October 12, 2011 8:35 AM PDT
this is a piece posted in an Irish "bike awareness" site. Some of you guys may not have heard it about and may be interested...
To: Motorcycle and Scooter Riders
Date: 07/25/11
Subject: New Paper about MC & Scooter Lane Sharing
Motorcycle and Scooter lane sharing and traffic filtering is widely practiced (and formally permitted or tacitly tolerated) in most of the world because it is a natural way to increase road-space utilization and personal mobility efficiency. Linked
here is an important new five page paper by San Francisco-based transportation safety specialist (and rider) Steve Guderian. It succinctly grounds the assertion that lane sharing and filtering lowers accident rates which cause rider deaths and injuries.
The significant safety benefits of lane sharing and filtering have long been intuitively known by experienced riders. But getting non-riding political leaders -- and the American public -- to accept this has been impossible (except in California).
Shifting economic, social and cultural factors are providing new opportunities for riders to advocate change. For example, to reduce urban congestion, save energy and lower accident rates any municipal government could legalize lane sharing and filtering on all of the local roads and streets within it's boundaries. Wouldn't that be nice in your city?
We hope you'll download and read this helpful new paper on lane sharing and filtering. Additional resources for advocates are available at
www.ridetowork.org, including an Oregon State study of Lane Sharing.
October 12, 2011 10:09 AM PDT
I am not one who would lane share. I see some benefits but a large negative. If legal, then I can envision drivers in cages will begin to think it is OK to do it near a rider. I for one like some space around me.
October 12, 2011 12:34 PM PDT
October 12, 2011 12:51 PM PDT
I agree with motorcycles being able to use the HOV lanes during rush hours. But, personally, I would never lane split (lane share). With so many instances of road rage nowadays, I think you're just asking for trouble when you split the lanes when all the cagers are at a standstill on the interstate. Someone is gonna see you coming in his mirrors and do something stupid.
Nope. I'll go with the flow of traffic just like everyone else.
October 12, 2011 1:36 PM PDT
Even though it IS legal here in Californiaction, I for one refuse because of seeing just one accident. Several years ago while on I-5 North of L.A. Traffic was at a complete standstill (Yea, what's new). A guy on a bike camp up through the stopped traffic doing about 30 - 35 MPH. An old man in a pick-up truck three vehicles ahead of me decided to open his drivers door, just as the biker got to his rear bumper. Yep, hit the door full on. A few broken bones and some road rash along with a totaled bike. To me, I have NOWHERE that I have to be to be in that big of a hurry....... Just my two cents.....
October 12, 2011 2:09 PM PDT
I would be afraid to do it in Houston. Some a@#hole would open the car door on ya or pull over enough that you wouldn't have room to get by. That happened to me on I-10.
October 12, 2011 4:48 PM PDT
I would be afraid to do it in Houston. Some a@#hole would open the car door on ya or pull over enough that you wouldn't have room to get by. That happened to me on I-10.
Same here, in Corpus Christi. Some mean stupid people live south of 290.
October 13, 2011 5:56 AM PDT
The idea of a biker deciding NOT to be stuck in traffic just pisses some people off. Taking the shoulder in a real traffic jam? Ya just gotta be careful and mindful that some ahole trucker is going to pull his rig over to cover your escape route. As for splitting lanes; it's legal in a lot of states. It's legal here in Ohio but whether you get a ticket or not is up to the cop who sees you do it. The key is, lane splitting is legal if done safely. "Safely" is at the officers descretion and he can give you a ticket for reckless op. I don't split lanes (anymore) and it's not something I'd recommend. But I do take the shoulder when I don't want to hang around in a traffic jam.
October 13, 2011 8:55 AM PDT
its legal here in Ireland and all motorists just accept that a bike will split or filter,and 90% of them are cool with it. I only posted this 'cos it has come up on posts here once in a while....I've gotten pulled over in the U.S countless times for splitting and filtering, but most of your police just warned me off............ I was riding into Chicago one time in the lunch hour and got really scared with all the traffic building up around me... so, I just resorted to grabbing a handfull of throttle and shot thru .... After 8 miles and clearing traffic, a cop pulled me over, he had been following me, all he said was "where the fck you learn to ride like that?"...Needless to say, Chicago = Cop = Irish descent..we had a laugh and he sent me on my way......
October 13, 2011 11:09 AM PDT
Good post!!
Been lane splitting for years,and never had a problem with it.Lane split over the bay bridge to work every day for a year.rules of thumb for me only go between 5-10 faster than traffic is & high beams are on,hasnt failed me yet,and yes I have had attempts to nail me,luckily nothing serious ever happened.
One time followed a motorcycle officer up the coast on the shoulder of the HWY 1 for about ten miles.
Never had any probelm with that as far as the law goes.Hope more people become accepting of it,done properly there isnt any major hazard to it.
