my first accident

I was riding to school yesterday morning in the carpool lane. Traffic was pretty heavy (stop and go) so I decided that I wanted to go ahead and skip up a car or two.

In order to pass the car infront of me I would need to lane split. I started accelerating and lane splitting. A small car decided to change lanes into the number two lane (1. carpool 2. next lane over, ect.) and because of heavy traffic she stopped right in the middle of the two lanes. I got on my brakes to try and prevent myself from hitting her but there was to little distance and to much speed.

I impacted the front right bumper of the car which then pushed me into the number two lane of the highway. My bike was laid down on the right side and slid out from under me. My body continued to roll and get scratched up. Some how I was lucky enough not to be hit or ran over by another vehical.

I was rushed to Marin General Hospital (Over in San Rafael, CA) since there was concern that I might have the possibility of a broken elbow, hip and knee. There was also concern that I could have internal injuries or damage to my neck or spine.

After spending a few hours in the hospital getting x-rays they determined that everything was fine. I was lucky enough to walk away with some bruises, road rash, a broken laptop screen, and mostly minor damage to my bike.

Good luck with the aftermath.

This is why in OR and WA why it is against the law to lane split. Thanks for your post, and I'm glad to hear that you are ok!!

Hey discgolfdude, a friend of mine crossed the street and a car hit him... should we make "crossing the street" illegal too?

Comon... you don't make something illegal because there's a risk of accident... if that was the case EVERYTHING should be illegal then... IMO if you know how to split lane, it's not more dangerous than NOT splitting lanes...

But that wasn't the point of this thread sorry

/threadjack

Wavex said:

Hey discgolfdude, a friend of mine crossed the street and a car hit him... should we make "crossing the street" illegal too?

Comon... you don't make something illegal because there's a risk of accident... if that was the case EVERYTHING should be illegal then... IMO if you know how to split lane, it's not more dangerous than NOT splitting lanes...

But that wasn't the point of this thread sorry

/threadjack

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I agree, we take a risk every time we do something, but it is all about how much risk you are willing to take. Some take more, and some take less.

Was your fairing damaged, think of this as an opportunity to go naked. Glad you are OK!

Glad you're okay! How did the gear hold up? Any pictures?

I wish we could lanesplit in NY.
recover soon and get back on the metal horse.

To the OP, I thought it is illegal to spit between the Car Pool lane and the adjacent lane?

For those who disagree with lane splitting, studies have shown that is is safer for motorcyclist to split rather than being sandwiched between vehicles during stop n go traffic. The California Highway Patrol even endorses this practice.

But it must be done correclty, and the operator must have the mental knowledge and physical skill do so. Lane splitting is not for everyone, and the beauty of it, when it's legal, not everyone has to do it.

I commute 90 miles each way to work and split lanes every day. You have to keep your head on a swivel and constantly scan adjacent lanes for the a$$holes that try to squeeze you. I will only split up to about 30 mph. However I get passed quite frequently by CHP motor officers splitting lanes at 40-50 mph.
I am glad that you have no major injuries and will live to ride again!!
Good luck. FZ6's look so sexy Naked!

Last night, commuting from work I probably did the most extensive lane splitting I've done yet. Traffic was stopped up more than normal on the freeway I take to get home. It's two lanes in one direction, so I split the middle. I'm usually hesitant to split lanes, but decided to do it. With great care I might add.

I was surprised by how many people moved away from center to let me by. It seems more people are acceptable to this. Still there were a couple of cars that cut over to get in the "fast" lane. That's the part that makes me nervous. But, better than getting rear-ended. That happens a lot.

I think Vegas is correct...you aren't "supposed" to split between the carpool and the far left lane. But where are the rules at exactly? Lane splitting is "permissable" not exactly legal. It's up the the discretion of the LEO if you are doing it in a safe manner.

Glad you are OK...back to the thread at hand!

I believe you guys are incorrect about not splitting in the carpool lane.

Technically it's "lane sharing" in CA. In that spirit, you aren't allowed to ride over the "Bot's Dots" (the reflective lane divider bumps), or weave between lanes, etc.

In the carpool lane, you are supposed to ride on the right edge of the carpool lane, within the carpool lane itself. You are not allowed to ride on the double yellow, or in between double yellows if there are 2 parallel ones as there are in many places. Certainly you aren't allowed to cross over the double yellows in any case.

