Is Legal Lane Splitting coming to your State?

This will not likely come to Iowa in my lifetime, nor in my son's lifetime. Just not enough traffic and those who use the controlled access roads where it would be feasible are just plain stupid enough to squeeze you or open a car door on you... just because. BDC drivers here are VERY opposed to anyone passing them, they just have to be in front and a few even think they're in the Daytona 500 and drift across multiple lanes with no warning and really no safe opening in the traffic to do so and without really looking (oh, and those only do this when traffic is relatively high/congested). But I really think the reason it won't come here is there is rarely any time when traffic is anywhere near conducive to the need to do any filtering. My commute to work and to home is almost always at the speed limit with times of no traffic around me for a few hundred feet at least, in any lane. I commute to work at 6:20 am and commute home at 3:30 pm so it's not like in the middle of the night or early early morning.

ToddC said:

Yea Washington........

Click to expand...

It is? That would be great! I split occasionally during my commute on I90 when two cars manage to drive side by side for a mile or more for no apparent reason...

The data indicates that its not overall/top speed that is dangerous, but the delta of traffic speed to the splitter. As pointed out in CHP's (California Highway Patrol) issued guidelines; a 10-15mph delta is the recommendation. WSJ recently did a story on it; http://www.wsj.com/video/the-motorcycle-lane-split-divide/75BF2AD7-2A98-4414-99ED-B8365F807FA6.html

rjs987 said:

BDC drivers here are VERY opposed to anyone passing them...

Click to expand...

What's a BDC driver?

As part of the law, make every cager who hits a bike retake their driving test but not the ordinary one but one that teaches them how to drive properly!

BDC ?

Big Dumb Crazy ??????
Barely Driving Car ???
Brash Dingy Carrottop ???

fnmag said:

Brain Dead Cager

Click to expand...

What he said.

I learned what that was long before I learned what FARKLE meant.

Thanks. First time I've run across that one (BDC), at least that I can remember.

Split every day in here in northern CA, even with the ST which admittedly is super hard in the city and might be the biggest reason I'm getting rid of it. Highway splitting on the ST is a breeze though.

Now that I've lived with the beauty of filtering/splitting I don't think I could go back to the old dumb way of sitting in traffic for no reason.

after riding for 30 years where lane splitting was not allowed i now live in a state where it is. i live in an area with no congestion so i never have much reason to ls, unless i visit different areas. i just never have gotten comfortable with it and i think it does have the downside of giving cagers the idea that bikes don't need or deserve an entire lane. i do not like it when passed by a cage half way in my lane.

vmax02rider said:

i live in an area with no congestion

Click to expand...

You never had the pleasure of waiting in a lift line at the bottom of the mountain on a holiday weekend in the '80s.

SupraSabre said:

I got to admit, that is one thing (in all of my years riding) that I haven't seen!

Even here in the Golden State, if a biker did that, he would probably be ran off the road!

Click to expand...

I've seen a few do it in Cali. I personally don't do that but definitely split on a daily basis on the highway. I hope Washington passes it so when I ride up to see family I can split lanes. Must say I'm kind of addicted to it.

1dragon said:

I've seen a few do it in Cali. I personally don't do that but definitely split on a daily basis on the highway. I hope Washington passes it so when I ride up to see family I can split lanes. Must say I'm kind of addicted to it.

Click to expand...

Well, right after I said that, I came across a couple of LOUD cruiser that just wanted everyone to hear their pipes on Ortega Hwy (SR74 between I5 & I15). They had jumped to the front of the line at a light, and before I could get up there, the light changed and they took off in front of a line of traffic, and as soon as we hit the "country" roads, they slowed down and were holding up traffic. (Doing 45 - 50 in a 55mph zone) I passed about six cages and caught up to them and all of a sudden they started pouring on the coals (what little they had). First opportunity, I shot around them and left them in the dust!

BakerBoy said:

Colorado would never consider legalizing something like that, that is recreational--well, except marijuana.
;-)

Click to expand...

