[omega2733]

Splitting is quite safe for traffic on a motorcycle so you'll probably be fine as long as you're defensive.

It's been proven to be safer - we're not talking about splitting at highway speeds, we're talking about when traffic is crawling like stop and go.

https://www.americanmotorcyclist.com...r-in-traffic-1

UC-Berkely is one of the best colleges in the state who back up this study, there's several honestly but this one is most recent.

[Efthreeoh]

I'm an East coast rider, and lane splitting just doesn't seem safe to me.

[omega2733]

I'm not sure where you are getting the idea lane splitting is unsafe. Look at every study out there from California on it; it's significantly safer than not splitting. True, you do need some experience before that counts as true, otherwise it's hard to control in traffic.

They have really specific laws on splitting in CA (can't exceed like 10mph faster than other traffic) and large penalties for people who purposely impede or hit a splitting rider. Fatalities on motorcycles are way down since splitting was mad legal in CA, mainly due to lack of riders being rear-ended.

[KenB925]

I used to lane split every day on a twisty road. If you are going to split lanes, split between the fast lane and the one next to it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by omega2733

I'm not sure where you are getting the idea lane splitting is unsafe.

Well it's the same reason as a pedestrian I don't cross a street in front of an on coming car that is supposed to stop and give me the right of way. There are large penalities for that too, but if the car doesn't stop and runs me over, who gives a crap if they pay a fine? I'm either dead, or severely injured. It's just plain old physics.

[mfindigital]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Well it's the same reason as a pedestrian I don't cross a street in front of an on coming car that is supposed to stop and give me the right of way. There are large penalities for that too, but if the car doesn't stop and runs me over, who gives a crap if they pay a fine? I'm either dead, or severely injured. It's just plain old physics.

It doesn't sound like it's about fines, it sounds like it's about empirical research:

https://www.cycleworld.com/g00/2015/...s-rider-saftey

[zx10guy]

I would never do it. I'd really like to see the statistics on it being safer than going with the flow of traffic. What's very telling is I had a conversation with the head riding coach at California Superbike School about lane splitting since he lives in Cali. He said he would never do it. Too much risk. This coming from a guy that hauls ass around the track.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by mfindigital

It doesn't sound like it's about fines, it sounds like it's about empirical research:

https://www.cycleworld.com/g00/2015/...s-rider-saftey

I'll read the article later. My point is as a pedestrian or motorcyclist, if you rely on the car/truck avoiding you because the motivation for the driver is a monetary fine, then that is the wrong thought process. Since Force = Mass x Acceleration, the pedestrian or motorcyclist ALWAYS loses in that equation; so the idea is to avoid the Mass, not to expect the Mass to avoid you. If you avoid the Mass, the Force or Acceleration are essentially zero (0). Like I said, it is a simple physics problem.

On the East Coast where lane splitting is illegal, motorcyclists are taught to place the bike in a position and mode that provides an escape to avoid being rear ended, or hit from any direction.

The problem with the OP learning to ride a motorcycle as a novice and then immediately take advantage of the lane splitting laws in Cali, sets him up for injury since nothing is perfect and it takes years of learning to competently control a motorcycle. I learned at a young age on the dirt, and had several years of driving under my belt (some as a courier in Washington DC) before I got my first street bike at 21. The critical point to understand about motorcycling on the street is your attitude about and control of traffic is completely different than driving in a car. Trying to learn the motorcycle AND approach to traffic control, is a very tall order for anyone, regardless of their aptitude.

[zx10guy]

Escape routes is also not about avoiding being rear ended, but also being turned into by someone doing a lane change. When you split lanes, you're more likely to have someone turn into you than rear end you. And when that happens, you have absolutely zero escape routes when you split lanes.

[wichitagreg]

While it is true that motorcycles are dangerous, risk can be managed. Risky behavior on the other hand like lane splitting is really stupid from every perspective.

It's just a bad idea. Lane splitting is just stupid and stupid people lane split.

[eatsleepboost]

Originally Posted by wichitagreg

Lane splitting is just stupid and stupid people lane split.

I guess you hate 1/4 of the population in Europe then that all do this.

[DETRoadster]

Man, do what you want but you wouldn't catch me doing it in any traffic that isn't at a dead stop.

[Meeni]

Honestly, lane splitting in very heavy traffic every day for several months sounds like a death wish. The statistics of that are really, really bad.

[wichitagreg]

Originally Posted by eatsleepboost

I guess you hate 1/4 of the population in Europe then that all do this.

Hate? Not at all, I just shake my head same as when I see a beautiful young woman smoking a cigarette.

Stupid people do stupid things.

[pukicabuki]

Living in Oregon, wheres it's illegal to lane split, its painful to watch people from California come up here and lane split with our ridiculously oblivious drivers. I've seen more riders get hit and really close calls than I can count. I've seen riders kick cars and knock off mirrors when they think are being blocked by a car when they are trying to split, even though illegal.

[hellrotm]

LOL

[The Wind Breezes]

I lane split every day. It's not that dramatic but shit can happen even with stopped cars. Like idiots opening doors.

And let's be honest 90% of motorcyclists will lane split faster than they should 95% of the time.

[SteveinArizona]

As traffic has increased in Arizona, the Transportation Department has shrunk the lane width on several freeways to make room for an extra lane. That makes lane splitting even more dangerous than before (and it is not legal in Arizona).

[das_m2]

Lots of non-riders with no lane splitting experience in here giving their opinions.

[angelr]

Originally Posted by das_m2

Lots of non-riders with no lane splitting experience in here giving their opinions.

Yeah and insisting that their opinions about it looking scary have more validity than the studies done on the subject.

[rlmesq]

Originally Posted by pukicabuki

Living in Oregon, wheres it's illegal to lane split, its painful to watch people from California come up here and lane split with our ridiculously oblivious drivers. I've seen more riders get hit and really close calls than I can count. I've seen riders kick cars and knock off mirrors when they think are being blocked by a car when they are trying to split, even though illegal.

Oregon drivers are pretty scary. Why is that? Fewer cars and less experience in traffic?

I used to commute about a hundred miles from Mendocino County to Fairfield, California. There were a couple of areas through the Santa Rosa area where traffic really slowed down. Most drivers were very considerate and would move to the edge of their lanes to make room.

I know there are some aggressive motorcycle riders, but drivers who intentionally swerve into a motorcycle that's lane splitting are committing assault with a deadly weapon... and in California, if you're convicted of assault with a vehicle, you lose your license forever.

[Ickdeep]

When I used to ride, I never did lane spilt. Even though it's illegal here in Washington, I just never felt comfortable doing it. But I also was never in crazy traffic like CA has.