This is why I split lanes

For all of you in the rest of the USA that wonder why us Kalifonians split lanes and why so many of us try so hard to get this legalized in all 50 states, I present to you a picture of what happens when some mouth breathing FUCKWAD isn't paying attention. This particular picture is from my Aussie friend and I think it will show just exactly why we do what we do.

R.I.P. rider

 

I'm not sure us, Californicators, can convince the rest of the nation that lane-splitting is a safer way to ride. I hear all the cons about it every time I ride out of state and this topic comes up with a fellow rider I chat with at a gas station, coffee shop or a watering hole, or a personal friend of mine. None the less, I keep trying my best.
RIP Rider.

 

Yea kinda weird how those that haven't a clue about motorcycling get all up in arms when we Motorcyclists get a small safe advantage available and they get all WTF, no way that is happening. Go figure huh. and one has to wonder why we are the way we are, Right......

 

Pretty graphic image there! The other night at a dinner party a friend of mine got all up in arms when I told her I lane split. She wanted to debate it but I told her no need to change the mood of the party, have a drink and be glad I am still here and that I ride safely!

R.I.P. rider

 

Yea I've had my fair share of discussion like that. what is it about us wanting to be safer them cagers don't get . Sheeesh! I think it's a not fair I can't do that jealousy thing is all I can come up with. I still will do it yes it's not legal here, if I feel it's in my best interest, only then I get horns.. SMH.

 

I have been lane splitting or filtering as they call it here since I got my first road bike whether it was illegal or not

I would much rather take my chances of getting sideswiped than what happened to the unfortunate rider in the above picture

Sure I have been pulled up and cautioned for it but never got a ticket
Filtering carefully between cars is a Hell of a lot safer

But some who choose to make it similar to a Moto GP between the cars/trucks in the end make it much harder for those who proceed with caution to state their case for the positives

 

I like that description "Filtering"

 

ug ug ug ug ug

 

Good Lord, that's horrifying.

R.I.P. Rider.

 

:rip: Kawi rider. I do it at my discrection, I have had issues where I heard sirens and had to go a little faster while "filtering." I have been caught saying, "if I am in bumper to bumber traffic, where are my bumpers." I will never do a "Hail-Mary" stop on any road regardless, doing some degree of filtering just so I can save my bacon. eace:

 

I am always on the edge of the lane. If there is a car to my left, I am on the right, and vice versa. I am never in the middle of the lane because the above nightmare is always on my mind. It is too easy to become a sandwich. If I do get hit while on the edge of the lane, I have a much better chance of getting thrown straight ahead, just to the left or right of the vehicle ahead of me. And the offending car is going to stop when it hits the vehicle ahead of me, not run through me.

I can see how a lane split allows an escape route. On the other hand looking through articles and statistics, a great deal of lane splitters admit to hitting cars. So they push the technique beyond what it should be and turn the freeway into their own personal race course. Thus they re-up the risk that lane splitting would have otherwise reduced. One more item that proves safety is an illusion. With every safety item we implement, people push it until they reach the prior risk once again. Like driving a 5,000 lb SUV to "be safe." People tailgate, speed, talk on their cell phones, until they hit and kill someone with that same SUV. Risk mitigation is always wiped out by peoples' aggressiveness.

Unfortunately, the fact that people simply refuse to be decent human beings while driving is what is going to cause our legislature to force us into self-driving vehicles. We will spend our commute in bumper cars and the thrill of driving will be gone.

 

Which articles are you referring to wherein a good deal of people admit to hitting cars? I've ridden over 50k miles here in SoCal and I've never seen that happen. I know it does, but not to any degree that it sounds above. I agree with people getting too aggressive tho. By and large though, lane splitting and filtering are order of magnitude safer. I had a lady rear end another lady right in front of me. Thank God she was in front!

 

See the U of Berkeley study, "Motorcycle Lane-splitting and Safety in California ".

"...more likely to rear-end another vehicle than other riders (38% vs 16%)"

 

We cannot wait to get lane splitting in AZ. We tend to have more room between lanes than Cali. However, the Darwinism would be significant for a year as the car drivers would actively try to slow a lane splitter or generally not get out of their way. Hopefully it will become clear that this is a better way to ride in 1000 degree C traffic.

 

I fear that it will take far longer for cagers, unaccustomed to lane splitting, to get even in the same chapter, let alone the same page as others who are in the know. Anywhere that impliments lane splitting, Cali aside, will likely experience a sudden and massive upsurge in injuries and death for us bikers. Both sides will share the blame.

 

Filtering, thats funny.
Been doin it since the 80's and cant tell ya how many times while said DICKWADS were watching me in there mirrors and moving over to squeeze me, rear ended the car in front of him.
The problem is that everyone is in such a rush, if they woke up an 1/2 hr early they wouldn't get so irritated at us splitting while there doin 2-3mph and running late.
JMO

 

http://americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/positionstatements/lanesplitting.aspx
http://www.gizmag.com/motorcycle-lane-splitting-filtering-safety-research/34425/
http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/06/02/ama-study-finds-lane-splitting-increases-rider-saftey/
And especially, http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/uc-berkeley-study-finds-lane-splitting-reduces-motorcyc-1708755125

and

So, of the 6000 motorcycle accidents 83% involved motorcyclists that were NOT splitting lanes and 16.66% were. Sounds to me that lane splitting is substantially safer! I'll keep doing it, safely, thank you!

 

I grabbed a few stickers to put on my commuter and car. Rather than call it splitting and filtering, their message is "sharing", not that people would prefer to share anything, especially a lane!

http://lanesplittingislegal.com/

 

I want some

 

Yeah, me too