Lane Splitters are Foolish Beyond Belief!

[thethendi]

I lane split in Boston on occasion, but only in standstill traffic. It's illegal here. With my bike in no traffic, my commute takes 10 minutes. With traffic it's closer to 30-40 (especially on game days at Fenway). If I split (not even all the way, just at a few spots where traffic isn't moving at all due to Mass-holes blocking the intersections and the poorly timed lights all over town), I can get home in about 15-20.

 

[ozzieboy]

I have to agree that not being stuck amongst the traffic is a lot safer:thumbup:. Much safer out in front. I don't lane split myself though unless for an emergency. On a previous bike I was tailgated by an ignorant moron and we came to a crest with a lineup of traffic backed up on the other side. I slipped between the cars to stop and the dude behind me hit the car in front of me. Glad I wasn't there anymore. The look on his face when I gave him the "look" told me he may have learned something:spank:. Always keep an open mind about escape routes, or doing something that may prevent you needing one. Being out in front for the most part will help not need one. Unfortunately there is always that tripper who thinks your there to race and tries to make life hard for you. That is why I don't lane split unless necessary.:thumbup:
Cheers
Mike

 

[DefyInertia]

you're not in Cali yet:sinister:


[SIZE=\"1\"]Darkside Calling [/SIZE]

Oh, I'm sure I will there. :rockon: It's hard for me not to here...really comes down to the whole "making a bad name" plus the fact that I dont' ride in traffic much any more out here and when I do, people dont' expect lane splitting b/c it's illegal in IL.

 

[fz6nick]

I also lane split daily. At every red stoplight unless i know its going to turn green soon. I sometimes do it on the freeways, but only when traffic is slow. I always try to time my splits so that the cars are even, no chance of chaning lanes.

Not sure if anyone has said it, but they actually promote lane splitting in Cali. It helps move traffic

 

[rsw81]

Not sure if anyone has said it, but they actually promote lane splitting in Cali. It helps move traffic

I'm sorry, but this is inaccurate. No one promotes it in California, it is just merely not illegal here. In fact, you can still get a ticket for it if you are doing it recklessly. There have been many people on the forums that have gotten into recks while lane-splitting and were found at fault for it because they were lane-splitting, even though the car side-swiped them.:spank:

 

[Mattberkshire]

I do it. I'll never sit on someones tail though. That's inviting an accident. If I have to undertake I do it quickly and cleanly.

 

[n1one]

Check this movie out and tell me where I endangered anyone's life?

YouTube - Los Angeles Traffic.

This is a very small glimpse at my daily commute... if I couldn`t split lane I would die of heat and bordom, and it would defeat the purpose of using a bike... if I have to stay squeezed between cars for hours on end, I`d prefer to use my car with AC and radio...

Again, don`t assume that all rider that split lanes are doing it in an unsafe manner... the guy you saw may have been stupid, but you can`t use that example to generalize to all of us.

Nice Vid Wavex:thumbup:

Although I don't like the idea of lane splitting (simply because I am not comfortable with it) I don't think you did anything irresponsible in this vid. In fact it is obvious you were looking from side to side to ensure that you were operating safely. Nice job, I think your Vid has changed my perception of lane splitting to a more positive one.

Thanks for posting it and be safe:rockon:.

 

[Sosu2211]

I lane split all the time as it is seemingly obligatory here in France. When I first got this bike, I was taking it easy and waiting in traffic, and another biker asked me what the problem was!

As everyone says, there are safe and not so safe ways to do it, but for me, discretion is the better part of valor...

 

[Tailgate]

I lane split all the time as it is seemingly obligatory here in France. When I first got this bike, I was taking it easy and waiting in traffic, and another biker asked me what the problem was!

