I think it is wrong!? but i still do it

Trusik1

Trusik1

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I will go straight to point: Line Splitting; I do it very often when traffic stops :scared: on the way or from work.
I know, there is no law for it in NJ but Police can pull me over for other reasons.

Does anybody have the same dilemma or I'm paranoid? :kuku:
 
Trusik1 said:
I will go straight to point: Line Splitting; I do it very often when traffic stops :scared: on the way or from work.
I know, there is no law for it in NJ but Police can pull me over for other reasons.

Does anybody have the same dilemma or I'm paranoid? :kuku:
Click to expand...

Do you mean *lane* splitting?

I do it only in California, where it's legal. But if you can get away with it elsewhere, I say go for it.
 
I purchased a bike for commuting just so I could share the lane. In California the Motorcycle hand book states that Lane Sharing is dangerous and that is it. There is no specific law against it, in fact I see CHP on motorcycles lane share all the time.

I have heard from talking to people that you wont get hassled for it from the Police unless they feel your speed is unsafe for sharing the lane. Most around here agree that 40 mph is a "safe" speed to not get pulled over.

I was fearful the first time I did it, and I did not lose my fear of it, but I just make sure to be extra careful and watchful when doing it.

I travel 34 miles one way on the days I go into the office, so being able to share the lane for about 15 miles of traffic in the morning saves me a full 10-20 min on my ride vs taking a car.

On the way home I rarely need to share the lane because a car pool lane is available on the ride north through the main traffic area, and using the car pool also saves a ton of time on the ride.

If you remain focused on what you are doing you can lane share safely. According to my instructors in my motorcycle class the majority of Motorcycle crashes are solo crashes, not ones where a car just runs into you.

I find I am more safe on the bike than in my car in general because I have no radio, no phone (with hand free of course) and no coffee to distract me from what I am doing.
 
Berto said:
Do you mean *lane* splitting?

I do it only in California, where it's legal. But if you can get away with it elsewhere, I say go for it.
Click to expand...
Thanks,
The problem is that it is up to cop to decide what is right and what is wrong. I have no car pool lanes, in fact there isn't many of them in NJ. I most of the time ride no faster than 15mph. and Yes, I also feel safer on my motorcycle then in a car, you are right; less distractions.
 
I looked up the NJ motorcycle hand book and this is what is states about lane sharing:

Sharing lanes.
Vehicles and motorcycles each need a full lane to operate safely.
Do not share lanes.
To prevent lane sharing:
• Do not ride between rows of stopped vehicles.
• Do not try to squeeze past a stopped vehicle in the same lane. Anything could
happen—a hand could come out of a window, a door could open or a vehicle
could turn suddenly.
• Discourage lane sharing by others. The best way to do this is to keep a
center lane position in situations where other motorists might be tempted
to squeeze by.
Moving to the far side of a lane in these situations invites lane sharing. Lane
placement depends on different circumstances. Ride in the portion of the lane
where it is easiest to be seen.
Click to expand...

here is what the California Hand Book states:
Lane Sharing
Cars and motorcycles each need a full lane to operate safely. Lane sharing is not safe.
Riding between rows of stopped or moving cars in the same lane can leave you vulnerable. A car could turn suddenly or change lanes, a door could open, or a hand could come out of a window. Discourage lanesharingbyothers. Keep a center position whenever drivers might be tempted to squeeze by you. Drivers are most tempted to do this:
•
In heavy, bumper-to-bumper traffic.
•
When they want to pass you.
•
When you are preparing to turn at an intersection.
•
When you are moving into an exit lane or leaving a highway.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think the Verbiage in the NJ ones that says "Do not lane share" means it is against the law there, here in California they simple state it is dangerous, but do not specifically forbid it, hence the reason it is legal here. So I can imagine you can get pulled over for lane sharing in NJ. You should ask a state trooper or a traffic officer the next time you see one and see how he defines it, or if there is a specific code he can cite you doing it.
 
