Lane splitting

[cornerslider]

I apologize in advance if this has been covered in another thread..... Help me understand "lane splitting"?  I've been ridding for 40+ years (30 years on the street), yet the idea of lane splitting seems very foreign to me... I live in Minnesota where lane splitting isn't legal. I watch bike reviews on YouTube, and I get almost a dizzy/vertigo experience coupled with anxiety when watching a video of a guy lane-splitting on a bike.... I understand that it helps keep traffic flowing efficiently. My question is if the risk/reward ratio is worth it? 

[Orangethunder]

It depends on your own personal safety and comfort. If traffic is at a dead stop and it's hot out, I will lane split too, but I'm also not hauling ass between the cars either. I'll go maybe 10 mph or so, just to keep making forward progress. As soon as traffic opens back up again, I grab a lane and go with it. 

[DewMan]

Other than using lane-splitting to get to the front of the line at lights, I wouldn't do it in moving traffic even if it was legal. Way too much stupid on the streets to risk my safety in that manner IMO.

[fzar]

Heres some updated news, if you'd call it that: 

Arizona and Virginia consider lane-filtering laws - RevZilla

---

Proposed laws are similar to the one passed in Utah.

I kinda like Utah's approach, similar to what @DewMan was on about. It's technically not illegal in Arkansas, I just don't feel the need to get a ticket as they can interpret the law any way they choose. e.g Operating a vehicle in a dangerous manner! Failing to maintain lane, putting yourself or others in possible danger. I just try to keep the fuzz of my back as much as possible. I don't want to go to court and argue right/wrong.

 I got a warning for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. The sheriff that pulled me over agreed I pulled up and put both feet down, but apparently I didn't come to a complete stop according to him. Funny thing is I knew he was there and I had seen him. I made sure I did stop, but I wasn't lingering, I knew he was going to light me up as I wasn't a local, the only reason he was there was for that stop sign in the middle of nowhere end of the month county quotas. FFS. Hiding in a ditch. I have nothing against law enforcement officers, but that time I was annoyed with him.

[FZ07R WaNaB]

1 hour ago, cornerslider said:

My question is if the risk/reward ratio is worth it?

I look at lane splitting in moving traffic the same way I look at doing stoppies. It's cool/fun up to the point where somebody pulls out cutting you off, and then you are f#cked. Stoppies obviously are very cool until you do a face plant and spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair

I use to commute a lot to work on a bicycle. One day I had the pleasure of having some a..wipe open a car door on me when I was lane splitting. Fortunately I wasn't going really fast, but yes, I did slam into that door. I didn't get badly hurt, but I'll never forget that Oh Shet moment!

Having said that, I will do what I need to do in a serious traffic jam regardless if it is legal. You can bet that I will do it very slowly/carefully though.

[geophb]

In my opinion lane splitting is unsafe.  Your always in somebodys blind spot and people in rush hour traffic are not looking for a bike doin 75+ through 30 mph traffic. Obviously an extreme example but cars change lanes around here at random without blinker or nothin, just BAM.  

Another dumb question but why do motorcyclist feel that they should be able to lane split, everybody else in car can't lane split. Feels like budging in line almost , if you catch my drift, maybe even a small sense of entitlement???  Just playin devils advocate

 

[Beemer]

I get what you're saying about bikers wanting to lane split but people have to realize it doesn't just benefit the person doing it because it helps to relieve congestion for others. If people in cars were stuck in traffic and a lane suddenly opened up for them to jump into and go around everyone they would do it in a heartbeat. As a matter of fact, some people use the car pool lane or the shoulder to get around others when they aren't suppose to so cager's are not without fault themselves. You have to figure, they are people too. The point is if they could, many would. Some would still just sit there hating everyone for not taking a number and behaving accordingly. That's people! 

Lane splitting, I think it's OK to do if traffic is barely creeping along or at a dead stop and the person doing it is being safe about it. Next question, what is everyone's idea of being safe? lol! Back on that merry-go round, again!