Similar here in California (legal/permissable). For example, on freeway slowdowns motorcyclists filter through. Sometimes, a rider will sit stuck in traffic and, if not a wide-gerth motorcycle, I ask myself "Why?" There's usually enough room betwen columns of cages for there to be a motorcycle lane striped. I imagine, traffic engineers have probably considered striping motorcycle lanes at one time or another but this would probably not be practible. You know, in some places(Russia) there doesn't even exist lane striping on wide boulevards! I doubt if it's due to budget constraints; motorists seem to manage fine w/o having painted lines delineating lanes. Yeah, I know, in many other countries motorcyclists lane split/filter without issue. American culture sometime seems to be nervous, even hysterical. Take drinking laws, for example. Most (if not all) states require one to be 21 years of age before drinking and it's big offense to provide someone under 21 years of age with alcohol This is unheard of in most of the world!

 

[Wavex]

I lane split all the time as it is seemingly obligatory here in France. When I first got this bike, I was taking it easy and waiting in traffic, and another biker asked me what the problem was!

As everyone says, there are safe and not so safe ways to do it, but for me, discretion is the better part of valor...

I hear it`s now illegal in France too? I am sure everybody still does it, but I was wondering if you knew why they made it illegal... I assume it was Sarkosy's way of cracking down on cagers/bikers like he did with the insane police/radar presence everywhere...

 

[Aggietaco]

Sometimes, a rider will sit stuck in traffic and, if not a wide-gerth motorcycle, I ask myself \"Why?\" There's usually enough room betwen columns of cages for there to be a motorcycle lane striped. I imagine, traffic engineers have probably considered striping motorcycle lanes at one time or another but this would probably not be practible.

They probably choose to sit in traffic, because they don't want the added danger of filtering. I don't care who you are, lane splitting is absolutely more dangerous than conforming with the rest of traffic.

And I'm sure traffic engineers have never though of adding a motorcycle lane because 2 wheeled vehicles make up a very small percentage of the traffic on roads. Wasting tax dollars on adding a motorcycle lane probably wouldn't sit very well with the public.

 

[Tailgate]

They probably choose to sit in traffic, because they don't want the added danger of filtering. I don't care who you are, lane splitting is absolutely more dangerous than conforming with the rest of traffic.

And I'm sure traffic engineers have never though of adding a motorcycle lane because 2 wheeled vehicles make up a very small percentage of the traffic on roads. Wasting tax dollars on adding a motorcycle lane probably wouldn't sit very well with the public.

Evidently, there have been some studies that refute this. Is it possible that filtering isn't any more/any less dangerous than sitting in stop 'n go traffic? Rear-end accidents are not all that rare on crawling freeways. And, I'm surprised that you ride since it's generally considered more dangerous than to drive. If you want to be comforming with the "rest" of traffic shouldn't you be on four wheels since you don't consider motorcyles as "part" of traffic. I take it that you consider it a waste of tax dollars that traffic engineers (at least around here) commonly call for striping bicyle lanes. Is there a big percentage of bicyles on the road? But, I think you missed my point; I'm not calling for striping cycle lanes. Incidentally, how about carpool lanes: are you against motorcyles using them? Also, curious, if there was an accident and cages/trucks were endlessly backed up, unable to maneuver, possibly for hours---you're saying that you wouldn't filter out of there if you knew it wasn't illegal?

 

[ldbiker99]

On the subject of lane splitting I have lived in California and moved back to Florida for school I learned how to ride in California where drivers seem to have a certain respect for motorcyclists. Living here in Fla nobody has respect for riders and they are out to kill you whenever you are on the road so you must ride like your invisible. I have been riding sown here for almost a year I have been run off of the road countless times by cage drivers without regard, and the cops down here always take the side of the cage driver.

About eight months ago I was run off of the road by a cage driver I honked my horn and the a**hole kept coming into my lane so I braked so I wouldn't get pinnjed up against the jersey barrier. I decided to follow this a**hole until He stopped I confronted him politely and He had teh nerve to tell me to go f*ck myself so I called the police and tried to report him as a reckless driver the cop told me the I shouldn't ride a motorcycle and that I was the one who was being dangerous. So from now I don't respect cage drivers or cops I will ride Like no one sees me even if it means splitting lanes to save my life.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

They probably choose to sit in traffic, because they don't want the added danger of filtering. I don't care who you are, lane splitting is absolutely more dangerous than conforming with the rest of traffic.

You shouldn't post these kinds of statement unless you can back this up with statistics or studies regarding lane splitting. You are entitled and we welcome your opinion, but that is all it is. Just your opinion. You may want to take the time and read up on the benefits and why it was put in place from the first place before you start making such false statements and give yourself a bad rep.

Studies have been done and documented, and they have determined, that lane splitting, when done it the right way, can be done safely and efficiently.

From what I understand, the states of New Jersey and Washington have been looking into the possiblity of making it permissable, like California.

 

[sportrider]

They probably choose to sit in traffic, because they don't want the added danger of filtering. I don't care who you are, lane splitting is absolutely more dangerous than conforming with the rest of traffic.

what do you base your "opinion" on? have you ever split traffic? if not your whole statement really has no validity to it. if you had some experiance splitting/filtering, I'm sure your thoughts on the subject would be different.

 

[abraxas]

Ok, since i'm regarded as a h00ligan lane splitter i'll try not to take offense.

Wavex, love that video captures exactly how it should be done. Splitting IS an art form, as different yet important as off road or track racing.

Here in SA we are discussing lane splitting, it IS entirely legal, but almost like a secret, most cagers don't know it's legal, and the rest don't really care.
My oute to work in the morning we've trained the cagers quite nicely. 30km of highway, and 95% of the cagers pull over to give us that little extra space, and they get rewarded with a friendly wave. Within the last year, the nature of the ride to work has changed, being safer and easier for all.

However, the 5% idiot factor cannot be ignored, and they are what keep us on our toes. We get fined for riding in the yellow lane (emergency) .. so splitting is safer from the police too

We in Johanesburg are really suffering bad CR@P road management, so the roads are completely backed up every single day. Government is starting to take notice, and realising that bikes reduce congenstion pollution and all sorts besides. We will over come their red tape.

The trouble i think, is SAFE splitting over unsafe splitting, but the answer is so subjective no two riders can have the same standards. Strangely though, i have seen more trouble happen to guys directly in front of me than has happened to myself directly. I ride as fast as is possible ... the newb guys that pass me don't see the limit, and they run into problems.

I reckon waking up in the morning is dangerous, anything more than getting out of bed is grabbing danger by the b@lls, and squeezing. :Flip:

 

[Sosu2211]

I hear it`s now illegal in France too? I am sure everybody still does it, but I was wondering if you knew why they made it illegal... I assume it was Sarkosy's way of cracking down on cagers/bikers like he did with the insane police/radar presence everywhere...

Well, it is still kind of a grey area... I know there was a change, and even someone like me who is a legally trained does not know the exact law these days, and in reality, *nothing* has changed! Organised chaos still rules!

As for why there has been an issue, I think it comes down to French culture, and the sheer number of incidents and deaths on bikes. For example, in France you can ride a 50cc on public roads at 14 , a 125 at 16 after a small test, and a 1000+ at 18 if you take 'proper' test. All in all, everyone rides a scooter at one time or another... and they get *very* complacent. I was in Rennes this weekend, and I saw so many 'kids' on scooter and small bikes without any kind of gear, no protection at all in terms of gloves, jackets, even lids in some places! You literally leave your house, jump on your bike in t-shirt, jeans, maybe trainers...

When I met my g/f's mother, she heard I had a bike, and was not happy. She then told me that out of my g/f's class of 30 people at school, 3 of the guys have been killed in bike accidents in the 10 years since she left... it is a sobering thought.

The issue comes when this culture translates to bigger bikes. Yes, I often wear jeans and not proper leggings, but this is the only concession I make. Here you often see GSX-R/Supersport riders without gloves, in shorts, trainers etc. It is an accident waiting to happen... Heck I saw a guy on a duacti 1098 at the weekend in a white linen suit combined with his g/f on the back in a evening dress!! Combined with the fact that the country is not densely populated, you have a recipe for issues. If you crash on a quieter French motorway, it could be a significant amount of time before anyone even finds you! I did 200kms the other night at 2am on the A84 (Normandie/Brittany) and didn't see a car for 150kms! There was also no motorway lighting... I was thinking, god forbid if I came off and went over a barrier, the first person to find me may be a farmer next spring when he ploughs his fields!!

