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To each his own, I guess. With the latte-sipping, newspaper-reading, phone-using drivers that populate freeways around here, I'd rather not run the risk of being rear ended. Riding to the right- or left-most extent of my lane helps to a degree, but the risk is removed when you put 5-10 cars between you and the traffic just beginning to slow down. As stated earlier, a small ticket (which is not likely to happen, anyways, from what I've heard of law enforcement officers) is much cheaper than repairs to a bike, or my life.
I avoid riding on huge cement slabs as often as possible. Surface streets are more pleasant. And yes....I've been stuck in gridlock plenty of times.
Filtering and splitting are two different things. I really don't see much need to filter past 5-10 vehicles at a stop light either. How much time do I save? Less than a minute?
As a former commuter by bike......dramatic difference.
Gives you something to do at red lights....that's for sure.
I found more dangerous was slipping while splitting lanes. 5 mph and some cardboard box slipped up my bike once. A big screw did as well once....but my bike was pretty light weight.
To each his own, I guess. With the latte-sipping, newspaper-reading, phone-using drivers that populate freeways around here, I'd rather not run the risk of being rear ended. Riding to the right- or left-most extent of my lane helps to a degree, but the risk is removed when you put 5-10 cars between you and the traffic just beginning to slow down. As stated earlier, a small ticket (which is not likely to happen, anyways, from what I've heard of law enforcement officers) is much cheaper than repairs to a bike, or my life.
Yeah....you're the king of the road! Laws don't apply to you.
Why should cagers follow the laws either? They might have some lame reason to break them too.
Hell....why should anyone bother with laws and rules...right?
I ride and often, done so for over 39 years now, mostly in California where lane splitting is legal.
The law in California and in some other states where lane splitting is legal aren't there to allow the motorcyclist to get from point A to point B ahead of everyone else. The law is there because back in the day, most motorcycle engines were air cooled and sitting in traffic can cause them to overheat very quickly, especially in those locations where the ambient temperatures are warmer. Few people understand that little item of information; there is a reason behind the madness. A motorcycle stuck in traffic with an overheated engine causes far more traffic delays than the motorcycle splitting lanes along with the occasional risk of damage to a car (which is rare compared to miles traveled). Yes, you can push the motorcycle to the side but then comes along the tow truck and the lookie loos who being in cars, have nothing better to do than gawk and cause the real traffic problems.
One more thing. For those concerned about a motorcycle hitting the side of their car, think about this first; the huge amount of people staring into mobile phones texting, laptops on seats, maps on the steering wheel, the spilled coffee between the legs and so on. That is what you need to worry about, not some motorcyclist splitting lanes.
Lane splitting is dangerous. Now lets consider a few things though. Anyone moving over to block a motorcycle from lane splitting is creating the very condition the anti-lane splitter seem to use as their reason for not wanting to allow it, damage to their cars from motorcycles hitting mirrors and doors. In past years, when it was beneficial to split lanes, I have on occasion hit a mirror. The mirror didn't suffer any damage, it just swung around. I know because I stopped. However, when a car driver blocks a motorcyclist from splitting lanes, they are violating a law and creating a personal injury hazard to the motorcyclist far out of proportion to the damage the motorcyclist might do to a car. Few car drivers think about that.
Until the mid 80s, liquid cooled engines were far from standard on motorcycles. Even as that technology has become more or less standard for most models, a liquid cooled engine on a motorcycle is not even close to maintaining the cooling stability of the cheapest car. Today, when most motorcycles have liquid cooled engines the cooling capacities aren't nearly sufficient to cool the engines when traffic isn't moving. Sit in traffic for more than a minute and the fan is on. A few minutes more and things get real hot. The extreme rise and fall of engine temperatures causes rapid wear on the internal parts of the engine so even today, lane splitting is more of a practical necessity than just some way for a motorcycle to get ahead of the car driver.
Great post concerning LEGAL lane splitting in Ca. Will it sink in? Doubtful.
I ride and often, done so for over 39 years now, mostly in California where lane splitting is legal.
