Why is it that in California, Arizona and Texas (3 states Ive been to recently) riders can ride up to the front of the lanes at stop lights, roll past stopped vehicles in stop and go traffic, etc without any problems from other drivers. But on the other hand, here in Oregon you get flipped off, horns blown at you and genuinely treated like you stole something if you do? I see bikes helping the traffic issue and not hurting a damn thing when they do these things responsibly, but most drivers here in OR seem to think different. I'm not sure exactly what/how the laws read though between the different states.

 

Hippies.

 

It's actually more accepted in SoCal than NoCal ! I've also been told that while lane splitting is "legal" it's only because the police do it.

Of course I've also been told it's legal because there is no law prohibiting more than one vehicle per lane, must come from the Keystone Cops days in Hollyweird.

All I can tell you is that it works and if you do it long enough you will come to understand just how much situational awareness is your best and only friend.

 

Actually if I'm not mistaken it's not legal to do that anywhere in the US. You get away with it in CA because it's not specifically illegal.

 

Thought that's pretty much what I said!

 

Didn't refresh the page to see your post before getting around to submitting the reply

 

Im not so sure what city in Texas you visited however riders risk personal injury doing that in Texas at the hands of some big redneck and his pickup door if you were riding to the front, lane splitting or passing cars in stop and go traffic. I do well just to defend my space in stop and go traffic and have had to apply my boot to fenders more than once, (that's the only time I did pass cars in stop and go).

Lane splitting is not specifically disallowed in Texas but it sure is frowned upon by most everyone and made even less popular in the DFW metroplex by groups of sportbike riders who blast up and down the roads as if they own them.

 

Factoid: lanesplitting is safer than riding in line. Has to do with there being a vastly larger amount of rear end collisions than sideswipes.

I wouldn't wait for cars to love you for it but they are not taking the risks so they don't get the payoff of getting there sooner.

Lane splitting takes way more concentration so dont do it unless you are hyper alert, like dont overtake more than 10mph differential, cover the brake, quick blip the horn, etc.

It helps to flash a peace sign to cars that let you through, makes them feel like they are part of the cause.

The gen pop will happily send young men off to be decapitated and parylized in war but deny them the right to have a drink so dont expect fairness.

 

Houston,Galveston, and Dallas in the last 2 years. Rode from Houston to Galveston while there. Didn't ride in Dallas. Sounds like Texas has the same views in bikes as Oregon.

 

Where in Oregon are you? I've lived here in Corvallis for almost 14 years and have never encountered traffic heavy enough to necessitate me splitting a lane (not specifically in town, all over the valley).

I've lived in both Northern California and in Phoenix prior to living here and while in California lane splitting was common practice I don't recall seeing it all that often in PHX and was under the assumption that it was frowned upon by the boys in blue.

 

Nope. Doesn't happen here. I just line up to the sides of cars and gaze into the glistening reflection adjacent to my hands, waiting for the kiss of death via plastic snowbird bumper.

 

I'm in Eugene, Go Ducks! I agree it's not necessary here, the topic is mainly an observation I've made of what seems to be accepted in different locals. Portland has the traffic that a rider might consider lane splitting, definately not necessary in Eugene/Corvallis.

 

Yeah I'm afraid it would go down something like this:

Woman tries to run over biker - Briga no tra

 

Wouldn't recommend you try that in the southeast US, you might not be alive to tell about it.

 

As far a the legality in CA, its because there is no law prohibiting it. They tried making it illegal in the air cooled Harley days, however chp lobbied against it as their motors would over heat in stop and go traffic. You can be cited for unsafe passing, but only if you are splitting at an insane speed or if you ride the line. It's referred to as lane sharing by most riders, giving it a less questionable sounding name.

I split at every light, as long as I can make it to the front before it turns green. I rarely have people honk, but when I do I kindly look them in the eye and give them the finger. I'm not hurting anyone or making them slow, I'm usually through the intersection by the time theyve realized the light changed. I was stopped for sharing once by a city cop and he told me it was because I straddled the line coming to the light. I told him I would risk a ticket over being rear ended every time, he agreed and told me to have a nice day.