Nope and won't. There was a lady killed here a couple of years ago that decided to split lanes with 2 tractor/trailers in slow traffic, she was crushed between the 2.

Did it here in CA when commuting to & from work on the 5/22 interchange, it was gridlocked all the time, so there was no option but to sit & heat up. I was alot younger & dumber though. I don't do it now, mainly cause here on the central coast, we don't have the Orange county traffic(thank god) & I ride a harley now(triumph then) so its alot wider.

I grew up in splitting lanes in So. Cal. It's second nature to me. I've been riding for 25+ years and I've seen only 2 or 3 people go down as a result. Statistically you're safer splitting lanes than stopping in traffic and risking getting rear ended. None the less, you have to ride within your own comfort zone and lane splitting isn't for everyone (even if it is legal).

I would not do it - I was there to see a friend take his final ride when someone did a lane shift on him - he was only about 200 ft from me when it happened and there was nothing anyone could do to save him.

Such a shame about your friend.  It can really change your perspective when you actually witness it.  I've seen several of my friends go down and it's never pretty.   We all assume a certin degree of risk whenever we ride and it's up to each person to decide where their comfort zone lies.

I just never do it. First I try to ride where there is not that much traffic, and second, I am usually not in a hurry when on the bike!

Sorry to hear about your friend BullDog

New to CA from VA so lane splitting scares the hell out of me.

After driving here and observing drivers in CA the only time I consider is at a red light when I'm a few cars back from the front, carefully moving between to get in front while everyone else is stopped is as far as I will go.

Unfortunately, a large number of riders think it is a free for all to do whatever they want including doing 70+ lane splitting when traffic is moving a long just fine.  Stupid and dangerous. 

IMO

[blockquote]Vulcan said:

New to CA from VA so lane splitting scares the hell out of me.

After driving here and observing drivers in CA the only time I consider is at a red light when I'm a few cars back from the front, carefully moving between to get in front while everyone else is stopped is as far as I will go.

Unfortunately, a large number of riders think it is a free for all to do whatever they want including doing 70+ lane splitting when traffic is moving a long just fine.  Stupid and dangerous. 

IMO

[/blockquote]

Welcome to California) 

There are a lot of people who won't lane split,yet for the majority of riders who grew up out here in Calif,where there are lots of urban congested areas,motorcycles are the most efficient means of commuting.The weather is conducive to riding.

Lane splitting was a result of riders usually filtering to the front of traffic,due to the simple fact they were easier to get around all slower & larger vehicles,especially on the freeway where traffic can stall for hours.

Been riding for over 20 years here in Calif and have lane split nearly always.Had some close calls.Learned not to split past semi's tractor trailers people towing trailers etc.Also not to lane split when traffic flows are above 45-55 mph  freeway riding.

There are guidelines to follow while doing lane splitting that vastly increase your ability to do it safely,you can find them on the Calif Highway Patrol/DMV website.Also there are advanced riding courses offered by seasoned riders to enhance any skillset when it comes to riding in general.There are some offered locally that I know of,not sure about other parts of the usa.

Most of all,stay safe & enjoy the ride

Thx for the wecome, I appreciate it.

 

I do agree, if everyone followed the guidelines, it's not even a law. Guidelines set up by CHP than maybe it would be better but.....

Just last night heading home after taking my 1 yo grandson to the zoo and part about 20 bikes come around us from every lane including the shoulder, doing wheelies and acting like a bunch of idiots going over top of rt 80 and were almost out of site before we hit the other side. No cops in sight and they probably wouldn't have done anything even if they were there.

This type of stuff, which I see almost every day from bikes and cages is making it really tough to enjoy my new home.

Your Welcome. Thanks for the response !

Your right,there is a lot of riding & driving behavior that's over the top around the Bay area.It comes with the territory out here.I do see enforcement efforts that work,yet typically they focus on known hot spots.For example I went riding out a local cruising back road,saw two patrol cars one was parked and another just driving checking peoples speed.Still there is a lot of hooligans riding here & there is a robust motorcycle crowd around the Bay Area.

In my experience a lot of the riders doing it are younger riders who try n push the edges,yet have no real clue just how dangerous it really is to ride.Perhaps once they taste some asphalt it may provide a wakeup call ?

Keep in mind there are a large number of foreign riders,tourists,drivers etc sharing the road here too so hence a lot of confused driving can happen.One thing that has saved my skin riding here, pay attention to your 6 and always check for other riders before changing your line,even in your own lane.

stay safe & enjoy the ride! 

When I first strated riding I used to lane split in southern CA until someone changed lanes right in front of me and I went down trying to stop. So that ended lane splitting for me. Its to risky.

It should be legal everywhere! Saves time and speeds up the flow of traffic. If it were legal everywhere than people would take more notice of it and be more observant of the motorcycles. If you have never been stopped in Northern Va. traffic then you will never understand the need for it.

