Texas State Law Now Officially Outlaws Lane Splitting And Filtering

[Andrew Shadow]

It's like the old "trying to describe an elephant to a blind man" story. Until you've experienced bumper to bumper 80+ MPH flow, with 10-15 MPH no reason choke points, right back to 80+ MPH traffic of LA, San Diego, Houston or several other major metropolitan areas; I understand your not understanding.

There is NO SUCH THING as leaving more distance in front of you: it immediately is filled, you once again have no distance in front, and as you try to increase your distance in front you will be run over from behind. As long as there is no space in front of you to the left or right you are safe in the middle. Don't believe me you are welcome to join me in LA for a few days schooling.

Tom

Ah, assumptions, aren't they grand.

I have experienced it, in L.A., many times, by motorcycle. Strangely enough, I have even followed two CHP officers lane splitting through L.A. in conditions very similar to what you describe, which seems to be normal conditions there. I wasn't in the lead and didn't know that they were CHP. When I realized it, I thought that we were going to get fines for something, but we didn't.

Regardless of all that, I didn't offer an opinion about the merrits or dangers of lane splitting. I responded to the scenario described, which was a vehicle hitting the vehicle in front of it before coming to a stop. The distance required to stop without invading the space occupied by the vehicle in front of it is a matter of physics, regardless of how inconvenient those physics may be or how much those around you want you to ignore them.

 

[jrp]

I put lane splitting in the same category as riding without a helmet.

 

[dduelin]

Yes, and U.S. drivers aren't as skilled either. I trust splitting in Europe, S.America and Asia LOTS more than in U.S.

Been splitting in CA for 40-yrs without any issues. The ONE time I wasn't splitting was when I got into trouble. On rare occasion I wasn't splitting and following white Honda in Oakland in normal city traffic. Light turns yellow and she SLAMS on her brakes. I hear chirp of her tyres sliding across crosswalk paint. Immediately get on my brakes, HARD to limit... back end coming up... keep on the brakes... getting closer.... >THUMP< as I hit her rear bumper. Tail-end comes up little more, then back down >thud<! Aah... still upright!

If I had been splitting, I could've braked slower and ended up next to her without any problems. Or continued through intersection. Karen ended making big stink how nose of my fairing made mark on top of her bumper. Called cops and all. Poor guy was very annoyed at having to write this up for insurance companies. My insurance company blew her off since wiping a little polishing-compound on was below her deductible anyway.

Following too closely for conditions.

 

[L.Camino]

I'm old enough to remember when the Hurt Report -- AFAIK, the first real scientific survey of motorcycle crashes and their causes -- came out in the early 80s.

One of its somewhat surprising findings was that states that allowed lane splitting were safer for motorcyclists (adjusted for population, MC registration, etc.).

The AMA endorses it as well.

Lane Splitting - American Motorcyclist Association

The AMA endorses lane splitting, given the long term success in California and the University of California study by Berkley researchers showing that it enhances motorcycle safety. “A motorcycle’s narrow width can allow it to pass between lanes of stopped or slow-moving cars on roadways where...

americanmotorcyclist.com

 

[SupraSabre]

I put lane splitting in the same category as riding without a helmet.

LOL

If you were to do the commute I had, 125 miles a day, in SoCal traffic, where 20 miles of four lanes (one direction), was at a crawl, you would start Lane Splitting!

I started riding motorcycles in LA, back in the early 70's. Lane Splitting was just part of riding! And That was YEARS, before CA made it legal.

Here's a little taste of my evening commute home. After 2:50 I pulled over to let three motorcycles, that were going faster than me, pass, and not too far down the road, one of them gets into trouble.

And Yes, stuff happens...

 

[jrp]

LOL

If you were to do the commute I had, 125 miles a day, in SoCal traffic, where 20 miles of four lanes (one direction), was at a crawl, you would start Lane Splitting!

I started riding motorcycles in LA, back in the early 70's. Lane Splitting was just part of riding! And That was YEARS, before CA made it legal.

Here's a little taste of my evening commute home. After 2:50 I pulled over to let three motorcycles, that were going faster than me, pass, and not too far down the road, one of them gets into trouble.

And Yes, stuff happens...

No, I wouldn't start lane splitting. I'd get a different job. Did that years ago after realizing I'd rather be doing anything else than spending 20 hours a week commuting. If you can't give up your current job, move closer to it. What's your time worth?

 

[TPadden]

What's your time worth? What's your life worth?

At 73 it's all about enjoying my very valuable time left. I certainly enjoy splitting lanes more than sanctimoniously sitting/ sweating in stopped or slow moving traffic.

Not sure but that was probably the same excuse I used 50 entitled years ago ...

Tom

 

[TotaledTL]

At 73 it's all about enjoying my very valuable time left. I certainly enjoy splitting lanes more than sanctimoniously sitting/ sweating in stopped or slow moving traffic.