As for specifically lane splitting... generally people are confident, if not overconfident riding bikes as they have done so from 14 onwards, and there are no dedicated splitting lanes... you just filter between the cars and lorries. If you see the 'Periferique' in Paris, really, WOW.

All in all, in France, if there is a law they don't like, they ignore it, and that has been the case with splitting, but the sheer number of deaths and incidents here meant something had to be done

But then of course you get people trying to copy 'The Black Prince'...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCwCUbtxJxI&feature=related"]YouTube - Le Prince Noir sur le périphérique parisien Part 1[/ame]

And even 'Ghost Rider' has done the Periferique...

 

[Aggietaco]

I thought I would cross post here for all you Texans that don't frequent the local boards.

http://www.600riders.com/forum/usa-southeast/9045-texas-lane-splitting-laws.html#post108721

Lane splitting laws may come up in January 2009 again, but they'll need your support, so check it out.

 

[Wavex]

Well, it is still kind of a grey area... I know there was a change, and even someone like me who is a legally trained does not know the exact law these days, and in reality, *nothing* has changed! Organised chaos still rules!

As for why there has been an issue, I think it comes down to French culture, and the sheer number of incidents and deaths on bikes. For example, in France you can ride a 50cc on public roads at 14 , a 125 at 16 after a small test, and a 1000+ at 18 if you take 'proper' test. All in all, everyone rides a scooter at one time or another... and they get *very* complacent. I was in Rennes this weekend, and I saw so many 'kids' on scooter and small bikes without any kind of gear, no protection at all in terms of gloves, jackets, even lids in some places! You literally leave your house, jump on your bike in t-shirt, jeans, maybe trainers...

When I met my g/f's mother, she heard I had a bike, and was not happy. She then told me that out of my g/f's class of 30 people at school, 3 of the guys have been killed in bike accidents in the 10 years since she left... it is a sobering thought.

The issue comes when this culture translates to bigger bikes. Yes, I often wear jeans and not proper leggings, but this is the only concession I make. Here you often see GSX-R/Supersport riders without gloves, in shorts, trainers etc. It is an accident waiting to happen... Heck I saw a guy on a duacti 1098 at the weekend in a white linen suit combined with his g/f on the back in a evening dress!! Combined with the fact that the country is not densely populated, you have a recipe for issues. If you crash on a quieter French motorway, it could be a significant amount of time before anyone even finds you! I did 200kms the other night at 2am on the A84 (Normandie/Brittany) and didn't see a car for 150kms! There was also no motorway lighting... I was thinking, god forbid if I came off and went over a barrier, the first person to find me may be a farmer next spring when he ploughs his fields!!

As for specifically lane splitting... generally people are confident, if not overconfident riding bikes as they have done so from 14 onwards, and there are no dedicated splitting lanes... you just filter between the cars and lorries. If you see the 'Periferique' in Paris, really, WOW.

All in all, in France, if there is a law they don't like, they ignore it, and that has been the case with splitting, but the sheer number of deaths and incidents here meant something had to be done

But then of course you get people trying to copy 'The Black Prince'...

YouTube - Le Prince Noir sur le périphérique parisien Part 1

And even 'Ghost Rider' has done the Periferique...

Merci pour les details Je suis ne et j`ai vecu a Strasbourg pendant 20ans, donc je connais un peu la France haha
J`avais une CB500 a l`epoque et fais le tour de France plusieurs fois en becanne... et oui, je connais bien Paris et le perif aussi :cheer:

You`re exaggerating a little about getting a 1000cc at 18... aren`t bikes limited to 50HP for the first 2 years? That makes a big difference, no matter what displacement your bike is...

Anyway, about lane splitting, that's what I thought... I can`t imagine ppl in Paris not splitting lanes anymore... that would mean french ppl started following traffic laws

 

[jsteinb95]

Merci pour les details Je suis ne et j`ai vecu a Strasbourg pendant 20ans, donc je connais un peu la France haha
J`avais une CB500 a l`epoque et fais le tour de France plusieurs fois en becanne... et oui, je connais bien Paris et le perif aussi :cheer:

what the hell? How can I moderate that?