Saw a guy doing this today on a BMW touring bike. Never saw that before. Just curious if any of you split lanes with hazards on.

I can see the advantage of using them during a lane split, but at the same time, people have a hard time seeing/hearing a loud bike with a bright headlight rumbling up on them. I'm not sure if hazards would add that much "visibility."

What do you think?

 

I've never seen it, but I'm pretty sure lane splitting in Missouri (where I live and do most of my riding) is prohibited.

A few weeks ago I was heading to my parents' in my Mustang (had my dog with me) and on a highway with two lanes in both directions, I was passing slower traffic. Had some people going slow in the left lane (irritates me) so sometimes I was passing in the right lane. I had just passed somebody in the right lane and was coming up on two slower cars going almost side to side. The car in the right lane that I was behind was ahead and going slightly faster so I was coming close to being able to move into the left lane and pass when a sports bike blew past me lane splitting. I figure I was going around 70 mph and about to speed up to around 80mph to pass and he blew down the center lane like I wasn't moving. I'm so glad I didn't go to pass because that dude would have been toast. Even if that dude had his hazards on it wouldn't have made a difference at the speed he was going. I had been passing cars already so had been checking my mirrors and hadn't seen him creeping up at all in the rearview, I had no idea a bike was even around me until he blew past.

 

I don't and won't split lanes and really don't see the point in it. And if someone does and hits a car mirror or worse, are they going to stop? I doubt it.

 

The first time I clipped a mirror I stopped and the lady in the car kept going (hindsight being 20/20, if I was a lady in a car, I wouldn't have pulled over either). Scared the crap out of me when I heard the thump and my mirror spun.

I still clip mirrors on occasion, but I make it a point to pace with the driver and let him know I apologize (usually by waving and waiting to see what their reaction is). If they want me to pull over I will, but they've all waved back so far like they aren't worried about it.

There are some cagers who intentionally put their fender out there to block you from splitting. I've seen crotch rocket guys intentionally slap their side view mirrors off their cars for them for doing that. Personally, I'm not going to damage your car for doing it, but I might give you a mean look you can't see under my sunglasses and bandana. Makes me feel better.

I'm in California. I believe this is the only state where lane splitting is legal. CHP published a guideline not too long ago to splitting lanes safely, but had to take it down because 1 person complained about it. I hate how the majority have to suffer for 1 person. But that's a rant for a different post.

 

Hazards are to help others see when you are stopped on the side of the road. If your vehicle is not having an issue, your hazards should not be on.

With all of the confusion about lane splitting in CA, I am against anyone doing anything that creates more confusion. There is a guy who I see many days who uses his signals each time he splits lanes. He is just trying to be safe, but he implies to the drivers who don't understand/accept splitting that he is changing lanes and needs to signal. Those drivers then become convinced that those who do not signal are breaking the law, and it all goes downhill from there.

 

I had that happen this morning. I was splitting between the two fast lanes and had a crotch rocket blow past me. Never knew he was there until he past Some guy wearing no protection other than a helmet and his business suit. He then cut to the next lane over and split over there for a moment, then, while we were pacing each other (me splitting the two fastest lanes and him splitting the second and third fastest lanes), he decides he wants back into my lane and about sideswipes me. I just looked at him and shook my head and he swung back into the lane he was splitting before and hauled *** out of there.

 

If you rode my morning commute in CA, you might feel differently about lane splitting.

I would expect the majority of the time a lane splitting bike hits a mirror, it is the cager's fault for cutting off the bike. There is plenty of room on most CA freeways to split lanes, and the car moving into the motorcycle's path is at fault under CA law.

 

That's not lane splitting - that's reckless driving. Idiots like that put us all at risk by reinforcing the cagers' view that we all drive like fools when splitting lanes.

 

I'm with you on that. I read something about a study they did recently about lane splitting and the majority of cagers here don't know it's legal. And you always get the small percent that want to take the vigilante approach and "prevent" you from splitting, which usually causes even more danger to you and everyone else. That's not including all the people messing with their phones or driving with music blaring or headphones on.

 

If that is true then that is just about as silly as other aspects of California. That pretty much goes against all basic foundations that traffic law is based on.

I'm not doubting you but curious. Do you have a reference for that law?