 

 

[kylerhsm]

The rules here in Queensland, Australia, are that you can legally lane split between two traffic lanes going in the same direction at no more than 30km/h (around 20mph) and that you can't do this on a motorway/highway. It works really well. Any more than 30km/h and you're asking for trouble but as someone who commutes daily to/from the city, being able to lane split (or lane filter as the legal version is called) is a godsend. And sorry geophb, but lane splitting benefits everyone on the road. For every bike that lane splits past you, there are countless others ahead of you that aren't contributing to the traffic queues. So little do you realise but you're probably several car lengths further ahead that you would be if every bike between you and your destination was confined to the middle of the traffic lanes.

For me there is a little sense of entitlement, because I know I'm contributing to the traffic and I'm using a far more appropriate form of transportation for getting a single person from A to B compared to old mate in his giant massive SUV who can't be bothered catching the bus.

[robbo10]

Over here, you can sometimes find your lane splitting ( we call it filtering, btw) blocked off at extremely(!) short notice by someone who hates the thought of you lane splitting and making progress, where he cannot. I will only do it extremely slowly in stationary traffic.

[Socalmt]

Ok I’ll chime in.  I live is Southern California aka lane splitting Mecca. I commute 10,000 miles a year and have done so for almost 20 years ( I’m getting old) I split every day I ride, and depending on my shift it can be the majority of the trip.  There are a few keys to mitigating the risks.  First, unless traffic is stopped, you never pass cars in a way that puts the full length of vehicles on both sides of you. This gives you an out if someone changes lanes. Second, you need to split at moderate speeds in relation to traffic you’re splitting.  Don’t out ride your perception reaction time. Third, is you need to be perceptive of what is happening around you and anticipate what traffic is going to do.  Notice eyes flashing in their mirrors, hands sliding up their steering wheels, traffic slowing and gaps that a driver may find attractive to dive into. Saying “it’s not fair” is silly.  Pointing to reckless riders as why it’s unsafe is also asinine. Riding 75 through 30 mph is illegal everywhere but so is murder, and we stack 20,000 murder victims a year in this country. If I had to sit there, baking in stop and go traffic waiting to get rear ended by some idiot on their phone in this overcrowded hell hole of SoCal I wouldn’t ride.  It’s so common here that the majority of drivers, if they aren’t on their phone or smoking dope as they drive, will move over to give you room.

[ninjaiceberg]

I ride in the SF Bay and I lane split everyday. Honestly, it's not as dangerous as you think when done properly. I only go about 10 mph faster than traffic and I don't split above 50 or so.

If I see a big gap coming up I'm usually more alert, in case a car wants to squeeze in.

After a while, you get used to the speed. People think bikers are going really fast, it's just because cars are going really slow. And cameras just make it look like bikers are going really fast.

If you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. It's really up to you.

[slideways]

I agree with most of what Socalmt  has to say. More important his description points out that lane splitting is a technique with its own unique skill sets. I noticed that a couple of responders that stated they’d never split lanes lived in states where it is illegal as did I before moving to California. When I first moved here I followed several CHP motos while they split lanes to learn but frankly those guys did it faster than my comfort zone allowed. I read up on it, talked to a couple of CHP moto friends, quizzed more experienced SoCal riders and eventually learned the skill sets needed. Socalmt makes really good points but I disagree with one. I feel more comfortable splitting between adjacent vehicles then staggered vehicles . The reason is we all have a personal space zone around out vehicles and two cars side by side are very unlikely to encroach into that zone. My radar is on high alert when cars are staggered because some idiot might decide to suddenly move over a lane without signaling or looking. By the way it seems nobody uses turn signals in SoCal. I think using them is viewed as a sign of weakness. Your speed relative to the traffic, the speed one lane is going vs the other, vehicle types you’re  splitting between et all only scratch the surface of the many circumstances that must be processed while splitting lanes. Because of the really high level of focus required when riding this way I find it more fatiguing than riding in light traffic where lane splitting is not needed. Like most seasoned California riders I feel comfortable filtering through traffic but it does take a different type awareness. 

