Once the law has taken affect, Those CAGER's can be charged for attempted murder or whatever law they will be charged with especially if they are doing it intentionally. A lot of people carry Helmet Cams or Go Pros. So yeah, go ahead and attempt to do that and get caught lying to the police or try running away when the motorcyclist has your plate recorded.



Once it was actually legal here in CA, there were tv, commercials, radio ads, facebook posting all for like the a few months. Even the Electronic Road signs has PSA's about sharing the road.

 

Before I lived in the Bay Area for a while, I too thought that lane splitting was dangerous. But when you actually do it you realize that it is quite safe if traffic is stopped or moving slowly. A slow moving automobile can't change lanes quickly so you don't have to worry about someone getting in front of you or pushing you into another vehicle before you can react. To me the biggest problem was that a lot of roads have a seam and raised markers between lanes that make it hard to maintain a straight line sometimes. You have to be careful you don't get pushed over into someone's side view mirror. Probably isn't much of a problem with sport bikes.

I only did it when traffic was moving fairly slowly. I often moved over to allow faster riders to go by because I didn't feel comfortable about going a lot faster than the cars were moving. Of course there are those who go between cars at 80 mph and they are idiots. Same with the ones that weave through traffic at high speed. I think it's these types that have fixed in the public mind the idea that lane splitting is dangerous.

I know a lot of y'all think California is a real hell hole but I never experienced a single driver that deliberately tried to block me or make a move to scare me. A large percentage of people will actually move over to give you more room to get by. Most people signal before they change lanes. Even filtering to the front doesn't cause anyone to get all pissy like they probably would in a lot of other places.

There have been bills in the state legislature in both Oregon and Washington to legalize lane splitting but they haven't passed. I think it would work here too, but would require a public information campaign to make people aware of it. Still, I would expect some initial incidents until people got used to it. And yeah - part of the campaign would have to be to inform people that deliberately opening your door or turning in front of a bike is a serious crime.

One thing I think is a bad idea is riding on the shoulder. There's a lot of crap on the side of the road just waiting to puncture a tire. I would never ride on the shoulder any distance if I didn't have to.

 

I have done it here in CA for 50 thousand plus miles.. I watch peoples body language more than the vehicle they are driving. I have found the most dangerous point is if there is space for a vehicle to charge lanes.. People try and change lanes real quick in traffic so the car to the rear doesn't speed up... or even worse if they are changing lanes into a carpool lane over the double yellow.

 

Unless I missed it, I'll say it....whatever happened to, "wait your damn turn like everybody else"! I don't buy the over heating crap either, not that it wont happen but, why should your bike overheating be my problem anymore than if your car does. Push it to the shoulder and let the rest of us be on our way.

 

I'm guessing you're from Chicago.
I lane split slowly and passively. If it's too tight, I don't force myself. If traffic starts moving, I stop splitting. I've had people move and give me space.
The thing that sucks is that people get this vision of crotch rockets zooming by at 60mph in slow traffic.
I think it could work if there is service public announcements on billboards, radio, TV ads, idot traffic signs, etc.
Just like the whole "Click it or ticket" ads were going around when that became a thing.

 

Cranky, much

 

I guess semi trucks should be allowed on residential streets. Tractors on city expressways. Boats on streets.
A motorcycle is not a car. And while yeah, it should share 90% of the same laws, it is different than a car. Different laws should apply to it, different laws already apply to it. Lane splitting would just be another addition to the set of DIFFERENT laws that pertain to a motorcycle.

 

To everyone saying "Drivers in my state would not like it and would try to kill you"

That's why you have PSA's on billboards, Bus ads, radio, commercials, etc. Just like the cellphone and seatbelt laws were promoted

 

You can tell the out-of-state drivers here in California. I actively look for rental cars (you know, with the barcode stickers in the rear window) since they'll deliberately veer into you more often than not. The locals, if they see you coming up, will usually hang left to make additional room.

California has a lot of faults, but motorcycle hate isn't one of them.

 

And note, it is like helmets used to be. It is your choice split or not to split.