From the California Highway Patrol FAQ section:
Can motorcycle riders "split" lanes and ride between other vehicles?
Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.
Click to expand...

source:
CHP-Frequently Asked Questions of the Highway Patrol

Also this site has some interesting info:
LaneShare.org

It looks like a study was started in NJ back in 2006 to make it permissible but no other real info other than that.
 
Because the cars in this country are not as well trained as Italy for instance, in sharing lanes with scooters and motorcycles they generally don't think about the possibility of it happening. It can be tough enough to get them to notice you when you do everything perfect, let alone slide between them and another car in a non-existent lane, a passageway that only exists by the complete compliance of each car to your left and to your right, maintaining their present place in their lane. Again, in this country, the fact that they have left some room in the lane for a bike to pass does not guarantee they will leave it that way as most car drivers assume the entire width of their lane is theirs and theirs alone.

I got nothing against you doing it. I just don't have the heart for it. And I did see one motorcyclist in the hospital who hit a car door when the driver decided to open the door to look and see what was holding up traffic before consulting his mirrors.
 
I am by no means an expert on this but I do agree norm that it is a perception and general change in philosophy for the cagers to adapt to lane sharing.

It has been legal in California for so long that the only people uncomfortable with it are transplants from other states. I grew up seeing bikes share the lane, so it was a natural progression for me to jump right into doing it when I started riding.

I have only been riding for a little over a month, but I have put on over 1000 miles on my bike, about 98% freeway driving and about 40% of that freeway driving lane sharing during the commute hours in the morning and afternoon.

That being said, I have found 99.9% of the traffic grants a very wide berth between the number 1 and number 2 lanes as this is the most common, and the safest area to share the lane due to a lower amount of lane changes by other vehicles. I have yet to have anyone try to purposely close the gap on me, and ti seems the only people who drive their cars in a manner that squeezes the lane sharing area are just not paying attention, thus I slow down and treat them with caution as I would any other knuckle head driver who seems distracted. The opening a car door thing is only going to happen if traffic is at a dead stop, and if that is the case a motorcyclist would be best advised to be extra careful and ride slower in order to be ready for that.

I would venture to say if something bad is going to come of lane sharing, the percentage of time I spend doing it would make me more susceptible to impact, so I will keep everyone posted as to how my personal experiences go.
 
Trusik1 said:
I will go straight to point: Line Splitting; I do it very often when traffic stops :scared: on the way or from work.
I know, there is no law for it in NJ but Police can pull me over for other reasons.

Does anybody have the same dilemma or I'm paranoid? :kuku:
Click to expand...

I shall presume it comes down to how much do I want to remain alive to how much can I legally get away with. Well, how much does a lane split usually gain?

Or as Clint Eastwood put it, "well, was that 5 rounds or was it 6"?
 
Klurejr said:
I have only been riding for a little over a month, but I have put on over 1000 miles on my bike, about 98% freeway driving and about 40% of that freeway driving lane sharing during the commute hours in the morning and afternoon.
Click to expand...

Your wealth of experience certainly gives me confidence in following your example. Can you please update me on your experience in another 40 years. If still living, of course.
 
Klurejr said:
I am by no means an expert ----------
Click to expand...

I have only been riding for a little over a month,

That being said, I have found 99.9% of the traffic grants a very wide berth between the number 1 and number 2 lanes


99.9% for that month....
 
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I won't do it in Houston. People would literally try to kill me. Houston is a friendly town with some really pissed off rush hour drivers.

I am not even sure if I would do it here if it became legal. At least for a while until cagers get used to the idea and come to realize it is actually legal.

I am fortunate that when I commute I am able to get on HOV and it flows well. When I ride in the country on the weekend there is just no traffic to worry about. Bottom line is I also currently have no need to lane split. ;)
 
As far as I'm aware, California is the only state that allows lane splitting - and from what I recall, only at low speeds (15-20 mph when traffic is very slow/stopped comes to mind). I'm not a resident, nor have I ridden my motorcycle there...
Here in Utah, the commutes are generally a piece of cake compared to other major cities, but I do understand the desire for a quicker commute...

