Driving on shoulder

[Eric C]

I don't have a bike yet, but I have a question. What do you do when you are in stopped traffic because of an accident? For instance, you are on your bike and you see that traffic is at a dead stop, people are walking around, and you can't see anything but cars ahead.

Do you -
A) Park your bike and wait on traffic.
B) Drive on the shoulder passing the stopped traffic.
C) Walk your bike on the shoulder.

I see a lot of people on bikes who drive on the shoulder. I have to admit that as I sit in my car I get upset seeing people doing this. It is probably just jealousy that I can't be moving, but I often wonder if this is legal. I guess it makes sense that you could walk your bike on the shoulder and get through traffic slowly but safely. Just wondering what your thoughts were.

Eric

[flynrider]

In most states that I've ridden/driven, driving on the shoulder is illegal. In some states (like CA) lane splitting is legal, but you have to do that between driving lanes, not on the shoulder.

[Jamers!]

in all states driving on the shoulder is illegeal. lane splitting it legal here in CA but i wouldnt advise it in that situation as you may get a frustrated cager throwing his door open and into you. If you do lane split do so just to get to the far right then ride the right line to the nearest off ramp


JWF

[9000white]

i have been on the freeways here where it would be backed up for hours.i use the shoulder to at least get to an exit ramp.sometimes that can be a few miles.most of the cops are at the accident scene so no worry about them.

[Randy]

I used to ride on the shoulder, but then I realized that all the junk (sand, rocks, tires) piled up on the shoulder. After a scary run in with some gravel on a curve. I stopped riding on the shoulder.

[2wheel]

Riding on the shoulder is not legal in Canada either. I've seen cagers drive on to the shoulder to try and block bikes!

[CNF2002]

I dont agree with riding on the shoulder. It should be reserved for those in the traffic that have problems, accident, overheating, etc.

I'd like to lane split in situations like that...but I would probably only do it in the situation described above, where people really are getting out of their cars (why do they do that?) etc.

For instance I was once stuck on a freeway for 20 minutes in park. Luckily in the next lane a few cars ahead of me there was an ice cream truck! He got alot of business that day!

[Sev]

Don't forget that the shoulder typically (at least around here) has a lot of the stuff that gets shoved out of the regular path of the vehicles, I've seen everything from gravel and grease to parts of tire, mufflers, bumpers, 2 by 4's, old furniture, and a childs swing set. Not to mention complete abandoned vehicles. All the sort of stuff you don't want to run into on a bike.

[JustJames]

I rode on shoulder once, that when I was in a car accident, then I had a friend drop me a bike, so I can continue my destination, the traffic was miles long. As a lot mention a lot of stuff on shoulder, gravel, loose parts, oil, rocks. What happen was, I happened to drop the bike not very far from that accident. Not a very good day for me, but that happened when I was very young.

[snwbrdr]

I know in ohio it is illegal for a cager to drive on he shoulder just to get around traffic. Im pretty sure its gotta be the same for bikes. Whoever said that they ride it anyway because the cops are all at the scene...id be csreful, i saw a guy once who thought the same thing and took the shoulder. He was promptly pulled over by a cop who was also just sitting in traffic.