Lane Splitting That Didn’t Happen
It’s 2011 and motorcyclists in Arizona are not legally permitted to lane-split. That’s only news because the legislature was in favor of allowing a test. The governor, however, had other ideas, and vetoed the legislation.
In Oregon it looks like it might be tried. The Governor’s Advisory Board on Motorcycle Safety held a public meeting on Nov. 19, 2010, and the hall was packed with motorcyclists speaking in favor. It’s up to the legislature now.
Lane-splitting, for anyone who doesn’t know, is when motorcycles ride up the middle between cars in two lanes. This usually only occurs in extremely slow-moving or completely stopped traffic. Except in France, of course. When my wife and I were in Paris some years ago we were amazed to see motorcyclists zipping not just up the middle but down the shoulder, along the dividers separating oncoming traffic, and all of this with traffic moving at full speed.
It was in the heart of Paris, though, where you could really see the sense of the idea. Every time a light turned red and traffic stopped, small motorcycles and scooters filtered through to the front and as soon as the light went green they were off! With quicker acceleration than cars, the two-wheelers were gone by the time the cars started to move and the cars just moseyed on their way. Riders in California, the only U.S. state where splitting is allowed, will tell you they cut half their commute time in that way. Each one of them also represents a car that is not on the highway creating even more congestion and smog.
I did have the opportunity to split when I was in California in October on the EagleRider media tour. On our last day we had come around the San Francisco Bay on the east in order to enter the city across the Golden Gate Bridge. We were making our way through Sausalito on city streets and cars were inevitably mixing in between our bikes. At a stoplight, I was the first of several riders behind a car, with more of our group in front of the car. The driver had left space ahead of her.
I turned to the guy to my left and motioned for him that we go around the car. He nodded and we did. Presto! A few more of our group were able to come around as well, the light turned green, and our partially reunited group took off.
Who knows when lane-splitting will come to any other states. California has been alone in this for a long time now. But maybe, if they give it a try in Oregon and it works out well, the dam may start to crumble.
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Tags: lane-splitting
January 17th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
[…] » Blog Archive » Lane Splitting That Didn't Happen […]
January 17th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
There are a few interesting points in your post Ken. I was surprised to read and learn that a governor has the right to veto legislation. If I understand this correctly, a group of people representing the people of Arizona proposed to test the changing of a law about lane splitting and one person, the governor, said no because he or she didn’t like it. Whatever happened to democracy? Wikipedia defines a dictatorship an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It sounds to me as if Arizona has slipped into a form of dictatorship, at least on this one point! I don’t understand how a democracy can give so much power to one individual.
Living in Europe as I do, where lane splitting is legal in every country I can think of, this way of riding is considered normal and almost every bike rider does it. Like you saw in Paris, riding between cars, or down the centre of a road facing oncoming traffic in order to get to the front of a queue of cars waiting for a red light is absolutely normal and this shaves a lot of time from an everyday commuter run. This is especially the case in Europe where the roads are generally more congested than in the US.
I did lane split in California because the law permits it. In New York City, I did lane split, because it would be absurd not to – the traffic is just so bad and the lanes are plenty wide enough, so why not? Yes, I know it is illegal, but all the cops I saw in NYC all ignored what I was doing along with many other bikers.
I did however respect the laws regarding lane splitting outside of the large cities. It only became frustrating on a few occasions, but oh boy, if I had to travel on a busy road every day on a bike and couldn’t lane split, I would get pretty wound up. Especially when the road is wide enough and the temperatures very hot. In Europe and especially in congested places like London, not being able to lane split would be unbearable. This video sums it up and is a great example of why lane splitting can save a lot of time….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08dpvrTcFiM&feature=fvw
I hope splitting lanes becomes legal in more states and governor individuals powers are reduced. Good luck with returning Arizona to a democracy!
January 30th, 2011 at 10:17 am
When I was living in Los Angeles I would split lanes all day every day. Riding on the dotted lines between lanes just tends to become a habit in California. It’s a skill that needs to be practiced over time so I can understand the trepidation of any state considering allowing it. When I first started splitting lanes it was very nerve racking and uncomfortable, but just like anything it becomes second nature. Now bobbing and weaving between cars just feels far more safe and comfortable than getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic where bikes are constantly rear-ended.