Not sure but that was probably the same excuse I used 50 entitled years ago ...

Tom

You enjoy lane splitting? If you had the choice not to do so & still arrive at your destination at roughly the same time would you still do it?

 

[TotaledTL]

No, I wouldn't start lane splitting. I'd get a different job. Did that years ago after realizing I'd rather be doing anything else than spending 20 hours a week commuting. If you can't give up your current job, move closer to it. What's your time worth?

I agree. Relatively simple solutions. Reduces your expose and risk of accidents.

 

[TPadden]

You enjoy lane splitting? If you had the choice not to do so & still arrive at your destination at roughly the same time would you still do it?

You must have missed the whole "sanctimoniously sitting/ sweating" part. I would probably have to go with:

Tom

 

[MidLife]

No, I wouldn't start lane splitting.

That's the good part about lane splitting: Wherever it is legal, it is also totally optional. Nobody is forcing it on you, you can keep doing whatever you are comfortable with and let those who have developped the skill go on with it.

 

[SupraSabre]

No, I wouldn't start lane splitting. I'd get a different job. Did that years ago after realizing I'd rather be doing anything else than spending 20 hours a week commuting. If you can't give up your current job, move closer to it. What's your time worth?

Yeah, I wished it was that easy. In my field, I had a hard of enough time finding a job. The real kicker was that last job I had, was only 10 miles from the house we lived in before 2002!

I was commuting by motorcycle in SoCal for a very long time, Lane Splitting was just part of it. It isn't for everyone, but it got me where I needed to be!

Here's one for the "not faint of heart"!

Lane Splitting at night, in the rain!

 

[jrp]

That's the good part about lane splitting: Wherever it is legal, it is also totally optional. Nobody is forcing it on you, you can keep doing whatever you are comfortable with and let those who have developped the skill go on with it.

Skill and common sense are two very different things.

 

[jrp]

At 73 it's all about enjoying my very valuable time left. I certainly enjoy splitting lanes more than sanctimoniously sitting/ sweating in stopped or slow moving traffic.

Not sure but that was probably the same excuse I used 50 entitled years ago ...

Tom

Your enjoyment of lane splitting does not dovetail with your claimed value of your remaining time.

 

[TPadden]

Your enjoyment of lane splitting does not dovetail with your claimed value of your remaining time.

Neither does my responding to pointless posts. Rhetorical question: why do you care? (That means I don't really want an answer)

I'd rather be sitting/ sweating in stopped or slow moving traffic than continue responding. "Beam me up Scotty"!

Tom

 

[TotaledTL]

You must have missed the whole "sanctimoniously sitting/ sweating" part. I would probably have to go with:

Tom

Nope, read it all.

 

[ST Gui]

Skill and common sense are two very different things.

And not mutually exclusive.

 

[mreticket]

As a Southern California rider, I can tell you that the automobile traffic drives to exceedingly fast and aggressively, post-COVID.

The recommendations from the CA DMV are: travel no faster than 10mph over the speed of traffic; and avoid lane splitting if traffic is going 30 mph or faster. Lane splitting does help during rush hour condition where mainstream traffic is 5mph or less. Also, car pool lanes are no being made with a wider area between the carpool lane and the fast lane to allow for better clearance too.

But for me, riding a 1300PA, the general public seems to always give me more clearance for some reason....

 

[Oldbikefixr]

As a Southern California rider, I can tell you that the automobile traffic drives to exceedingly fast and aggressively, post-COVID.

The recommendations from the CA DMV are: travel no faster than 10mph over the speed of traffic; and avoid lane splitting if traffic is going 30 mph or faster. Lane splitting does help during rush hour condition where mainstream traffic is 5mph or less. Also, car pool lanes are no being made with a wider area between the carpool lane and the fast lane to allow for better clearance too.

But for me, riding a 1300PA, the general public seems to always give me more clearance for some reason....

Back when I began riding, I could pretty much ride the way I wished. Traffic was light, 'rush hour' traffic was near nonexistent. Since I regularly used many of the bikes I restored, I had a vested interest in preserving them and that has seemed to work well for me...that and ST's are big butt girls. Along with increased traffic, DOT seems to issue licenses to psychopaths in increasing numbers. Protect the bike, I'm OK still seems to work. Down side to modern traffic is I seem to have less time to watch the scenery roll by.

 

[MidLife]

Very few bikes in traffic in Houston.

But packs of long swingarms squids in the evening or weekends weaving through at twice traffic speed. And unfortunately, that's what people have in mind here when the talk is on "filtering". Cannot blame them.

Irony of the new law: It is practically impossible for cops to stop them!

.........the automobile traffic drives exceedingly fast and aggressively, post-COVID......

And other irony....you see more of these Post Covid cage-speedsters crashing than squids!