October 14, 2011 3:39 AM PDT
Living in So Cal. lane splitting is just something you learn to do if you want to get anywhere during rush hour traffic. I never ride more than 10 mph more than the traffic is going and when the traffic starts moving again I will merge back into a lane. I never will understand why someone cares about somebody on a bike passing them in traffic. I move over all the time when I see them coming up between lanes when I'm in my truck. This country really needs to get back to the days when being a courteous driver was the norm, when did we all get in such a big damn hurry to get no where fast!!
October 14, 2011 5:09 AM PDT
Yep, I too split lanes (or share lanes) all the time on the freeways here in So Cal. I actually take the bike to places I would normally drive the truck if I know there will be traffic... just so I can split lanes.
Like most others who responded I do it with extreme caution - especially if Laura is on the back. I only split lanes when the traffic is going 10 mph or more less than the speed limit, and I make sure there is plenty of room.
Since lane sharing has been legal or accepted in California for as long as I can remember, for the most part drivers are accustomed to it and just move over and let you go by.
I do occasionally get the driver who feels if they are not moving - no one should and they move over to close the gap when they see me coming. Then I just tuck in and wait for a clear opportunity to pass. I figure I could do that or add another a-hole to the road by becoming one myself and doing something out of anger.
January 15, 2012 2:53 PM PST
The issue over all with lane sharing by the public at large is that they are not educated on the practice or the vehicle codes that surround the practice. More drivers than not do not even realize that it is NOT against the law here in the state of California to split or lane share. It has been my personal mission for the last 2 years to educate the public on lane sharing in our state. I am of the belief that when it is understood it will be more widely accepted and drivers will learn to be more watchful. I write on this topic often. Rory made a good point that in Ireland it is no big deal. It seems that the drivers are more educated on the practice. The other issue here [CA] is that there is NO law written specifically for lane sharing. As far as I am concerned this is this biggest problem.
January 15, 2012 6:58 PM PST
I don't know if it is even allowed in Georgia for lane splitting or lane sharing but my bike is air cooled and I'm not going to just sit there and let it over heat. But I do go slowly when I do use the shoulders. When I'm in my cage and I see a bike I move out of the way, because I like it when they do it for me. Have not been stopped as of yet for doing it but maybe I'm just lucky.
January 15, 2012 9:38 PM PST
Even though it IS legal here in Californiaction, I for one refuse .....
I too find it a bit too risky even though it is common place here in CA. Although I will do it rare occasions, I keep it to a bare minimum. Echoing yourself and others, I fear the road rage, the opened door, as well as the abrubt unsiginaled last second lane change - who hasn't seen this on 80 or 50?
I endeavor to just go with the flow... I'm a pleasure rider... do it for the freedom and the fun... no stress desired :-)) Others rider for different reasons and to each their own - doesn't bother me when others do it but I do worry about some of the youngsters on their sports bikes "pole bending" traffic
January 16, 2012 5:11 AM PST
I ride like Lucky here in So Cal. If the traffic is moving well under the speed limit I split lanes. I hate having to put my feet down on the freeway.
What really amazes me is the guys you see splitting lanes when the traffic is already go 60mph+. That's just dangerous for the rider and everyone around them.
January 16, 2012 5:19 AM PST
Even though it IS legal here in Californiaction, I for one refuse .....
I too find it a bit too risky even though it is common place here in CA. Although I will do it rare occasions, I keep it to a bare minimum. Echoing yourself and others, I fear the road rage, the opened door, as well as the abrubt unsiginaled last second lane change - who hasn't seen this on 80 or 50?
I endeavor to just go with the flow... I'm a pleasure rider... do it for the freedom and the fun... no stress desired :-)) Others rider for different reasons and to each their own - doesn't bother me when others do it but I do worry about some of the youngsters on their sports bikes "pole bending" traffic
I'm never in a rush when I am riding. I don't lane share at all. Most of the time when I am in a traffic jam, the drivers roll down their windows and we just chat, especially women who love seeing female bikers. But, I've had drivers who comment that they like bikers although they don't ride, they prefer bikers to follow the 'rules' just like drivers, making it easier for drivers to 'accept' bikers and to defend them in 'sharing' the road (despite the fact that we ALL own the road).
January 16, 2012 6:19 AM PST
I ride like Lucky here in So Cal. If the traffic is moving well under the speed limit I split lanes. I hate having to put my feet down on the freeway.
What really amazes me is the guys you see splitting lanes when the traffic is already go 60mph+. That's just dangerous for the rider and everyone around them.
Here in California lane splitting in conditions where the flow of traffic is at freeway speeds could get you a ticket under the VC's that cover the practice as I understand them. If the traffic is moving at 65 MPH and the rule of thumb where law enforcment is concerned is 10 to 15 MPH over the posted limit, that would get you written for speeding or unsafe lane change or passing on the right in an unsafe condition. The issue is that the VC is interpetive by law enforcement.
September 7, 2015 5:34 AM PDT
Since it is not legal in TX, I don't. Except for the time I was passed in rush hour traffic between Ft Worth and Dallas by a motor officer and he waved me in behind him. Soon, we were a dozen or so splitting lanes behind the cop.
