Category: lane splitting

California takes first step to establishing lane-splitting guidelines for motorcyclists
LA Times
September 1, 2016

While motorcyclists and car drivers still don’t agree.

Several motorcyclists’ groups objected to that language, finding the speed limit too low. Other groups and individuals, who believe that lane splitting is dangerous regardless of the speed, objected to the proposal on principle.

AMA: Study Finds
Lane-Splitting Increases Rider Safety

“Perhaps one of the most dangerous situations for any motorcyclist is being caught in congested traffic, where stop-and-go vehicles, distracted and inattentive vehicle operators, and environmental conditions increase the risk of physical contact with another vehicle or hazard,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “Reducing a motorcyclist’s exposure to vehicles that are frequently accelerating and decelerating on congested roadways can be one way to reduce rear-end collisions for those most vulnerable in traffic.”

Differing Perspectives

The survey also found that a large majority of motorcyclists exceeded the speed of the surrounding traffic by 15 MPH or less while lane-splitting. When asked “How much faster than the rest of traffic do you go when lane-splitting?,” 30%, 47%, and 14% responded traveling 5MPH, 10 MPH, and 15 MPH faster than traffic, respectively.

Motorcyclists and their advocates need to educate auto drivers.

Their position is that lane-splitting is a safe and beneficial strategy for motorcyclists if done in areasonable manner, and that the success of legalized lane-splitting in any US state will bedependent upon high levels of knowledge among non-motorcycling road users.