Poll: For those allowed to lane-split, do you use your high beams at night?

[BigPoppa]

Just curious what the consensus is. For those of you living in areas where lane-splitting is allowed, do you use your high beams while splitting lanes at night?

This came to mind because I generally do. I had a driver blow their horn at me last night as I split past and it got me to thinking: is it worth the general ill-will to try and ensure people see me while I'm splitting lanes?

Is it better to have someone pissed off (but they obviously see me) or do high beams not provide any real increase in visibility to others?

Are there legal restrictions on riding with the high-beams on at night (while lane splitting)?

Just curious what others think...

 

[CHEMIKER]

First, let me say that I really try to limit my night time splitting. From my car, I have noticed that looking in the rearview, all you see are headlights, and it's tough to distinguish between the cars and bikes at a glance.

Onto the question: no way do I use my highbeam when splitting at night. When you get pulled over by the police, they like to train the spotlight right on the rearview. Why? It's disorienting. I want to let people know I'm there, not blind and disorient them, especially when splitting.

Besides, if I remember correctly, in California it's legal to drive in traffic with your highbeam on during the day, but not at night.

 

[Andz]

I said no because I very rarely ride at night and when I do it is not where I am likely to lane split. For what it is worth, high beams all the time during daytime.

 

[youngy]

No. Blinding other road users is not a good idea.

 

[spock]

No. Blinding other road users is not a good idea.

+1 on the above

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Are you even aware that using your high beams at night within a certain distance to another vehicle, whether it's oncoming or approaching from behind is ILLEGAL? Reason being, it will potentially blind people's vision momentarliy.

So why would anyone ride with their high beams on to split lanes? You would be endangering their lives as well as yours.

During the day, I see no harm and probabaly it would be better to use them rather than your low beams.

 

[texcollect]

Lane splitting in Texas is illegal. I used to ride with my high beams on, but since I did BD43's dual headlight mod I leave the high beams off.

 

[BigPoppa]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I'll stop using my high beams at night while lane splitting.

For those who lane split regularly at night, what do you do to increase your visibility to the drivers in front of you?

 

[Kazza]

Personally, I wouldn't lane split at night.

I would use my high beam at night, until I rode up behind traffic, or faced oncoming traffic. Just because it's a bike doesn't mean that it's not dangerous to the other traffic to have high beams glaring at them.

When I pass cars in daylight even, I flash my passing light (high beam) just so they know I'm about to blast past them

 

[tcmalker]

For those who lane split regularly at night, what do you do to increase your visibility to the drivers in front of you?

get in front of them

 

[Tailgate]

No, absolutely not. And, I'm not sure where it is you're talking about splitting (freeway, light queue) but, sometimes, I imagine, it might be prudent to "flash" a high beam (but not leave on) with a questionable pass situation? But, as VR already said, it's not even legal to gate others with highs.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

For those who lane split regularly at night, what do you do to increase your visibility to the drivers in front of you?

Wearing reflective material is the best way to make yourself more visible at night. But inorder for the reflective material to work, you can't be blinding the drivers with your high beams.

There are a lot of specific motorcycle gear that comes with reflective material applied. Jackets, gloves, and riding pants are the most common.

In addition, you can apply reflective tape on your helmet. My boots even has a reflective strip around my heel. I have also applied a strip of reflective tape along the side of my front forks.

Who do you think is more visible here?

 

[Gcontroller]

No high beams for splitting at night. But if traffic is really tight and slow at night I have used my hazards for a while a time for two.

 

[marke14]

I agree - I only use my high beams during the day, or when I am alone on a road at night (for increased visibility for me).

I admit I'll split lanes at night in certain situations - basically gridlocked freeway traffic, or filtering at stoplights. Generally I try to not ride at night, period.

Aside from Kenny's suggestion of wearing reflective clothing, there is realistically very little motorcyclists can do to compete with today's distracted drivers, day or night.

Between the radio, cell phone calls, and texting, you have to just assume no drivers ever see you, and anticipate that drivers in front of you will pull into your lane, etc.

I stopped splitting aggressively after I had a driver in the carpool lane cross over the double yellows on me on my way home from work one day, without looking or signaling. I moved over with the car but they did hit my knee and elbow slightly, thankfully I was able to split between the next lane over and the lane they forced me into. It was f****** terrifying, and I now have a whole new attitude toward lane splitting. I still do it, but I am even more cautious than I was before.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I stopped splitting aggressively after I had a driver in the carpool lane cross over the double yellows on me on my way home from work one day, without looking or signaling. I moved over with the car but they did hit my knee and elbow slightly, thankfully I was able to split between the next lane over and the lane they forced me into. It was f****** terrifying, and I now have a whole new attitude toward lane splitting. I still do it, but I am even more cautious than I was before.

Did you use your horn?

 

[lonesoldier84]

Is traffic really that bad at night you need to split?

 

[Goop]

I don't split at night. Never found the need to.

 

[BigPoppa]

Is traffic really that bad at night you need to split?

For my daily commute, at least during the winter, the freeway is a parking lot for about half my route home in the evenings.

I only have to put up with night time lane-splitting for a few months out of the year, but it is a regular occurrence.

 

[lonesoldier84]

Then why not just a quick flash of your high beam?

I will flash high beams at night when I'm passing in a situation I want to increase my visibility. But I have HIDs and when I flash my high beams it blows up the world and everyone knows I'm coming through. And a quick flash isn't enough to blind anyone.

 

[CHEMIKER]

For my daily commute, at least during the winter, the freeway is a parking lot for about half my route home in the evenings.

I only have to put up with night time lane-splitting for a few months out of the year, but it is a regular occurrence.

Yep, same here. Only a mile or so and only when it gets dark early in the evening. I am extra cautious and use only my low beam. Just remember, when cars look in their review, they see a sea of headlights and it's almost impossible to tell if one of them is a motorcycle. Be careful bro :thumbup: