting in tarffic by a rubber necker looking at another accident. My personal opinion on many of the laws is that if you feel you are in an uncomfortable situation, do something to change it. Such as someone in your mirror has a big mac in one hand and a cellphone in the other. A ticket is better than eating through a tube. When I got my bike license I questioned lane splitting to the instructor.Because in the manual it states lane sharing is USUALLY not permitted. His reply was not to exercise this but when sitting in traffic you should, when possible pull to the side of the car in front to use them as a crash barrier. The rider mentioned above would still be with us.
Courtesy of Motorcycle Cruiser, thought this would be good info for everyone.
----------------------------------------
Think passing cars between is reckless and inconsiderate? We beg to disagree. But there are some things to know before you start. By Art Friedman.
I had called USC's Accident Research Department to talk to Dave Thom about helmets, but Harry Hurt answered the phone. Hurt, the lead author of the famous "Hurt Report" about the causes of motorcycle accidents, is arguably the most knowledgeable expert in the area of motorcycle safety and always fascinating to talk to.
Today, however, the news wasn't pleasant. Hurt had been rear-ended and had required surgery on his neck. His brand new truck suffered major damage too. "The stupid part," said Hurt, "was that if I'd been on a motorcycle, I wouldn't have had the accident. I would have split lanes and never gotten hit."
Everyone recognizes that lane-splitting is a way for motorcyclists to save time, which may be why car-bound motorists sometimes resent it. In its defense, lane-splitting also reduces congestion and actually helps everyone get there sooner. In effect, it creates an extra lane. That "motorcycle-only lane" can, as Hurt points out, get you away from the antics of cars, which tend to be most violent at the back of the line. I was originally a reluctant lane-splitter myself, but after diving between lanes to escape screeching cars coming up behind me three times in a single ride, I decided that perhaps there was a cosmic message in there somewhere. That was 25 years ago, and I have been lane-splitting, mostly on a non-emergency basis, almost every day since.
The knee-jerk reaction to lane-splitting for most people is that it's dangerous. In fact, Hurt and his fellow researchers discovered that, if anything, it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, crawling traffic. Hurt theorizes that this is because motorcyclists have an easier time steering around threats than stopping frequently. Evans Brafield, Motorcycle Cruiser's Associate Editor and an instructor for the California Motorcycle Safety Program California Motorcycle Safety Program, reckons that the ability the see ahead and get early warning of what traffic is doing is part of the advantage. Certainly, you put virtually all the threats ahead of you and needn't watch your mirrors much.
At Motorcycle Cruiser and our sister magazines, Motorcyclist magazine and Sport Rider magazine, lane-splitting is a way of life. Here in Southern California, rational lane-splitting is tolerated by law enforcement, and the CHP actually testified against a bill that would have banned it several years ago. In a quarter-century of SoCal commuting, I reckon I have reduced the time I have spent in traffic by months, and I can't recall a single close call while doing it. In fact, I haven't ticked more than half a dozen mirrors in that time. In the last few years, the growing availability of carpool lanes has reduced the need to lane-split on freeways, but increased congestion on surface streets has made it more useful there.
The dangers involved in lane splitting are the close proximity of other vehicles, the limited space for maneuvering and the fact that few drivers anticipate your presence. My standard visibility ploys--headlight on high beam during the day and a day-glow orange Shoei helmet--serve me well lane-splitting as in other traffic situations, but the key to painless lane-splitting is understanding the dynamics of the cars around you and knowing what to expect. For example, though you may feel more squeezed when passing between two vehicles side by side, you are more likely to get bunted when overtaking a car that has an open space next to it, especially if the lane on the other side of you is moving significantly faster. If the driver tries to jump to that space, he may forget to check for you. Whether lane-splitting or not, use caution when riding through the blind spot of a driver when you are between him and a place he is likely to want to put his car.
Other pointers:
- You should be alert and ready to concentrate fully on the matter at hand.
