Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

YES, WE SHOULD LET MOTORCYCLES RIDE BETWEEN CARS

EVERY CALIFORNIA DRIVER'S seen it: While you're sitting in your car on the freeway, creeping through traffic, one motorcyclist after another zips by, riding between lanes. It may seem unfair (why does he get to go ahead!?) and unsafe (won't he be hit!?), and for those reasons, illegal.

It's not. At least not in California. Lane splitting, also called lane sharing and traffic filtering, is 100 percent legal in the Golden State, simply because it's not illegal. It's not mentioned anywhere in the rules of the road.

Now, California politicians are looking to make it legit, with a bill that would make lane splitting explicitly legal—and, naturally, regulate it a bit. The bill sailed through the state Assembly without debate, and is headed to the Senate.

And if you care about congestion, carbon emissions, or motorcyclist safety, that's a good thing.

More

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely NOT, this is not a safe maneuver at all!

Anonymous said...

Very very bad idea!

Johnathan said...

When I am dead stopped on the freeway I put my car in park and open my drivers door to get them if they try this crap. I hate people who ride them!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I’m sure you do this, Johnathan.

Anonymous said...

A lane for a car is between the two lines meaning the car can utilize every bit of that lane. If a motorcycle comes through and the car, for whatever reason, moves within that lane, the motorcycle is at risk of being hit. Legally. As long as the car is not crossing its lane lines it can move freely within its designated space.

Anonymous said...

8:23 We'll just go around the other side idiot

Anonymous said...

6:49 when I'm on a motorcycle and a car passes me (because of their inability to drive the speed limit) I also expect the same courtesy and allow me to have the whole lane I am in, and not use part of my lane for passing. As long as I'm not crossing the center lane line I can move freely within my designated space

Anonymous said...

@February 28, 2019 at 11:04 AM. Not if the passenger opens their door. Idiot.

Anonymous said...

@ February 28, 2019 at 6:42 AM. So will I. You fools act like you own the road and everyone should look out for you. It goes both ways. It's dangerous to ride between cars. What happens if someone changes lanes? Then you idiots will be crying, "Watch out for bikes with motors on them" Waaaa, booo hooo. Numb nuts.

Anonymous said...

That's just stupid thinking. While they're at it, they should drop the requirement to wear helmets.