Lane Splitting - Tickets?

[clustermagnet]

i walk between cars all the time...

walk

[opie]

Kendo,
My bike's black (or used to be). Maybe a little greyish black now. I wear a bright yellow helmet and a grey riding jacket.

[Nick_Ninja]

Kendo,
My bike's black (or used to be). Maybe a little greyish black now. I wear a bright yellow helmet and a grey riding jacket.

Was that you at Costco this evening?

[MrMischief]

I've split lanes a couple of times to avoid what I felt was a dangerous situation. Last time was down the middle of I-25 and I found that as soon as I got in between the cars it was very comfortable but man it pissed off the cagers. I had one guy lay on his horn as I went by and I was 4 cars up before he let off. Also seemed nobody wanted to give me an inch to get back into a lane. I think splitting lanes at 15 mph over is reasonably safe, but I can't imagine what the ad campaign would cost to be sure cagers knew it was legal so they wouldn't try to cut you off / open the door. Filtering to the front row at a light is even more safe although it comes with the obvious downside of requiring you be the first through the intersection and increasing the risk getting hit by someone running the red light. I'd sign a petition for lane splitting / filtering as long as there was a 15 mph over traffic speed limit for it and anyone found purposely cutting off a bike that's filtering would be face something along the lines of reckless driving or some other very stiff fine. I think I would also like to see a clause along the lines of lane splitting is only allowed when traffic is moving at something like 15 mph or less. Just because as speed increases cagers are going to be changing lanes more often and when I'm in my cage doing 50 in a 65 I'd worry about be able to see a bike splitting the lane doing 65.

[Matty]

This is a recent article written by a journalist out of Orange County, for those that don't know it's where Disneyland is, just south of Los Angeles.

KIMBERLY EDDS
Register columnist
kedds@ocregister.com

Brandon Garcia joked that he read too much and listened to way too much music. He worked for a carpet-cleaning company in Mission Viejo. He was a DJ and a part-time youth pastor. And he rode a motorcycle. On June 14, Garcia died riding that motorcycle. He was 23.

Garcia was splitting lanes in heavy morning traffic on Beach Boulevard in Buena Park when he tried to maneuver past a big rig. His handlebars caught on the side of the semi, sending Garcia and his motorcycle careening into a Mercedes. Garcia bounced off the Mercedes and under the semi. Garcia wasn't speeding. He wasn't drinking. But he died.

Also called lane-sharing, it's the practice of motorcyclists of moving between stopped or slow traffic traveling in the same direction. It's legal – but for many drivers, it's annoying. For motorcyclists, it's dangerous.

If you've ever tried to escape the O.C. anytime after 3 p.m., you've probably watched a clinic in lane-splitting. Kawasakis, Suzukis, Harley-Davidsons cruising past the SUVs stacked up bumper-to-bumper through the Orange Crush. Admit it, we've all had times sitting in traffic jams where we wished the four-door we were driving was magically transformed into a hog so we could head for the open road, leaving everyone else – and their sensible cars – in the dust.

But that nimbleness comes at a price. Most drivers lumber down the highway encased in thousands of pounds of steel. Their vehicles have four stable wheels. But motorcyclists are exposed to all the elements. The only thing between them and the asphalt is a short drop and a leather jacket – or a T-shirt.

Motorcycle rider fatalities accounted for 10 percent of the 43,200 total deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2005 – even though motorcycles made up just over 2.5 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States. It also marked the eighth straight year the number of motorcycle fatalities went up.

With traffic getting worse, there are more motorcycles speeding off dealership lots and onto the roadways. Unless you own one, most drivers haven't been reminded of how to share the road with a motorcycle since they passed their first driver's test.

Next time when you see a motorcycle cruising by as you're stopped in traffic, keep these tips from the DMV in mind.

•When you change lanes or make a turn, look for motorcycles. Motorcycles can easily disappear into a vehicle's blind spots.

•Allow a four-second following distance – just in case a motorcyclist falls in front of you.

•Things that annoy you – like potholes, gravel, and wet or slippery surfaces – could be deadly for motorcyclists. So look out.

And don't think of it as a motorcycle – think of it as a person.

