Push to legalise lane-splitting in America

[Okey Dokey]

I learned to ride motorcycles back in Orange County, California. Motorcycles always filtered (that was the expression used rather than lane-splitting) up to the front when traffic was stopped. I did it as a matter of course, too. Motorists NEVER seemed to mind; they didn't seem to care it all- it was just what bikes did. I wish we could import that attitude here. Some of the things I've read on KB about cars trying to squish bikes in the big cities here make my blood run cold.

[wysper]

Well I for one wouldn't be here if I didn't lane split.

you mean you would be stuck in traffic rather than stuck on kiwibiker?

[Spearfish]

It varies by State. Specifically legal in California, varies from NZ style not specifically legal but tolerated, to specifically illegal in other states.

Apart from being rear ended, the other danger in pretending to be a little car and sitting in the traffic is that idiots will see a gap with no car in it, and decide to swap lanes into said gap. Once they realise a motorcycle is in that gapo, they're committed and don't care.

Your assuming they have enough brain cells left after doing something other a primary function to "realise",well, anything!

Being buggered by those with 4 wheels is something that has no real alternative other than not being there in the first place.
Filtering is an art tho and needs to be properly legalised with some expectations made of us and those being filtered past, in regards of behaviour. (not that its normal to have problems tho)
If it was made almost routine then I'm sure those in cages on the edge of joining the biking fleet will jump over.

[MIXONE]

Yes, a bit, obviously worth mentioning here.. (no sarcasm smiley) Exaggeration and superior overtone ignored.

Steve

No exaggeration at all.On a normal day I split between 800+ cars.And of course I'm superior.

[robertvi]

Noob question: how do you know that the lights won't change (there's no amber before green in this fine country, unlike wot they 'as in Bligh'y) after you start filtering before you get to the front, whereby you'd be stuck next to a solid line of cars trying to merge in again as they pull away. Or would you just merge in again? Having already experienced the response of a local hoon who thinks I'm holding him up (already 10ks over the speed limit actually ), I would rather avoid this.

It also seems to motivate you to take off fast when the lights change, risking a collision with any vehicle running a red light.

[scracha]

Noob question: how do you know that the lights won't change (there's no amber before green in this fine country, unlike wot they 'as in Bligh'y) after you start filtering before you get to the front, whereby you'd be stuck next to a solid line of cars trying to merge in again as they pull away. Or would you just merge in again? Having already experienced the response of a local hoon who thinks I'm holding him up (already 10ks over the speed limit actually ), I would rather avoid this.

Just find a gap on the left between the cars and plonk your bike in front of it. Otherwise gas it hard and fuck off ahead of the cars.

It also seems to motivate you to take off fast when the lights change, risking a collision with any vehicle running a red light.

You should always be looking for red light runners anyhoo.

[Paul in NZ]

I think they call it 'filtering' over there.

I did read about 1 state that had laws along the lines of trying to make filtering safer by specifing it was only legal if traffic frow was below a certain speed and the filtering bikes were not allowed to travel at a speed of X plus speed of the traffic.

Seemed hard to police but a sensible compromise...