Years ago I went to motorcycle only violators' traffic school ( three or four times) run by a recently retired CHP motor officer supervisor. He insisted it is called lane "sharing", not "splitting". He said it was case law, not statute.

Also;

You shouldn't exceed the speed of the cars you are going between by more than 10 mph.

You shouldn't exceed the speed limit.

You may only run between two lanes going in the same direction, they must by "thru" lanes separated by a broken line between them. You can't go between the #1 lane and the car pool lane. You can't go between the right lane and a bicycle lane. You can't go between a "thru" lane and a left only or right only turn lane etc.

 

There is no written law last I knew that lane splitting was illegal but with that being said I did get a ticket in Long Beach on the 405 for " Lane Sharing ". I did go to court and and argued that I had an air cooled engine and that it would over heat at the slow speeds or stop and go and that be being broke down on the side of the road would not be safe. The judge must have been a rider because he let it sly. It boils down to whether a cop has a wild hair up his/her *** and they can write you up for a bunch of things if they want. In bumper to bumper you do not have to worry about the cars so much, Its the "ChiPs" on bikes you have to watch for.

Me...Mirror...Thankfully no because that would hurt like a bitch at the very least.

 

I've been lane splitting on surface streets and the freeway since 1981.
There is no written law allowing it; there is just no law against it.

I got pulled over for lane splitting on PCH in Laguna Beach 20 years ago. I told the Laguna Beach cop "lane splitting isn't illegal. I've done it in front of and following CHP motor officers on the freeway". He let me go.

Another time I was pulled over by a Garden Grove cop while lane splitting at a red light. Again I told him it isn't illegal. He said "we have some really bad drivers here in Garden Grove, so be extra careful".

I'm sure I've split at least 1000 miles over the years.
Only split between two lanes going in the same direction.
Do not split at a double left turn lane.
On freeways I don't split if traffic is going over 55mph.
Scan drivers looking for head movement or body language indicating an intended lane change.
Be ready for drivers to dive into an empty spot in a lane.

Years ago I kicked a few doors when a driver would intentionally try to hit me.

 

jserio;

Lane sharing actually is legal in Ca., within the guidelines. If you were outside those guidelines the judge may have let you off because he's a rider.

If you were operating within those guidelines, he dismissed the ticket because you hadn't violated the law.

 

I once snagged a mirror lane sharing. Heard a whap! and the thing was stuck on my handlebar. Pulled over and mirror lady pulled in behind me.

She was nice. I think she was impressed that I stopped. I asked her to find out how much the mirror cost and I'd pay for it.

She already knew how much because "that's the second time that's happened in the last three weeks". I paid her cash and nicely suggested she might want to try driving in the middle of the lane, especially when she hears a bike coming up.

 

You're implying a judge is fair. Maybe he has a stick up where the sun don't shine and has something against "those stupid kids on crotch rockets".



I should practice kicking the side of my house when parked, lol. I want to make it count if I need to put my steel toe into someone's door, and not fall off the bike in the process.

 

jserio says he got a ticket for lane sharing. Lane sharing is legal in Ca. The judge dismissed the charges against him. Yeah, I'd say the judge was being fair.

I white line traffic lanes every day, both surface streets and the freeway. Cops see me doing it all the time. I've only gotten a ticket once, about twenty years ago. That cop was ignorant of the law and and after spending 10 minutes pawing unsucessfully through the Ca. Vehicle Code, wrote me a chickenshit ticket for "unsafe lane change". I went to court and the judge threw out the ticket.

If you are lane splitting in the legal manner and get ticketed, and go to court prepared, one of two things will happen;

Either the cop will lie about what you were doing, or the ticket will be dismissed.

 

Ok, I've read everything I can seem to find on the subject.

There are still two grey areas.... sharing lanes on the outside of traffic, such as right of the slow lane, or left of the fast lane.

And some others seem to still insist that filtering up to intersections is illegal.


It seems like most bikers do not split lanes. I'm not quite sure why, I started learning it progressively since I started riding.

 

I think it was maybe ten years ago, Caltrans made the lanes narrower in anticipation of more people driving compact cars (plus just more traffic, making 5 lanes in the same space that 4 were). But then everyone started buying huge SUVs. That makes lane sharing a little tight for me at times.

 

I've had pretty good experiences with lane sharing over the years. Some people will get pissed that you are going faster than they are in their cages. My Dad once had a guy open his door when he saw him comming up the lane behind him

 

You can only split the far left lanes in California. You can be ticketed for any others.

 

I just went to traffic school (in CA), CHP guy taught the class. Must be less than 40 mph, and must not go more than 10 mph faster than the vehicles you are passing. Saw it in the DMV m/c handbook too.

 

I've been splitting lanes since I was 16 (now 38) in California and Utah. After being yelled at by too many cagers in Utah, I took their word for it that it is not legal there. I've never been stopped or ticketed for it. The guidelines I've read above are pretty good. Stick between #1 and #2 lanes, stay within 10 (to 20) mph of traffic, over 55 you're just looking for trouble, and watch for the guy trying to "edge-over" instead of using his turn signal. And PLEASE use common courtesy for other riders...if someone is splitting behind you and wants to pass, move into traffic for a few seconds and let him/her. I spent 20 minutes behind some moron cop splitting lanes a few weeks ago at 3 mph max. He slowed almost to a stop about every third car. I even revved my engine at him and he gave me dirty looks in his mirror.

 

Damn noob cops, must have just got his bike back from his last crash. Maybe if he let you in front he could've learned a thing or two.

 

Talk about laugh. Here in Aus, we have the same discussion and the answer..."Who the hell knows"

Just think of it as an un-written law!