[blockquote]monkwiththafunk said:

It should be legal everywhere! Saves time and speeds up the flow of traffic. If it were legal everywhere than people would take more notice of it and be more observant of the motorcycles. If you have never been stopped in Northern Va. traffic then you will never understand the need for it.

[/blockquote]

Agreed ! There are some other states, I believe, that are working towards legalizing limited lane splitting.

YES. Every chance I get! My first three years of riding were all in CA. Lane splitting is probably my greatest joy in life. It's thrilling! I do it here in Maryland pretty often, never had a problem, but it's less of a risk from law enforcement in DC, actually.

Maryland drivers are as oblivious as they are aggressive. I filter at stop lights to avoid being rear ended, and because being the first to take off from a light that's been red for 5 minutes is good for my air cooled bike. Otherwise, as traffic crawls, I may not be making it through that light for another two or three red/green cycles. 

It's all about comfort level. I'm teaching a friend how to ride and his timidity about it makes me nervous for him. I would NEVER advise him to lane split. I started lane splitting within a few weeks of learning to ride simply because it shaved a solid 25 minutes off my commute (30 minutes by car, 5 by motorcycle). If you practice panic stops, rapid turns, and low speed manuevers, you can build the confidence and skill for safe lane splitting (if you're so inclined). But knowing your own limits is essential.

I think fear causes more accidents than anything else. Target fixation, failing a corner, not braking in time, and all manner of mistakes just happen from timid riders seizing up. I've got a lot of miles with no accidents so far, but I've had more close calls than I can count. The unmatched agility of a motorcycle lends itself well to getting out of trouble if you really throw yourself into evasive manuevers. I credit my reflexes to extensive gaming throughout my life, lol.

Maryland is getting some pushes toward legalizing lane splitting (and the traffic here DESPERATELY needs it), so here's hoping it garners the necessary support.

As long as its safe to do so....yep, I lane-split where ever I go. I'm from Socal, you have to do it or not ride, and that's not an option. I was in D.C. last year and it was hot, muggy, and traffic was as bad as in LA. After awhile, my bike started getting hot so I began lane-splitting. There were some real jerks who tried cutting me off but I was able to get around them. I was only doing about 10-20 mph. I came upon a State Trooper, pulled up next to him and said I was from SoCal and asked if lane-splitting was legal or not. He said no, it's not legal....then said to be careful because drivers there are real jerks and will block you on purpose. No kidding! In essence, he gave me permission to lane-split. This past year I was on the Run For The Wall and we hit Phoenix during rush hour. Since we were an advance party, we had no LEO support and had to ride in traffic. It was stop-n-go for over 10 miles in 120 degree plus temps. All our bikes got extremely hot. One of the riders had a temp gauge and it showed over 300 degrees. Another on a water-cooled BMW overheated and he had to take the median to get some air on the motor. My clutch overheated and I had to pull over and get towed to Chandler HD.

Lane-splitting should be legal and optional in all 50 states, IMHO. I'm not going to fry my engine (or me) because some jerks dont' like the idea of someone getting ahead of them in traffic.

Yep, I live in California and its legal here.  I don't do it.

I am one of those guys that will lane split at a stop light to get up to the front of the pack at the crosswalk.  Then I don't have to worry about lane splitting.

HOWEVER ... if you're going to be the first one into that intersection, you damned well better make sure all cross traffic is stopped!!!

 

 

https://ridetolive.utah.gov/lane-filtering/?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_campaign=lane_filtering&utm_content=ridertip1&fbclid=IwAR254ZpzVp5GwBI-xHU5Yt4rX2abuSGpYU7KfVob4nu7-PgOGsLqLq-yfEw

Here in Utah, Lane Splitting is illegal, although Lane Filtering is legal. 

Like everything else on a bike, Use your head. If it's safe, go for it, if you have a doubt, don't.

when i had a softail springer I did it al lthe time, i have a dresser now, with crash bars..I don't fit anymore..so I sit in the lane..pisses me off cause cagers always seem to lose concentration. Too many distractions for them..if you are not confident don't do it..if you are do it safely..lane splitting keeps you moving and thats what its all about. If you're not there you can't be hit..lots won't agree with how i think but thats cool..I 'll never tell you how you should ride, so I appeeciate you not preaching to me..If we are on a run together ever..I 'll see you at the destination..unless I'm on the glide then I'll see you there...if the traffic is moving then I'm all for moving through the traffic..signalling all the way left and right.. al lthat matters then is whats ahead and to my immediate sides..whats behind me doesn't matter until I stop..then its eyes in the mirror..and in gear..in case some dumbass, hasn't seen the stoppped traffic..don't want a shunt up the ass.