[clustermagnet]

one thing, please dont forget one thing

THE GOV DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CIVILIANS ONE FUCKING BIT

if they did, they would have nation wide helmet laws
they would have nation wide proper protection laws
if they did, they would have properly timed traffic lights
if they did, they would make sure all vehicles made in US were safest in the world.

example... had a friend take his car (us made ofcourse) to EU. First thing he had to do, was completely replace the ENTIRE brake system. Several thousand dolars. why? because the brake system was designed for breaking at 60 mph, not 160... Not even mentioning the suspension.

yada yada yada


the reason lane splitting is illegal, is because it pisses off the right people

[tripledigits]

If you're going to lane split, don't do it on the shoulder, it'll be a ticket for driving on the shoulder. I've lane split a couple times in CO when there was stopped traffic due to road construction or an accident, and I had to get to work. Had a couple cars move in front of me to keep me from passing, so I just went behind them and passed them on the other side. As soon as traffic started moving better than 10 mph, I just got back in line. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing more than 10-15 mph in stopped traffic......

[opie]

Indeed, it was! Picked up fuel and some stuff for dinner. I parked next to a very nice looking sportbike with a tankbag and an HJC helmet balanced on the seat. Didn't register the make/model. Was that you?

[Nick_Ninja]

Indeed, it was! Picked up fuel and some stuff for dinner. I parked next to a very nice looking sportbike with a tankbag and an HJC helmet balanced on the seat. Didn't register the make/model. Was that you?

Nope. I was in the 4-Runner. Needed more stuff than the bike could carry. Ride safe

[Matty]

one thing, please dont forget one thing

THE GOV DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CIVILIANS ONE FUCKING BIT

if they did, they would have nation wide helmet laws

they would have nation wide proper protection laws

those 2 comments have nothing to do with the government caring about civilians. in actuality i'm glad there are still states that allow riders the freedom of choice, whether to ride with a lid or not. the helmet law how it's set in certain states is unlawful and against the US Constitution and so would it be if it was mandated that we had to wear proper riding safety gear. People in California and other states that make you wear helmets have been fighting the law since they were established. personally i think you people that don't ride without a lid on are crazy, but then again this country was founded on the Right to Choose.

[Nick_Ninja]

I'm more in support of the Left to Choose

[clustermagnet]

Matty, completely agree. That goes with choice of splitting lanes, abortion, and pissing on the sidewalk

it just depends on who you piss off

[mushin_man39]

Matty, a quick scan of the Constitution does not reveal motorcycles or helmets. Am I missing something?

[Crisco]

I wouldnt mind some sort of law that let us do it during traffic

I was stuck in I-25 going south and the only reason was because there was an accident

I was so f**king pissed because it was dry when I started and I got nailed by the storm that I would have missed if it wouldn't of been for stupid ass people. 75mph + rain= wet crisco

[Matty]

Matty, a quick scan of the Constitution does not reveal motorcycles or helmets. Am I missing something?

1st Amendment. Freedom to choose the way you live your life. and if you choose not to wear helmet, that should be your choice.

like i said i couldn't imagine riding without a lid. but i do believe it's a riders choice.

[MrMischief]

1st Amendment. Freedom to choose the way you live your life. and if you choose not to wear helmet, that should be your choice.

like i said i couldn't imagine riding without a lid. but i do believe it's a riders choice.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I see nothing about being free to choose the way you live your life. Only that no law shall prevent establishing a religion or prevent you practicing your religion. As well as you can say what you like, publish what you want assemble as long as there is no violence and say to congress "I don't like how this functions..."

You would have a better chance arguing your point using the 9th and 10th amendments. However these only apply to the federal government leaving the states free to enact a very limited set of rights so long as the state does not discriminate between its own citizens and the citizens of other states. I do not know the Colorado Constitution but I'm willing to bet there is no clause in there regarding personal choice shall not be infringed. So basically the federal government should have a difficult time enacting a national helmet law (although the federal government has already reached far beyond its original powers should have allowed) individual states would have no problem enacting such a law.
My opinion; wearing a helmet or seat belt if over the age of 18 is a personal choice as no one other then yourself is going to be physically harmed if you choose not to wear either.

[#1Townie]

lane splitting creats a whole new world of road rage that i want nothing to do with... you think you are pissed at the guy doing a wheelie in traffic, not anything like you will be when you are siting in you hot ass car not moving and bike after bike keeps passing on the shoulder or in the middle of cars... this is when people realy start to aim for bikes.. open doors... realy just make it a bad day... i used to do it in cali untill i olmost got killed by an suv stopping us from passing....