Perhaps take the same tact with legalized lane splitting as we did with the previous legalization effort, that is take a stepped or incremental approach. Maybe put it to the voters under the guise of "Medicinal Use". Once the public gets used to that for a couple of years we'll go for full scale "Recreational Lane Splitting".

Once we have "Recreational" lane splitting to further educate the public, we could come out with a cute, sing-song P.S.A. (public service announcement) with rhyming Dr. Seuss-esque lyrics.

Like this:
[video=youtube;_vGoO8tsEtk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vGoO8tsEtk[/video]

LOL Jason!

SupraSabre said:

Well, right after I said that, I came across a couple of LOUD cruiser that just wanted everyone to hear their pipes on Ortega Hwy (SR74 between I5 & I15). They had jumped to the front of the line at a light, and before I could get up there, the light changed and they took off in front of a line of traffic, and as soon as we hit the "country" roads, they slowed down and were holding up traffic. (Doing 45 - 50 in a 55mph zone) I passed about six cages and caught up to them and all of a sudden they started pouring on the coals (what little they had). First opportunity, I shot around them and left them in the dust!

Click to expand...

Sometimes I just can't understand the loud cruiser group. I've had them split holding up other bikes and not move to a clear lane and let others by. I was a tad annoyed at the time, but finally made it around him.

I remember saying I would never split lanes, until one 100 plus degree day sitting still sucked. That started the addiction from then on. It's one of those things that gets more comfortable with time and close calls. Definitely must keep an eye on the cages and keep the brakes hovered.


I am of the belief that splitting is safer then sitting still after almost getting rear ended one morning. MOST times you can pre read what the cages intend to do, not always though.

1dragon said:

...MOST times you can pre read what the cages intend to do, not always though.

Click to expand...

Always expect the unexpected and for cage drivers to do the stupidest things 4: and then you would be set to lane split!

SupraSabre said:

Always expect the unexpected and for cage drivers to do the stupidest things 4: and then you would be set to lane split!

Click to expand...

Oh I whole heartedly agree, what I should have said is when traffic is gridlocked and there are no gaps in between front and rear bumpers it lessens the amount of surprises they can pull. The opened door is one I really think could get us and there's probably not much you can do (even though you hover the brakes and slow your speed). Depending of course on your closing speed and their timing of the door .

Also what I meant was at highway speeds when you see a cage lane drifting you can usually tell that you need to slow momentarily and see what they do before going by them.


I'm by no means any different then the rest of us and have had the occasional severe sudden jerk of the steering wheel into my lane. Thankfully I was always slightly behind their actions.

1dragon said:

Oh I whole heartedly agree, what I should have said is when traffic is gridlocked and there are no gaps in between front and rear bumpers it lessens the amount of surprises they can pull. The opened door is one I really think could get us and there's probably not much you can do (even though you hover the brakes and slow your speed). Depending of course on your closing speed and their timing of the door .

Also what I meant was at highway speeds when you see a cage lane drifting you can usually tell that you need to slow momentarily and see what they do before going by them.


I'm by no means any different then the rest of us and have had the occasional severe sudden jerk of the steering wheel into my lane. Thankfully I was always slightly behind their actions.

Click to expand...

All good points to ponder and watch for!

In my 43+ years of lane splitting, I have had two doors opened on me. Neither did it to stop me. One thing cage drivers need to understand. If I hit their door, yes, that will stop me, but what do you think 1,000 pounds of metal and flesh will do to their door and probably them as the bike comes into their cage? 4:

Here's a little scene from a Belgian program called "What If..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWxFNB-mPTU

At the end the lady says: "It's a traffic jam for everybody!"

To be honest I have never encountered the above scene, and the number of 'close calls' I can count with the fingers on one hand.
Keep speed difference low enough, don't linger in blind spots, don't rush towards an empty spot because chances are a car will try to move into it (without looking and/or indicating), just like you would do yourself if you were stuck in your cage, keep your brakes covered and you should be fine.