Commuters: Do you ever lane split/filter even if it's not legal where you live?

[Karson]

I live in Iowa where it's not legal, but I can't say the thought has never crossed my mind.

I have made a left turn at 2 am on a red light just so you know who is the badass in our 1 horse town.

 

[tomatocity]

Recently was in Las Vegas and I instinctively lane split in-town traffic. It did not seem to bother the NV plates.

 

[Waiting]

No

 

[Karson]

Recently was in Las Vegas and I instinctively lane split in-town traffic. It did not seem to bother the NV plates.

...Which is odd. The road rage is strong with cagers, you'd think they'd let you know.

 

[Mike91]

Guilty of the left on red... Sometimes the bike doesn't trip those sensors.

Never consider lane splitting, though.

 

[pretbek]

I don't lane split, but I filter to the front of the light when the opportunity arises and I feel I need the time gain.

 

[tomatocity]

When I split lanes, CA or Not, I always watch mirrors and license plates. Can't remember a non-CA plate with road rage but have seen them be surprised.

 

[tomatocity]

I don't lane split, but I filter to the front of the light when the opportunity arises and I feel I need the time gain.

That is lane splitting and I find it irritates drivers more than when they are moving.

 

[markjenn]

I would never do it outside of CA for two reasons: 1) It's virtually an automatic ticket offense if a cop sees you which could become a reckless-driving/pull-license/tow-the-bike offense if the cop is really annoyed by you; and 2) it makes an already somewhat dangerous activity much more so. Best case, you're doing something motorists aren't expecting at all; worst case, they're going to be very angry and attempt to block you.

- Mark

 

[Old Blue]

Oh heck no! Mean oilfield trash around here would kill you in one of various horrible ways!

 

[joneil]

Living in Vegas, it's illegal. Have I done it? Yes, but rarely. Was returning from a 50 + mile off road ride when I was greeted with a 5 mile traffic jam of race fans leaving the LV Speedway. Very hot day. I was tired. So I thought,"what the heck....!" Only one pissed of caged actually took action. The rest were passive haters.

 

[merchant]

As big a beating as rush hour traffic is, would never consider lane splitting. First, not worth the penalties if Johnny Law catches me. Second, the wide bars on this beast make lane splitting an ever riskier proposition. I have bad visions of catching a mirror.

It's not a very common practice in DFW. I've only seen it a handful of times and it is always some squid on a sport bike (tank top and flip flops). After the mandatory "F**g Idiot" screamed in my helmet, I have to admit I'm a little jealous that his skinny little bars at least afford him the option.

 

[OX-34]

July 1st there is a new law covering this in Australia for the state of NSW.

Previously, like other riders here, I've used the term filtering to mean when the cars are stopped e.g. at a red light and splitting to mean when the cars are moving.
The new law doesn't refer to the car speed at all. The term Filtering is used when the BIKE is at 30km/h or less and splitting is over 30km/k.

So lane Filtering is about to become legal here. Sweet.

Having said that lots of Aussie riders already ride between the lanes to get to the front at traffic lights. Occasionally some get booked, but generally not. I've done that on dozens of bikes. The Tenere would be one of the worst due to size of course, but the visibility is great if there is space.

I've also done it in the USA. I once rode an Iron Butt 100CCC from LAX to Jacksonville Beach in Florida and back in under 4 days. I was on 'the clock'. Arriving on Interstate I10 westbound into El Paso on the return leg I hit the first traffic jam since LA 3 days before. We were jammed into multiple lanes and it was boots sticking to the tar hot. I looked around the sea of vehicles and nodded at the few other bikers I could see. I wondered why nobody was filtering because I thought it was legal in the US?.... I'd had enough, slowly zig-zagged my way smiling and waving at the nice cagers and paddled my bike to the shoulder on the left. Clicked first gear and just politely trickled past a thousand trapped cars or so with no aggro from anyone. Soon my mirrors were filled with a little conga line of local bikers as we made our way through and out the other side. I later learned that its not legal in TX so maybe I lead a bunch of bikes on there first ever splittling adventure?

Last year in the Iron Butt Rally the end of the second leg was in Sacramento. After a few days in the sticks making my way from Pittsburgh via Pikes Peak and Highway 50 in Utah and Nevada I was coming from the hot hot hot Black Rock Desert on I80 west of Reno and ran into the back of a sweaty traffic jam as far as the eye could see. Just as I put my foot on the ground for the first time, the car next to wound down its window. I said G'day. He said "Hey thar Mayte.You know, lane splitting is legal in the State of California". "Mate, you bloody ripper!!!". He said 'Have a nice day, sir' and wound the window back up to keep the ice cold AC inside.

I split that traffic jam for the next 50 miles ::014::

 

[AVGeek]

Having gotten in two wheels because of legal lane splitting in California, I have admittedly used the technique in places where it is not legal...and that's all I have to say about that. Except...one time I did it, there were several cars with Cali plates, amongst the locals, and nearly all of the Cali drivers made some room for me, so it could be taught to the rest of the cagers in the US....

