In this thread I tried to find out which states besides California allow motorcycles to ride between lanes of slow or stopped traffic. Naturally it’s turned into IMHO. I’d like to get the thread back to the OP and get my question answered, so I’ve started this thread so people can discuss “whether it’s fair or unfair, rude or not rude, stupid or not stupid” (as Bibliophage wrote).
First, the California Highway Patrol says that it is permitted in California; so those who want to say, “Sorry, but it really isn’t legal in California” can follow the link and get it straight from the CHP.
Lanesharing is not particularly dangerous, it can save me 20 minutes or more each way on my daily commute, it keeps my air-cooled bike from overheating, it keeps me from overheating (when it’s 95° and you’re sitting directly above a hot engine and surrounded by a lot of heat-generating cars on a surface as reflective as concrete and you have no air conditioning, you really appreciate being able to get some airflow), and it’s legal here. Besides, traffic jams/tailbacks are almost always caused by people in four-wheel vehicles.
Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.
(1) All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane and no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection shall not apply to motorcycles operated two abreast in a single lane.
(2) The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken.
(3) No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
(4) Motorcycles shall not be operated more than two abreast in a single lane.
(5) Subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply to police officers in the performance of their official duties.
[1975 c 62 § 46.]
So that settles the accursed 520 bridge across Lake Washington.
I’m right behind you, Johnny, on stopped traffic in the summertime. It’s the guys on Ninjas splitting lanes at eighty on the Golden Gate wearing muscle shirts and tennis shoes that gave me pause.
I’m with you, Johnny, on not liking to be stuck in traffic on a hot day. I’ve had to pull over and sit because my bike overheated. But that still doesn’t make me want to put myself between to rolling cages with only a foot on each side to spare, even if it was legal here. I’ll wait it out patiently, thank you very much.
It does take some getting used to. At times it can be positively nerve-wracking. But once you get used to it, it’s not so bad. You get a feel for where it’s safe and where it isn’t.
see what i miss when i stay away for day! not one, but TWO motorcycle related threads!
…and you already know about MY (the great state of nevada) state, so i don’t have much to offer!
i will add this: i lived in LA for a number of years and pretty much rode my RZ 350 exclusivly, with many, many miles lane-splitting. when i moved to vegas, i continued to lane split and never got a ticket. i was warned several times by NHP on motorcycles (they are after all the only ones who could warn me, and always on the fly, was never pulled over) and never got a ticket for it. the NHP bike guys were pretty cool. i was pulled over one time cause the guy wanted to check out the RZ. he said he never saw one! (dick made me late!) i don’t have to do it any more, cause i moved up north to the middle of nowhere, and all the roads are two-lane anyway.
is lane-splitting right or wrong? i personally don’t give a rat’s ass about any cage drivers opinion. and to the smart-asses who say, “i’m gonna open my door when i sees um cumin’!”, all i can say is you better kill me, cause if i get up…
Ah, but courteous lane sharing (i.e., not going ridiculously fast, not swerving around – staying pretty much straight, giving a wave of thanks, etc.) can improve their opinions.
As for the old “open the door” threat and the similar warning to look out for drivers trying to stop your rear wheel by touching it with their front bumper (where the hell did that one come from?), any intentional act to injure a motorcyclist in that way is called “assault with a deadly weapon” or “assault with intent to cause bodily harm”. Do you really want to commit a felony?
my poor punctuation and lack of capital letters has led you to misunderstand my last post, i think.
*I *split lanes and I hear idiots saying “weez gunna open up these here doors on ya!”. My thinly veiled threat (promise, actually) of extreme physical abuse is directed at those car drivers.
if someone delibretly opened thier door on me, they had better hope i ain’t gettin’ up…
…and, yes, i was a very courteous lane-splitter. i acknowledged those who gave me a little extra space and kept the speeds prudent.
side note: lane splitting lets you catch a glimps into the dark/funny side of freeway behavior. i got to see some road rage, partiers straight outta cheech and chong movies and once saw a woman “pleasuring” herself while stuck in traffic! (if i coulda flipped a U and made a second pass, i would have!) these people sit in thier cars and forget that others may be able to see them, and they do some crazy shit now and then.