- Enter the lane-splitting zone cautiously. Wait until both lanes are slowed down, so that you aren't being overtaken by a car in the adjacent lane. You may be starting from a slow speed, so your bike won't be completely stabilized, and you don't want to weave into an overtaking car.
- The most dicey time is when traffic is slowing down. Some cars pull under braking and some drivers choose this moment to jump to another lane. If one lane is slowing more than the other, the likelihood of a lane-jumper increases. If the lane next to the one you are using is going faster, entering the lane-splitting zone may put you in the path or an overtaking car that isn't expecting it. I like to wait until both lanes are moving at similar speeds.
- Keep your speed just slightly above that of the cars you are passing. A large speed differential reduces your chances of avoiding a collision when something goes awry. However, you should also be overtaking traffic, so that you can focus exclusively on what's ahead and next to you. This puts you in control of the situation.
- Set a maximum speed for lane-splitting and stick to it. When traffic hits about 30 mph, I get back in line.
- When traffic speed picks up, try to merge back in front of the last car that you will completely pass at normal lane-splitting speeds. Plan ahead to be sure you don't get stuck behind a large vehicle that you can't see past.
- Watch for other motorcyclists overtaking and let them by.
- Acknowledge drivers who move over for you, but don't get mad when someone overlooks you.
- Look for those subtle first signs of a direction change by drivers -- a change in speed, the glance to a mirror, the repositioning of hands on the wheel, the car's front wheel actually beginning to steer. If you look ahead and watch for events that will slow one lane down, you can usually anticipate when driver will want to change lanes.
- As always, stay ahead of the game. Keep your eyes up the road, several cars ahead of you to see those first signs of a change in speed, debris on the road or other event that changes the speed or direction of traffic.
- If you come to a place where two vehicles are uncomfortably close together, bide your time and wait for an opportunity to pass them safely.
- Don't hesitate to honk if the cars next to you get uncomfortably close together. It will probably annoy them less than if you snap off one of their mirrors or bang your head on one of their rear fenders.
- The gap between the two left lanes is usually the largest and most consistent because drivers in the left lane, with no traffic to their left, move well to the left to see ahead and to open the gap on their right side.
- Watch for abrupt changes when another roadway merges with either of the lanes you're between.
Cruisers have some advantages as lane-splitting weapons. The sit-up riding position offers a good view over cars. The torquey power characteristics provide good response, though you shouldn't let revs drop too far. There are negatives, too. Cars are widest at their mirrors, which, unfortunately, are often about the same height as cruiser handlebars and mirrors. Ultra-wide bars like those of the Vulcan 1600 Classic limit the gaps you can traverse. In fact, if you split lanes regularly, a narrow bar (or sawing an inch off each end of the stockers) is a good idea. The best lane-splitting weapons are dual-purpose bikes because they are narrow and you sit quite high.
I have heard some lane-splitting horror stories over the years: the rider who hooked a crash bar on a car bumper (unconfirmed), the riders who have had doors flung open in front of them either intentionally or unintentionally (at least one confirmed) and the rider who split lanes alongside a big rig which wasn't aware of him and then crept forward, first pushing the bike over (rider and passenger jumped off) and then running it over without ever knowing it. I have only encountered one driver intent on keeping me from passing ("Kick his damn door in!" was the unheeded advice shouted by a nearby trucker), but thousands who have pulled over to give me extra room. There are also tales of non-injury encounters with drivers disposing of coffee, over-filled ashtrays or the contents of an upset stomach, but I haven't encountered anything worse than the stuff people sometimes throw in your face even when you're in the middle of your lane.
And I spend a lot less time out there in path of danger or trash when I'm tearing along the dotted line.
Art Friedman
A couple of weeks ago in the beaver county area a rider became an organ doner after being rear ended sitting in tarffic by a rubber necker looking at another accident. My personal opinion on many of the laws is that if you feel you are in an uncomfortable situation, do something to change it. Such as someone in your mirror has a big mac in one hand and a cellphone in the other. A ticket is better than eating through a tube. When I got my bike license I questioned lane splitting to the instructor.Because in the manual it states lane sharing is USUALLY not permitted. His reply was not to exercise this but when sitting in traffic you should, when possible pull to the side of the car in front to use them as a crash barrier. The rider mentioned above would still be with us.
Courtesy of Motorcycle Cruiser, thought this would be good info for everyone.
----------------------------------------
Think passing cars between is reckless and inconsiderate? We beg to disagree. But there are some things to know before you start. By Art Friedman.
I had called USC's Accident Research Department to talk to Dave Thom about helmets, but Harry Hurt answered the phone. Hurt, the lead author of the famous "Hurt Report" about the causes of motorcycle accidents, is arguably the most knowledgeable expert in the area of motorcycle safety and always fascinating to talk to.
Today, however, the news wasn't pleasant. Hurt had been rear-ended and had required surgery on his neck. His brand new truck suffered major damage too. "The stupid part," said Hurt, "was that if I'd been on a motorcycle, I wouldn't have had the accident. I would have split lanes and never gotten hit."
Everyone recognizes that lane-splitting is a way for motorcyclists to save time, which may be why car-bound motorists sometimes resent it. In its defense, lane-splitting also reduces congestion and actually helps everyone get there sooner. In effect, it creates an extra lane. That "motorcycle-only lane" can, as Hurt points out, get you away from the antics of cars, which tend to be most violent at the back of the line. I was originally a reluctant lane-splitter myself, but after diving between lanes to escape screeching cars coming up behind me three times in a single ride, I decided that perhaps there was a cosmic message in there somewhere. That was 25 years ago, and I have been lane-splitting, mostly on a non-emergency basis, almost every day since.
The knee-jerk reaction to lane-splitting for most people is that it's dangerous. In fact, Hurt and his fellow researchers discovered that, if anything, it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, crawling traffic. Hurt theorizes that this is because motorcyclists have an easier time steering around threats than stopping frequently. Evans Brafield, Motorcycle Cruiser's Associate Editor and an instructor for the California Motorcycle Safety Program California Motorcycle Safety Program, reckons that the ability the see ahead and get early warning of what traffic is doing is part of the advantage. Certainly, you put virtually all the threats ahead of you and needn't watch your mirrors much.
At Motorcycle Cruiser and our sister magazines, Motorcyclist magazine and Sport Rider magazine, lane-splitting is a way of life. Here in Southern California, rational lane-splitting is tolerated by law enforcement, and the CHP actually testified against a bill that would have banned it several years ago. In a quarter-century of SoCal commuting, I reckon I have reduced the time I have spent in traffic by months, and I can't recall a single close call while doing it. In fact, I haven't ticked more than half a dozen mirrors in that time. In the last few years, the growing availability of carpool lanes has reduced the need to lane-split on freeways, but increased congestion on surface streets has made it more useful there.
The dangers involved in lane splitting are the close proximity of other vehicles, the limited space for maneuvering and the fact that few drivers anticipate your presence. My standard visibility ploys--headlight on high beam during the day and a day-glow orange Shoei helmet--serve me well lane-splitting as in other traffic situations, but the key to painless lane-splitting is understanding the dynamics of the cars around you and knowing what to expect. For example, though you may feel more squeezed when passing between two vehicles side by side, you are more likely to get bunted when overtaking a car that has an open space next to it, especially if the lane on the other side of you is moving significantly faster. If the driver tries to jump to that space, he may forget to check for you. Whether lane-splitting or not, use caution when riding through the blind spot of a driver when you are between him and a place he is likely to want to put his car.
Other pointers:
- You should be alert and ready to concentrate fully on the matter at hand.
- Enter the lane-splitting zone cautiously. Wait until both lanes are slowed down, so that you aren't being overtaken by a car in the adjacent lane. You may be starting from a slow speed, so your bike won't be completely stabilized, and you don't want to weave into an overtaking car.