 

[Checkswrecks]

Yes.



In Washington DC commuting traffic, splitting lanes is illegal but not unusual. The system of DC streets was designed by Charles L'Enfant in 1791 for horse-drawn carriages, so they are narrow. We now have delivery trucks & busses regularly block curb lanes and the DDOT answer to every problem is to shut down the few remaining lanes. We get VIP motorcades for every minor head of State bringing their family for a shopping trip to the US. If a President decides to go to a restaurant or drive to Andrews AFB due to weather, streets are typically blocked for roughly 15 minutes before his roughly 13 vehicles pass by and yes this happens at rush hour. Yesterday the cabbies shut down part of the National Mall area to protest Uber and the other ride sharing services.
The District of Columbia really does gridlock every rush hour, morning and evening.


Outside of the US & in California it's normal, legal, and expected. You filter up to every red traffic light and people wonder why you are taking up the space of a car when you don't. I used to live in Cali and still ride overseas regularly, so have about 30 years experience at it. (Somebody with 40 or 50 years can chime in next.) Unplated scooters (less than 50cc engine size) can do it legally. Splitting (aka - lane sharing) can be done safely and there is not a technical reason to take up most of the space of yet one more car.


It can also be done dangerously, just like almost every other activity.



- Ahem - If I were to do said illegal act, it would hypothetically be at a walking pace when traffic is jammed, watching the closest cars for somebody to do something bad, and watching the cars farther ahead for police vehicles. When the white line gets too narrow, I don't push, I stop and wait.



As opposed to "reckless-driving/pull-license/tow-the-bike offense" I've received 3 warnings over the years, and have no other violations. If/when I do get a ticket, I'm sure that by the local law I will have earned it and won't contest it.

 

[rotortech71]

A couple of times, when it's been very hot and traffic is stopped. Drivers are bizarre in Oregon. They go slow, and are extremely offended if you pass them. Even if it's a legal passing zone and they are going under the speed limit. I've actually had drivers swerve to keep me from passing them on a two lane road in a legal zone. I give cagers thank you waves, don't tailgate them, pass them with plenty of room, it just doesn't matter. They seem to hate motorcyclists, especially being passed by them. I was stuck on the freeway one time in stopped traffic, and I could see my exit about 1/4 mile ahead. I started riding down the right shoulder about 15 miles an hour, and I didn't even get past 5 cars before a woman in a van pulled to the right to block me.

I've also moved to the front of an intersections before at a red light when the weather has been really hot, and I don't feel like cooking in my gear. I moved to the right, and passed everyone in the bicycle lane. I figure, that painted picture of the bicycle on the road kind of looks like a motorcycle.

OK, I'll stop now, or I will turn this into a novel on my frustration with Oregon drivers. (I'm originally from California).

 

[jbrown]

I've been riding motorcycles in California for 45 years and I don't split lanes. I routinely have to avoid vehicles piloted by inattentive drivers, along with the very occasional driver who clearly goes out of their way to make things difficult. Lane splitting seems like it would be another possibility for something to go wrong. I'm just plain chicken!

 

[Grumpy]

Thankfully it's still leagle to filter in the UK. I would go back to driving to and from work if it was band. If you have to sit in traffic, you may as well be comfortable.
You are abliged to be sensible, when the traffic starts moving over 20mph, I get back in lane. In some circumstances it's obviously not a good idea to filter, but on slow moving freeways it seems a law based on jealousy.

 

[arjayes]

I've been riding motorcycles in California for 45 years and I don't split lanes. I routinely have to avoid vehicles piloted by inattentive drivers, along with the very occasional driver who clearly goes out of their way to make things difficult. Lane splitting seems like it would be another possibility for something to go wrong. I'm just plain chicken!

Man, after riding in CA for 45 years you deserve to hop to the front of the line once in a while. I see idiots lane splitting at 80+ mph on the freeway and it makes me cringe. I don't do that (and it's illegal anyway). But scooting past cars at a stoplight or in rush hour traffic on the freeway is a blessing. You owe it to yourself to take advantage of the law. Keep it real and there very little risk, and CA drivers are used to it.

 

[pretbek]

I don't lane split, but I filter to the front of the light when the opportunity arises and I feel I need the time gain.

That is lane splitting and I find it irritates drivers more than when they are moving.

I see what you're saying and technically yes filtering is also lane splitting.
I distinguish between filtering being lane splitting in (near) stationary traffic that cannot switch lanes anymore to get to the line at the red light, and lane splitting when everyone on the road is moving with no stop in sight.

The moving lane splitting should IMHO be limited to about 25 mph of the motorcycle speed, above that I would merge back in with the cars. That is what I was used to in Europe. It's funny to see the two opposite extremes here in the US: Lane splitting at 80 mph in California, and no lane splitting whatsoever in the other 49 states.