Not that I'm opposed to lane splitting (I've split a few on extremely rare occasions, less than 5x in the 5 years I've been riding my FZ1), but I recall some headlines in California where a radio jockey, unfamiliar with the legislation, promoted endangering those that made use of it - blocking riders, opening doors, etc... Though he was quickly corrected, it really highlights what others here have said already - it might not be worth it since other drivers probably aren't expecting you.


If you feel like you can split lanes with drivers who aren't expecting you, who may or may not act out aggressively, and the legal and health ramifications aren't a deterrent for you, then I'll keep you in my prayers. :)


... Of course, there's always supporting legislation to change the laws, hehe.

If you do speak with a law enforcement officer, I'd be curious to know what they say...
 
I think if it was officially against the law the handbook would state it directly as such. They state it the way they do most likely because they want to discourage it, but can't say it's illegal.
Ask a cop! Or two! To bad you don't have a stalker like mine. Makes the laws readily accessible every time he pulls ya over. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Lane splitting is not legal in Texas. In 2009 there is a bill on the floor trying to get passed that would allow motorcycles to lane split but only if:

1.) The operator and the passenger have to be wearing helmets.
2.) The operator has to operate the motorcycle not more than 5 miles-an-hour faster than the rest of traffic is going.
3.) Traffic can't be going over 20 miles-an-hour and it can't be done in a school crossing zone or somewhere where the speed limit is less than 20 miles-an-hour.

I will see if I can track down official status.
 
Lane splitting is certainly NOT legal here in NJ and will get you pulled over. Cops even frown upon filtering to the front of the line at red lights...been pulled over for that too. I don't commute with my bike and wouldn't even think about it on the roads that I have to drive on. The biggest advantage of the bike for me is the ability to switch lanes easily to get through traffic.
 
Lane sharing is far safer during normal commuting "rush hour" times than off-hour times or weekends.

In my area the speed limit is 70mph, but most traffic usually is at 75-85mph.

I share lanes daily for commuting comfortably up to 70-90mph. Nearly all autos on the freeways I travel on "expect" motorcycles, so they provide a gap as reasonable. If a gap isn't provided, I wait until I can safely and quietly drive around the wide vehicle. I generally try to wave to all that make an effort to share the road.

If a faster bike comes up behind my I move over and let them pass.

Due to the high number of police officers that work in Orange County but live in Riverside County, there are always motor cops on the freeway, may are competent riders that share lanes at a decent pace, if you come across a slower cop, they tend to pull over and let you pass.

A true luxury is riding behind a cop (or a whole group of cops). It is amazing how a black-n-white BMW can open wide gap. Once I got in a line behind 6 San Diego County Sheriffs, I think we held a constant 80-90mph for a good 18 miles before I got off the freeway. I think we had 2-3 other sport touring bikes riding along with me at the back of the pack. But if they saw a "sport" bike, they made a big effort to chase him down and pass him. Nobody got pulled over or a ticket, everyone was just riding home.
 
Here in AUS, lane splitting is not defined as illegal, however, changing lanes without indicating or sharing a lane with another vehicle is considered illegal.

Having said that, I lane split every chance I get.

In my opinion, if I get busted for it, it's worth the $80 and 1 demerit point!

It comes down to the individual law enforcer - I came down the middle of two lanes and stopped at a traffic light facing a cop in the oncoming traffic, he looked at me and carried on - a fair and sensible bloke in my opinion!:tup:
 
Recon Viper 1 said:
Your wealth of experience certainly gives me confidence in following your example. Can you please update me on your experience in another 40 years. If still living, of course.
Click to expand...


I will do that. ;-)


My buddies dad has been riding for well over 40 years here in California, and the only time he has had an off is at the track when pushing too hard. He lane splits, and just says be careful and aware of your surroundings.

I know things are different in Texas, here in California the majority of people are used to lane splitting bikes, even the CHP and Local Police and sheriff split the lanes, and I have not heard of one lane splitting related death for one of them.
 
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