Lane splitting video.

[klaviator]

What do Ya'll think?

[zdc1775]

I do it on 565 between the Parkway and Moore's Mill fairly often in the afternoons on the way home.

[dredman]

Not only is it safer for riders, it cuts your commute by 1/3 in places like LA.
Less traffic, safer, faster, and fun for the whole family - what's not to like?

One off the few things in California I LOVED - besides the food and Los Padres :respect-058:

[KrisCook]

Gah.  I got sweaty palms just watching that.  As a rider, I'd be afraid of unsignaled lane changes.  As a driver, I'd be afraid a rider would lose it and bang up the side of my car. 

[klaviator]

I lived in California for three and a half years.  I didn't do much lane splitting.  Today the traffic on much of California is so bad that lane splitting saves a huge amount of time, not to mention aggravation from being stuck in traffic.  If I lived there today I'm pretty sure I'd do it.  The part of the video that made me nervous was around 3 minutes into it where he was really going a lot faster than the traffic.  I think lane splitting and filtering is actually pretty safe as long as the speed differential isn't too great.  I guess like any type of riding lane splitting can be done safely.....or not. 

[springer]

Loved it when I was in San Diego in 1988. Wish we have it here. :respect-048: I think the local political motorcyclist organizations should push for lane splitting, a smart thing to do on a motorcycle, instead of tring to repeal the helmet law, a stupid thing to do on a motorcycle.

[KevinB]

I'd love it if it were allowed here, but I don't trust the drivers of Alabama enough to actually do it personally.

[Slede]

three years I working downtown bham. it was  the only way to make it down 280 before dark thirty. it starts being fun fairly quickly too

[Guidedawg]

My only experience was with traffic at a near-standstill on the Interstate.  I pulled off onto the shoulder to make some adjustments and then went between the slow moving traffic to return to the other motorcyclist I was with.  At that point, we both took our place in line.

But do you try to cut ahead or through traffic when it is stopped like that? (I don't mean at red lights, but when there is an obvious congestion problem)  It's no fun holding up a hot bike for long periods of nothing, but everyone hates the person who drives their car along the shoulder and then tries to force their way in.  I suppose we would be viewed the same way.

Nevertheless, I'm curious as to whether or not most riders do.  Although not endorsing breaking the law, I also don't want to feel foolish sitting still when motorcycles are so convenient for getting through.

[Hammerdown77]

This is done all over the world without incident and with improvement on traffic flow and congestion. Here in the U.S., for some reason, we think we're special and that "yeah, but I don't trust <insert state> drivers" is the main reason why it shouldn't be done.

Only one way to find out...

Also, I kinda like the term "filtering" better for this (which is what the Brits use), because the intention is that you filter through congestion using available space to your advantage. "Lane splitting" is a term that, at least amongst the non-motorcycle population, seems to invoke images of knuckleheads flying between cars at 90 mph, of which there are many examples posted on YouTube.

I thought the Cali law limited the speed differential and also the max speed at which you could legally lane split/filter. In other words, you can't lane split when the traffic's doing 90 mph around Atlanta on 285 

[dredman]

This is done all over the world without incident and with improvement on traffic flow and congestion.

I think it is a cultural - I got one single honk in California the entire time I was there, and suspect it was simply an Alabama driver?  Like"who does that guy think he is, cutting to the front of the line?"

The same as commuter lanes are part of almost all large cities, we can also adopt smart traffic changes - like the rest of the world.

[Hammerdown77]

The other cultural part is that the rest of the world views motorcycles as legitimate forms of transportation, and a way to reduce traffic congestion and pollution (to some extent). The majority of US still considers them "toys" and doesn't see why you would want laws to incentivize riding a motorcycle for commuting purposes.

[klaviator]

Traffic many of the cities around the world would come to a standstill if they had US drivers and traffic laws.

[KrisCook]

Loved it when I was in San Diego in 1988. Wish we have it here. :respect-048: I think the local political motorcyclist organizations should push for lane splitting, a smart thing to do on a motorcycle, instead of tring to repeal the helmet law, a stupid thing to do on a motorcycle.

The local political motorcyclist organization would LOVE to work on this initiative.  What we need is participating members.  *coughcoughallyouslackersneedtojoinupcough*

[KevinB]

Here in the U.S., for some reason, we think "yeah, but I don't trust <insert state> drivers" is the main reason why it shouldn't be done.

Only one way to find out...

One way to find out is to work crashes every day on the interstate. I worked two yesterday that involved cranial-rectumitis where someone merged directly into the car next to them. I also had two different vehicles swerve onto the shoulder and nearly rear-end me last night on two separate occasions. And these are not isolated incidents or crashes...it happens every day that I work.

No, I do not trust the drivers of Alabama...they really are trying to kill you. I think lane splitting should be legal, but I wouldn't do it.