Hoshiko
Hoshiko
I took the following from a link
One barrier to widespread adoption of motorcycles as transportation in the USA is that of practical advantage. In most places, two-wheeled transport offers few advantages over the four-wheeled kind. That's partly because unlike almost every other country on Earth, the practice of "lane-splitting"-riding in between lanes of stopped or slow-moving vehicle traffic-is outlawed in what is allegedly the Home of the Free. That means that in every state but California, not only do motorcyclists have to endure the privations of motorcycle travel, they also have to bump along at the maddeningly slow pace of traffic-snarled trucks and automobiles, even though there is little evidence that the practice of lane-splitting (if done in a safe and reasonable fashion) is particularly dangerous.
So kudos to the Arizona legislature for honoring the Goldwater legacy of personal liberty tempered by individual responsibility with Arizona House Bill 2475. Introduced by Harley-Davidson-riding Representative Jerry Weiers (say "wires," R-District 12), the bill will legalize, for a one-year probationary period beginning January 1, 2011, lane-splitting in stopped traffic. It will only apply in counties with populations greater than 2 million (according to 2006 population estimates, this is just Maricopa county, with the Phoenix-Glendale-Scottsdale megalopolis). The bill sailed through the Transportation committee (which Weiers chairs) and the House Rules committee, and has been read to the State Senate as well. It's looking like there is little opposition to the bill so far, which makes sense: those who lean to the left should like the message of encouraging the lower environmental impact of motorcycle transportation, and those on the right should appreciate the individual-rights angle.
Sadly, the majority of the car-driving public, even in states like California, don't like the idea of lane-splitting. The main reason, judging from comments posted in response to articles on the topic, is jealousy: if I have to be stuck in traffic, you should be too (the "it looks dangerous" argument seems specious, as car drivers as a body show little concern for the safety of motorcyclists). Luckily for Californians, law enforcement is firmly on the side of the lane-splitting argument, as it allows motor officers greater mobility in high-traffic areas. That helps defeat bills every time legislation is advanced to outlaw the practice in the Golden State. That support seems to be present in Arizona as well, so we'll see if another state gets to experiment with legal lane-splitting in 2011. If you live in Arizona, call or write to your legislative representatives. If you live outside AZ, write to or call the AMA (what? You don't belong to the AMA? Call 1-800-AMA-JOIN!) and ask if they support the legislation.
One barrier to widespread adoption of motorcycles as transportation in the USA is that of practical advantage. In most places, two-wheeled transport offers few advantages over the four-wheeled kind. That's partly because unlike almost every other country on Earth, the practice of "lane-splitting"-riding in between lanes of stopped or slow-moving vehicle traffic-is outlawed in what is allegedly the Home of the Free. That means that in every state but California, not only do motorcyclists have to endure the privations of motorcycle travel, they also have to bump along at the maddeningly slow pace of traffic-snarled trucks and automobiles, even though there is little evidence that the practice of lane-splitting (if done in a safe and reasonable fashion) is particularly dangerous.
So kudos to the Arizona legislature for honoring the Goldwater legacy of personal liberty tempered by individual responsibility with Arizona House Bill 2475. Introduced by Harley-Davidson-riding Representative Jerry Weiers (say "wires," R-District 12), the bill will legalize, for a one-year probationary period beginning January 1, 2011, lane-splitting in stopped traffic. It will only apply in counties with populations greater than 2 million (according to 2006 population estimates, this is just Maricopa county, with the Phoenix-Glendale-Scottsdale megalopolis). The bill sailed through the Transportation committee (which Weiers chairs) and the House Rules committee, and has been read to the State Senate as well. It's looking like there is little opposition to the bill so far, which makes sense: those who lean to the left should like the message of encouraging the lower environmental impact of motorcycle transportation, and those on the right should appreciate the individual-rights angle.
Sadly, the majority of the car-driving public, even in states like California, don't like the idea of lane-splitting. The main reason, judging from comments posted in response to articles on the topic, is jealousy: if I have to be stuck in traffic, you should be too (the "it looks dangerous" argument seems specious, as car drivers as a body show little concern for the safety of motorcyclists). Luckily for Californians, law enforcement is firmly on the side of the lane-splitting argument, as it allows motor officers greater mobility in high-traffic areas. That helps defeat bills every time legislation is advanced to outlaw the practice in the Golden State. That support seems to be present in Arizona as well, so we'll see if another state gets to experiment with legal lane-splitting in 2011. If you live in Arizona, call or write to your legislative representatives. If you live outside AZ, write to or call the AMA (what? You don't belong to the AMA? Call 1-800-AMA-JOIN!) and ask if they support the legislation.
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