The law in California and in some other states where lane splitting is legal aren't there to allow the motorcyclist to get from point A to point B ahead of everyone else. The law is there because back in the day, most motorcycle engines were air cooled and sitting in traffic can cause them to overheat very quickly, especially in those locations where the ambient temperatures are warmer. Few people understand that little item of information; there is a reason behind the madness. A motorcycle stuck in traffic with an overheated engine causes far more traffic delays than the motorcycle splitting lanes along with the occasional risk of damage to a car (which is rare compared to miles traveled). Yes, you can push the motorcycle to the side but then comes along the tow truck and the lookie loos who being in cars, have nothing better to do than gawk and cause the real traffic problems.
One more thing. For those concerned about a motorcycle hitting the side of their car, think about this first; the huge amount of people staring into mobile phones texting, laptops on seats, maps on the steering wheel, the spilled coffee between the legs and so on. That is what you need to worry about, not some motorcyclist splitting lanes.
Lane splitting is dangerous. Now lets consider a few things though. Anyone moving over to block a motorcycle from lane splitting is creating the very condition the anti-lane splitter seem to use as their reason for not wanting to allow it, damage to their cars from motorcycles hitting mirrors and doors. In past years, when it was beneficial to split lanes, I have on occasion hit a mirror. The mirror didn't suffer any damage, it just swung around. I know because I stopped. However, when a car driver blocks a motorcyclist from splitting lanes, they are violating a law and creating a personal injury hazard to the motorcyclist far out of proportion to the damage the motorcyclist might do to a car. Few car drivers think about that.
Until the mid 80s, liquid cooled engines were far from standard on motorcycles. Even as that technology has become more or less standard for most models, a liquid cooled engine on a motorcycle is not even close to maintaining the cooling stability of the cheapest car. Today, when most motorcycles have liquid cooled engines the cooling capacities aren't nearly sufficient to cool the engines when traffic isn't moving. Sit in traffic for more than a minute and the fan is on. A few minutes more and things get real hot. The extreme rise and fall of engine temperatures causes rapid wear on the internal parts of the engine so even today, lane splitting is more of a practical necessity than just some way for a motorcycle to get ahead of the car driver.
However, if that "opinion" agreed with the OP (and you, Drover), it would be considered a reply and not a hector, correct? Or do the OP's myriad posts insisting that his opinion is the only right one, never mind he asked for opinions of drivers in the first place (but apparently didn't mean it if those opinions didn't match his), constitute hectoring, as well?
However, if that "opinion" agreed with the OP (and you, Drover), it would be considered a reply and not a hector, correct? Or do the OP's myriad posts insisting that his opinion is the only right one, never mind he asked for opinions of drivers in the first place (but apparently didn't mean it if those opinions didn't match his), constitute hectoring, as well?
Oh honey, you have no room to talk on the subject of hectoring. Don't even.
However, if that "opinion" agreed with the OP (and you, Drover), it would be considered a reply and not a hector, correct? Or do the OP's myriad posts insisting that his opinion is the only right one, never mind he asked for opinions of drivers in the first place (but apparently didn't mean it if those opinions didn't match his), constitute hectoring, as well?
Did you happen to miss the original post directed at those in California, where lane splitting is LEGAL?
Did you happen to miss the original post directed at those in California, where lane splitting is LEGAL?
edit that: where lane splitting is not specifically il-LEGAL... as it is in most other states.
And which should still more appropriately be called lane sharing because both vehicles should
both be in the one (same) lane and only slowly moving past the other vehicles.
Driving at an unsafe speed for conditions applies to all motorists;
and actual lane splitting... aka white line riding is a whole other matter.
just to be clear... I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years and at various times done all these
things and more. The "approaching a light" or filtering past clogged traffic at slow speeds up to the
next turn or ramp SHOULD be universally legal, universally taught and universally encouraged.
The problem is when *some riders* take that notion and expand it to include continuing
their commute in clogged traffic on the white line and worse doing that at high speeds.
Last edited by MrRational; 01-13-2013 at 07:24 PM..
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