Edited January 21, 2020 by slideways

[cornerslider]

Thank you for all that took the time to respond. I understand it more now. I never thought of it as a "learned skill set" before (which I obviously don't have). To unfamiliar eyes like mine, it looks like a great way to get hurt really bad, and piss off every motorist in the process. If motorists are used to it, I can see where they MAY actually look for lane splitters, and not be angry about it as well. 

 

[slideways]

Motorists on California are more aware of lane splitting but the reality is almost none are looking for filtering motos while they sit in congestion. Don’t think so? Just pay attention to how often you check your mirrors while you are in bumper to bumper stop and go in your car and then consider that you as a motorcyclist you might be more attentive then the typical cage bound driver.

[rfmueller]

Many years ago I had somebody open a door while I was getting around traffic.  It scared the crap out of me and I ended up in the ditch.  The two in the front of the car thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever done while they were driving away, laughing and pointing at me.

Since then, I won't lane split at all unless I am behind a large industrial truck, semi, camper, AND the traffic has stopped completely.  If traffic isn't at a stand-still, I won't split the lanes.  I take it very slowly moving to the front.  HOWEVER, I frequently position myself between two cars so if there's somebody behind me that doesn't look like he's going to stop, I can just punch it and get further between the two cars.  People are too easily provoked these days.  It's better to error on the side of caution, especially when on two wheels.

 

[internetman]

it would be hard for me to live somehwhere where lanesplitting wasn’t legal, seeing as how I lanesplit pretty much every time I ride unless it’s the dead of night. Then again, if you live somewhere where there is zero traffic, you wouldn’t need to. There is a ton of traffic here. I don’t split if traffic is actually moving, but it’s the best for skipping to the front of long lines at lights and heavy traffic.

[Beemer]

On 1/21/2020 at 8:26 PM, rfmueller said:

Many years ago I had somebody open a door while I was getting around traffic.  It scared the crap out of me and I ended up in the ditch.  The two in the front of the car thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever done while they were driving away, laughing and pointing at me.

Since then, I won't lane split at all unless I am behind a large industrial truck, semi, camper, AND the traffic has stopped completely.  If traffic isn't at a stand-still, I won't split the lanes.  I take it very slowly moving to the front.  HOWEVER, I frequently position myself between two cars so if there's somebody behind me that doesn't look like he's going to stop, I can just punch it and get further between the two cars.  People are too easily provoked these days.  It's better to error on the side of caution, especially when on two wheels.

 

I agree and I don't care if anyone has been lane splitting all their life without an incident, that doesn't mean it can't happen to them. It may be just someone's luck that they haven't encountered a crazy person on the road but they ARE out there and you don't know who they are until they attack you (I've met 2 in my life time so far, both times I was lucky) and good luck avoiding them when you're 'that much closer' to their car. Think about it, you don't have but a fraction of a second of reaction time when your handlebars are only a foot or two away from them when they decide to bump into you or open a door.

I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't lane split, we're all adults and capable of making decisions for ourselves and allowed to decide what risks we'll take (I surely take mine) but I am saying you are safer when you keep a good distance from cars rather than getting closer to them and decreasing your reaction time with the crazies or anyone for that matter. I hope no one ever encounters one and good luck if you do because they have the upper hand. 

 

[FZ07R WaNaB]

4 hours ago, Beemer said:

I hope no one ever encounters one and good luck if you do because they have the upper hand. 