If you extrapolate this logic, that translates into, "if you can't squeak past a vehicle in front of you in the carpool lane while sharing the lane, you are not allowed to pass." This is how a LEO friend put it to me.

That said, I might slightly move onto the double yellow to pass a vehicle in front of me who is driving on the line himself. It all depends on what is safe and prudent at the time.

EDIT: I hope you heal well, Original Poster! Sorry for the thread jack!

Glad you're ok!

Geez, that blows! Glad you are ok though! :thumbup: I hate hearing about or reading people going down, but I'm always glad hear that they made it out ok, even more so when there's no major injuries.

I see your're in SF. Isn't it pretty scary riding over there? I'm usually ok with lots of traffic, but I can't even stand trying to drive in SF. No way would I ride there. Then again, I'm too chicken to lane split in moving traffic, so there ya go. lol

@ marke14 : I believe the correct term for those dots, is not Bot's Dots, but rather "Road Titties". Just thought I'd make that correction.

Glad you're o.k.. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do to avoid a situation like yours. After lane splitting in SoCal last month I've noticed that the drivers are much more willing to make room for you down there than up here in NorCal. San Francisco on the other hand, set the record for having some of the world's worst drivers period. I'm actually afraid when I'm in my car in S.F. I can't imagine riding a m/c there. :Flip:

Glad you are ok.

Lane splitting - I don't do it - I just don't feel safe doing it, but others do, and if done safely, I don't have a problem with it. Getting to the front of traffic at an intersection is ok - cars are just sitting there anyway. You have an advantage of getting between the cars and racing them off the lights

If you are gonna do it, don't do it with fast flowing traffic. Keep your eyes open - ANY car can change lanes at ANY time - be ready for it. Chopping and changing lanes is one thing, but lane splitting with traffic on a highway? In Aus that is 100 km/h - don't fancy that. Don't do it if you are just getting rattled under your helmet from the traffic - you need to be in the right frame of mind and to pay attention.

Sorry to lecture. Like I said, glad you are ok.

novaks47 said:

@ marke14 : I believe the correct term for those dots, is not Bot's Dots, but rather "Road Titties". Just thought I'd make that correction.

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Thanks Novak - duly noted. :thumbup:

From my experience with splitting lanes I have come to the conclusion that a loud exhaust makes it a ton easier to do. I have two bikes that I use in my commute of 100 miles daily. My 07 FZ6 and my 04 Ninja 500r. The FZ is all stock while the ninja has a loud muzzy exhaust. Needless to say the FZ will be getting a two brothers exhaust very very soon.

Glad you're ok. Surprised they didn't take you to SF General given that is a level three trauma center.

Between the ride to the hospital, the property damange, and the fact that this will likey go on your record as an at fault accident...this sounds expensive.

are you on the BARF or SBR forums?

Lefty said:

Sometimes there's just nothing you can do to avoid a situation like yours.

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???? Not to be annoying and anal, but that's the wrong attitude in my opinion. I was just goinig to ask the OP what he thinks he could do differently to avoid this in the future. If I felt I had that little control I probably wouldn't ride.

DefyInertia said:

???? Not to be annoying and anal, but that's the wrong attitude in my opinion. I was just goinig to ask the OP what he thinks he could do differently to avoid this in the future. If I felt I had that little control I probably wouldn't ride.

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I'm going to agree with this. There is always something that could have been done differently or seen coming to help prevent events like this. While I live in Boston now, I have done most of my riding in SoCal and lane split all the time. It can be done safely, as others have illustrated. The fraction of a second earlier notice the OP might have gotten by noticing the car's "body language" change as it went from moving straight to changing lanes could have been all he needed to prevent this accident. Additionally, knowing when it is okay and no okay to split lanes only comes with experience and learning to "read the road."

In dead-stopped traffic, I only split up to about 15mph. Why? Because at around that speed, cars start to cut into the adjacent lanes trying to go into the "faster" lane that is really only going 1mph faster than their current lane. Much beyond 30mph, cars tend to stay where they are or make much more predictable lane changes. So in my mind, when traffic is between 15-30mph is the most dangerous time to lane split and I won't do it.

Glad the OP is fairing well. Post some pictures when you can of:
1) the bike
2) your gear and what brand/model it was and how it held up
3) what you plan to do with the bike (repair, total, naked, etc.)