Splitting lanes in California

[Funderbird]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around. If I dind't splitt my commute would go from 2-3 hours to 5-6. This is not my question. My ? is, today I was tooling along at 5-10 mph and traffic was not quite stopped. I approached a brand new high end sports car on my left and a large suv on my right. As I got to both bumpers they "squeezed" into me...one car was less than a foot from the line the other was the same. Luckily I made it past with minimal connection. My question is, who fault is it? It is leagal in Ca for me to splitt lanes, but what do I do if the other drivers don't agree and take aggressive action?

Ten years ago I would punch a window out, out run a key down the entire side. But I have other responsibilities and a coolheaded out look not to mention kids and a stable job. I don't want to go 55 through stopped traffic. All I want to do is get through the congestion ant get on my way...Who is at fault if they squeeze me and cause and accedent.

[Thumper]

It is leagal in Ca for me to splitt lanes,

Actually, it's not legal. It's just not specifically against the law. (And the law actually applies to lane sharing, not splitting. Ride the line that defines the lanes, and you're splitting. Occupy a space in the lane where there is another vehicle, that's sharing. Almost semantics, but not quite.)

Still...in this situation you would have been at least 50% at fault. It sounds like you were doing the split as safely as you could--a whole lot safer than most I see, but because there were other vehicles already in each of those lanes, the chances are if you had made contact, you would have been assigned at least half the blame.

There was an accident up here not to long ago, a guy in a Harley splitting...an SUV didn't see him and tried to make a lane change, and he bounced off her rear bumper into a car in the next lane. Outcome was not good. But the SUV driver was not found to be at fault--the (dead) biker was.

Really sucked when it turned out I'd known the guy as a teenager... But still...he was technically lane sharing legally, but was still at fault.

[flynrider]

Actually, it's not legal. It's just not specifically against the law.

Around here, we call things that are not specifically against the law, "legal".

Lane splitting, which is specifically against the law (here in AZ), is clearly defined as being illegal in the appropriate statute. Whereas lane sharing is legal, but only between two bikes.


Funny that this one should come up. Just yesterday I was talking to a co-worker that recently relocated to AZ from the bay area. Since all of his riding had been done in CA, I figured I'd mention that lanesplitting is not legal here. His response, "So that's why all those people have been honking at me every day".

[Flipper]

My understanding is that it's legal if traffic is traveling under 15mph.
If there is any contact with another vehicle, even if someone in a cage is being an o-ring, the law faults the motorcyclist.
I don't lane split, it's not worth the risk.

[sv-wolf]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around.

Confession time. Until today I would have said something very similar. Today I came up behind two cars, side by side, one in each lane doing 45 on an otherwise empty 70mph road. After sitting it out for about thirty seconds something inside me clicked, I opened the throttle and went up the white line between them. Don't plan on making a habit of it though.

[JC Viper]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around.

Confession time. Until today I would have said something very similar. Today I came up behind two cars, side by side, one in each lane doing 45 on an otherwise empty 70mph road. After sitting it out for about thirty seconds something inside me clicked, I opened the throttle and went up the white line between them. Don't plan on making a habit of it though.

But in the UK it is legal to lane split and I remember reading an article in a cycle magazine that a cager hit a lane splitting rider and the cager was at fault because the cager should have expected it.

[sv-wolf]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around.

Confession time. Until today I would have said something very similar. Today I came up behind two cars, side by side, one in each lane doing 45 on an otherwise empty 70mph road. After sitting it out for about thirty seconds something inside me clicked, I opened the throttle and went up the white line between them. Don't plan on making a habit of it though.

But in the UK it is legal to lane split and I remember reading an article in a cycle magazine that a cager hit a lane splitting rider and the cager was at fault because the cager should have expected it.

Well, not quite. There is no specific law banning lane splitting, but you can still get done for 'dangerous driving'.

The law seems to be changing but until recently lane-splitting motorcyclists were generally considered partially responsible for accidents by judges, even when it was absolutely clear that it was down to the other vehicle's total lack of attention.

[JC Viper]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around.

Confession time. Until today I would have said something very similar. Today I came up behind two cars, side by side, one in each lane doing 45 on an otherwise empty 70mph road. After sitting it out for about thirty seconds something inside me clicked, I opened the throttle and went up the white line between them. Don't plan on making a habit of it though.

But in the UK it is legal to lane split and I remember reading an article in a cycle magazine that a cager hit a lane splitting rider and the cager was at fault because the cager should have expected it.

Well, not quite. There is no specific law banning lane splitting, but you can still get done for 'dangerous driving'.

The law seems to be changing but until recently lane-splitting motorcyclists were generally considered partially responsible for accidents by judges, even when it was absolutely clear that it was down to the other vehicle's total lack of attention.

At least you guys give it a better name than we do. Filtering, it just sounds much more innocent.

[obfuscate]

Ok, normally I wouldn't post to another group, but since it's local and I am not a cop here's a link to the barf LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) thread on this one: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forum ... p?t=154980


CHP's website say's it's legal (bottom of page), but is a bit vague about what "safely" means http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/motors.html

That having been said, you may still be partially at fault. I can be driving "legally" and still be at fault if I hit someone. It does make me wonder if jerks who attempt to cut you off are guilty of road rage though. I know that road rage is not legal in CA.

[Nibblet99]

I know, most will say it is dumb and some of the carless riders I have seen would cause me to agree. However, I never splitt above 30 and never faster than 10 miles above the cars around.

Confession time. Until today I would have said something very similar. Today I came up behind two cars, side by side, one in each lane doing 45 on an otherwise empty 70mph road. After sitting it out for about thirty seconds something inside me clicked, I opened the throttle and went up the white line between them. Don't plan on making a habit of it though.

You know, I always said that too, till I spent considerable time on the M25

Traffic will grind to a halt so you'll start filtering, then the traffic starts to move at 10mph and you continue.... and gradually the traffic gets faster and faster till you realise you're now filtering at 60mph.

I find I get so focused on everything around me that could pose a risk, I simply don't have time to check the speedo, or think about how fast I'm going