Motorcycle vs Car.....  CAR ALWAYS WINS

It's funny how today we are such an entitled lot. We think we can do whatever we want whether it is legal or not. Cold reality is that when a motorycle hits or gets hit by a car, the rider is going to get hurt/maimed/paralyzed/killed. So how well will your entitlement hold up when you are permently in a wheelchair or dead. The really crazy thing about lane splitting is that is mostly about saving time. Why are we always in such a hurry - how important is it really???

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by FZ07R WaNaB

[kylerhsm]

7 hours ago, FZ07R WaNaB said:

The really crazy thing about lane splitting is that is mostly about saving time. Why are we always in such a hurry - how important is it really???

It's the difference between it taking me 20 minutes to get to work and barely having to stop, or 40 minutes sitting in the queue of cars sweating my ass off in 30 degrees (90F) in all my riding gear and arriving to work dripping in sweat. Here, filtering has to be between two traffic lanes and not up the side. No-one opens their doors in the middle of two traffic lanes on a main road. At least not where I'm from.

[scat2me]

 The reality   is that a Bike has the same rules as a car or truck. When a Bike or bicycle drives between the cars it creates a dangerous situation for everyone. If I have to stop or swerve because of a pot hole or an animal or something else I could cause some ones death or disability. The lanes are there for a reason. You may not agree with all laws but they should be respected.

[DewMan]

1 minute ago, scat2me said:

 The reality   is that a Bike has the same rules as a car or truck. When a Bike or bicycle drives between the cars it creates a dangerous situation for everyone. If I have to stop or swerve because of a pot hole or an animal or something else I could cause some ones death or disability. The lanes are there for a reason. You may not agree with all laws but they should be respected.

Lane splitting/filtering is legal in some locations. I live in Florida as you do and do not lane split because it isn't legal. Those speaking that they do lane split are doing so where it is legal as in California.

I'm not hearing anyone talk about illegally lane splitting/filtering.

[1tondriver]

8 minutes ago, scat2me said:

 The reality   is that a Bike has the same rules as a car or truck. When a Bike or bicycle drives between the cars it creates a dangerous situation for everyone. If I have to stop or swerve because of a pot hole or an animal or something else I could cause some ones death or disability. The lanes are there for a reason. You may not agree with all laws but they should be respected.

But bikes don’t have the same rules in all states. Lane splitting is legal in several so if it’s legal and your comfortable doing it, why not. 

Edit: beat me to it @DewMan

[scat2me]

It may be legal in some states but it doesn't diminish the risk. I wonder if a Biker gets hit while he or she is between 2 cars who would be at fault ?

[FZ07R WaNaB]

1 hour ago, scat2me said:

It may be legal in some states but it doesn't diminish the risk. I wonder if a Biker gets hit while he or she is between 2 cars who would be at fault ?

Wow, that's a really good question. If any of you folks who live in the legal lane splitting states know what has happened in the courts on that one, it would be interesting to hear about it. You got a bunch of crap going on there regarding both medical and property damage, as well as proving who was at fault.

Just as interesting would be to know what the actual increase in motorcycle accidents is as a direct result of lane splitting.

[mjh937]

Here is a excerpt from a UC Berkeley study about lane splitting that came out in 2015.  It makes some interesting points. 

Compared with other motorcyclists, lane-splitting motorcyclists were more likely to ride on weekdays and during commute hours, use better helmets,and travel at lower speeds. Lane-splitting motorcyclists were also less likely to have been using alcohol and less likely to have been carrying a passenger.

Also compared with other motorcyclists involved in a collision, lane-splitting riders were less likely to suffer head injury (9 percent versus 17 percent), torso injury (19 percent versus 29 percent) and fatal injury (1.2 percent versus 3 percent).

Most of the motorcycle lane-splitters – about 69 percent – exceeded the speed of surrounding traffic by about 15 mph or less. But about 14 percent  of lane-splitters traveled at least 25 mph faster than surrounding vehicles.

“It is clear that the greater the speed differential, the more dangerous it is, so as obvious as the advice may be, slow down to lower the risk of injury,” said Rice.