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I hate it. It's more than a bit unnerving and I think its totally unsafe for all involved. Legal or not, (I don't even know whether its legal in Virginia) its not safe. I didn't even know of the practice being something that was legal anywhere until I had been driving for quite a few years. We were not taught to look out for it at all when I learned to drive in Maryland.
As a driver who's a former biker chick (but not of the Harley persuasion), I hate it for multiple reasons. For one, its stupid and dangerous, legal or not (I do find it fascinating and telling that it's legal in California, originator of the nanny state). For two, it makes bikers as a whole look stupid and dangerous, and I REALLY hate that. Be stupid if you must, but don't give the rest of those who like motorcycles a bad name in the process!
I hate it. It's more than a bit unnerving and I think its totally unsafe for all involved. Legal or not, (I don't even know whether its legal in Virginia) its not safe. I didn't even know of the practice being something that was legal anywhere until I had been driving for quite a few years. We were not taught to look out for it at all when I learned to drive in Maryland.
Lane-splitting is only legal in California and Illinois. It is explicitly permitted by statute in California, and permitted by omission (that is, there is no law that forbids it) in Illinois. It's illegal in every other state.
I hate it. It's more than a bit unnerving and I think its totally unsafe for all involved. Legal or not, (I don't even know whether its legal in Virginia) its not safe. I didn't even know of the practice being something that was legal anywhere until I had been driving for quite a few years. We were not taught to look out for it at all when I learned to drive in Maryland.
It's illegal in VA... you don't need to worry about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady
As a driver who's a former biker chick (but not of the Harley persuasion), I hate it for multiple reasons. For one, its stupid and dangerous, legal or not (I do find it fascinating and telling that it's legal in California, originator of the nanny state). For two, it makes bikers as a whole look stupid and dangerous, and I REALLY hate that. Be stupid if you must, but don't give the rest of those who like motorcycles a bad name in the process!
It's not dangerous if done properly... what IS dangerous is the drivers changing lanes without looking, using their cell phones, texting, putting on make-up, reading newspapers, etc. Motorcyclists prudently lane splitting has absolutely no effect on any of the drivers stuck in traffic. If anything, it actually helps by getting vehicles out of traffic and reducing emissions.
It's illegal in VA... you don't need to worry about it.
It's not dangerous if done properly... what IS dangerous is the drivers changing lanes without looking, using their cell phones, texting, putting on make-up, reading newspapers, etc. Motorcyclists prudently lane splitting has absolutely no effect on any of the drivers stuck in traffic. If anything, it actually helps by getting vehicles out of traffic and reducing emissions.
Sorry, but as someone who's been on both sides of that (on a bike and as a driver), it's dangerous. As you go zipping between cars lane splitting and telling yourself how safe it is, you're pretending that you're never in a car's blind spot when you do it, that nothing is going to happen that's going to make that driver have to swerve, that one of the cars you're splitting lanes between isn't going to have a blow-out, that the whole world revolves around you on your bike and how "cool" it is that you can ignore the law and go zipping through and get ahead of everyone else.
Lane splitters are the equivalent of those folks who ride bicycles on public roads with the mentality that the rules of the road don't apply to them and everyone else should look out for them (since when they first learned to ride a bike they were little kids and everyone DID look out for them for that reason - they never get past that mentality).
...and how "cool" it is that you can ignore the law and go zipping through and get ahead of everyone else.
Didn't bother to follow the thread? Specifically about CA, where it is specifically Legal.
It's not cool, it just gets people through traffic faster. Look to Europe where it's not only legal, but Encouraged... they have a Drastically lower accident rate despite a substantially higher number of riders/traffic/vehicles on the road.
As with everything, there's a way to mitigate the risks and there are dipshts who do everything to draw (negative) attention to themselves.
People just get their panties in a twist because someone is getting "there" before them. Who cares? A motorcycle in front of you is NOT going to make an appreciable difference in the time it takes to get to your destination. Hell, 10 motorcycles in front of you will Maybe be the same as 1 car.... and probably make 1~2 seconds total difference in your travel time. People need to get over themselves... wake up, the universe doesn't revolve around you. Getting angry about someone on a motorcycle who Accepts the risks and is going faster than you can/will is not going to make your life any better, longer, or happier. Quite the inverse of that actually...
I would do it if I had a bike and I have no problem with them doing it. Why people are butthurt over something that's entirely logical to me is beyond me.
^^ That's not "lane-splitting" so much as a "suicide attempt."
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