- The most dicey time is when traffic is slowing down. Some cars pull under braking and some drivers choose this moment to jump to another lane. If one lane is slowing more than the other, the likelihood of a lane-jumper increases. If the lane next to the one you are using is going faster, entering the lane-splitting zone may put you in the path or an overtaking car that isn't expecting it. I like to wait until both lanes are moving at similar speeds.
- Keep your speed just slightly above that of the cars you are passing. A large speed differential reduces your chances of avoiding a collision when something goes awry. However, you should also be overtaking traffic, so that you can focus exclusively on what's ahead and next to you. This puts you in control of the situation.
- Set a maximum speed for lane-splitting and stick to it. When traffic hits about 30 mph, I get back in line.
- When traffic speed picks up, try to merge back in front of the last car that you will completely pass at normal lane-splitting speeds. Plan ahead to be sure you don't get stuck behind a large vehicle that you can't see past.
- Watch for other motorcyclists overtaking and let them by.
- Acknowledge drivers who move over for you, but don't get mad when someone overlooks you.
- Look for those subtle first signs of a direction change by drivers -- a change in speed, the glance to a mirror, the repositioning of hands on the wheel, the car's front wheel actually beginning to steer. If you look ahead and watch for events that will slow one lane down, you can usually anticipate when driver will want to change lanes.
- As always, stay ahead of the game. Keep your eyes up the road, several cars ahead of you to see those first signs of a change in speed, debris on the road or other event that changes the speed or direction of traffic.
- If you come to a place where two vehicles are uncomfortably close together, bide your time and wait for an opportunity to pass them safely.
- Don't hesitate to honk if the cars next to you get uncomfortably close together. It will probably annoy them less than if you snap off one of their mirrors or bang your head on one of their rear fenders.
- The gap between the two left lanes is usually the largest and most consistent because drivers in the left lane, with no traffic to their left, move well to the left to see ahead and to open the gap on their right side.
- Watch for abrupt changes when another roadway merges with either of the lanes you're between.
Cruisers have some advantages as lane-splitting weapons. The sit-up riding position offers a good view over cars. The torquey power characteristics provide good response, though you shouldn't let revs drop too far. There are negatives, too. Cars are widest at their mirrors, which, unfortunately, are often about the same height as cruiser handlebars and mirrors. Ultra-wide bars like those of the Vulcan 1600 Classic limit the gaps you can traverse. In fact, if you split lanes regularly, a narrow bar (or sawing an inch off each end of the stockers) is a good idea. The best lane-splitting weapons are dual-purpose bikes because they are narrow and you sit quite high.
I have heard some lane-splitting horror stories over the years: the rider who hooked a crash bar on a car bumper (unconfirmed), the riders who have had doors flung open in front of them either intentionally or unintentionally (at least one confirmed) and the rider who split lanes alongside a big rig which wasn't aware of him and then crept forward, first pushing the bike over (rider and passenger jumped off) and then running it over without ever knowing it. I have only encountered one driver intent on keeping me from passing ("Kick his damn door in!" was the unheeded advice shouted by a nearby trucker), but thousands who have pulled over to give me extra room. There are also tales of non-injury encounters with drivers disposing of coffee, over-filled ashtrays or the contents of an upset stomach, but I haven't encountered anything worse than the stuff people sometimes throw in your face even when you're in the middle of your lane.
And I spend a lot less time out there in path of danger or trash when I'm tearing along the dotted line.
Art Friedman
that's kinda like when you get pulled over and they walk up to your car... "do you know why i pulled you over?"... how loaded is that question! lolIf I was asked that question my response would be "no sir."AM -->
Exactly....ibified @ Dec. 17 2007 said:
But, if he happens to ask you if you know why he pulled you over and you ADMIT that it was because you were lane-splitting, he will have your ass.