[tarded400]

I would love splitting lanes, especially filtering. Who knows how long it'll take grandma to realize the light is in fact green, then move her foot over to the gas. I've had many people come up waaaayyyy too close to my rear tire too. But lane splitting is always going to be very dangerous too. People sitting in traffic, already ticked, they see you in a better situation and they'll take it out on you. I might lane split if I was sitting in stopped traffic for a couple minutes and saw that people weren't being idiots, but I would do it between lanes. Theres always cops sitting along the shoulder before an accident looking for people going around. And I can almost see people not letting a bike back in, just because they would lose 15 feet that they waited 2 hours for. I avoid denver at all costs, and I just suffer through the ft collins traffic, which is pretty good 99% of the time.

[d_mob]

i moved here from san diego recently and aside from the beach, lane splitting is one of the things that i miss most! it may seem dangerous to those that have never done it and may seem dangerous or a nuisance to cagers that are stuck in traffic, but it is an effective way to increase awareness for motorcyclists and an effective way to cut down on traffic...

i was a bit scared at first when we moved to cali, but once i got used to it, it became second nature. of course, as with all things riding related, a certain sense of maturity and respect for your bike and the cars around you is necessary. i believe the law is that you can lane split, but can't exceed 10 or 15 mph above the flow of traffic...

i usually made sure that each person recognized me in their side mirror prior to passing them and would allow faster lane-splitters to go by if needed (e.g. cops, idiots or a combination of both)...

seriously, i couldn't understand (and still can't) for the life of me when we moved here why they will let you ride without a helmet, but won't allow you to lane split when traffic is at a standstill?!?!? colorado gets to me at times i have to admit...

[The GECCO]

If our elected useful idiots are going to mandate noise ordinances on our bikes we need to twist the screws to make lane splitting legal.

Yeah, can you imagine how tight those screws would have to get? If they look down on bikers enough to pass the noise crap I doubt it's even worth trying to make lane sharing legal.

The only positive is that you would be appealing to a completely different body - the noise ordinance was the city of Denver, the lane sharing would go to the state legislature.

[pilot]

"Better judged by 12,
than carried by six."

AKA, I'd rather have the "man" yell at me than be put in a pine box.

So, I would have to say that if my life were in "less" danger by lane splitting, driving down the side of the road, momentarily crossing into the on-coming lane. Then, that be what I would do.

Also, I'm all in favor of more HOV/MC lanes.

[Clovis]

Old thread, I bring ye back from the dead!

Anyhow, after spending the last several days in Southern California driving to Disneyland and later to San Diego I have to say... man, I wish lane splitting were legal in Colorado.

The first time it kind of startled me because I wasn't expecting it but I was following my friend home on his 90 minute, 50 mile drive home from work and the traffic made me want to shoot myself; basically a mix of speeding up to 70 and then coming to a full stop.

The lane splitters I've ran into so far do so safetly, only passing about 5-10 miles over my speed and revving their engryinines when coming to a stop light to alert cars to their presence.

I read that there are two people trying to get lane splitting legalized in 2008, or rather on the ballot.

[JustSomeDude]

Represented a client recently for lane splitting. Four-point careless driving citation.

If he was lane splitting - uh - how did he get caught?! Did he pull over and wait 12 minutes for the cop to catch up?

[wankel7]

BTW ... Last Saturday there was a really bad accident on Hwy70. I was heading home form a ride with some friends and traffic was backed up for about 12-14 miles and dead stopped. Not to mention that I huge storm was rolling through that area at the same time and it was pouring rain.

I opted to ride the shoulder to the scene of the accident and find freedom from the cagers at slightly above a walking pace (10-15MPH = better than 0MPH). I heard from one of my fellow riders that he saw the Po-Po citing a couple of other riders for presumably the same offense ... which is stupid. If you are able to "safely" navigate traffice on the shoulder, then it should be a non-issue. Ploice officers do it all the time to get though traffic, both on bikes and in cars.

In any case ... Along the shoulder route I picked up a rear tire puncture that showed it's self just outside of Golden. Now ... I am not positive that I picked it up while riding the shoulder, but the likelyhood of it is pretty high considering all of the debris that gets washed into that area of the roadway.

Just something to consider ...

I think the big problem with using the shoulder when there is an accident ahead is this. Emergency vehicles use the shoulder to get to the accident. Not to get to the quicki mart a lil bit fastter At least i hope not. If you are in the way you could be causing a problem.

I think that would be the issue the officer would have if you are riding the shoulder.