All About Lane Splitting Laws That You Should Know

You can either love it or hate it, but this lane splitting is a very controversial subject. But this is not a subject that a person should use to promote any middle ground. But you cannot ignore this subject nowadays. Motorcycle riding is very famous nowadays. You can go for a motorcycle ride whenever the skies are clear, the wind is smooth, and the clouds are not in the sky. This vehicle had created a dilemma about these lane-splitting laws. 

There are several States in the world where lane splitting is legal in 2022. Nowadays, this lane splitting is in the practice of riding a motorcycle, bicycle, or other two-wheeled vehicles available in the market. Here the people cannot drive their cars between rows of slow-moving traffic. 

Nowadays, lane splitting is also known as stripe riding or white lining. This is very similar to that of lane splitting; lane splitting is usually considered when a two-wheel vehicle rides between the lanes going in the same direction of stopped traffic. When two riders are sharing the same route, either side-by-side or in a staggered formation, this is also called lane sharing.

Things to consider while using these lane split highways

Be reasonable with your speed, as going fast can be dangerous. Don’t be a liability to yourself and for others. In this kind of situation, you need to be responsible. If you are responsible for your safety, all of your actions make sure that these will reflect in others. Here all of your efforts are also responsible for protecting other people around you.

To follow the lane-splitting laws, you should always be respectful while riding. Here one should never forget that everyone on the road shares the road for their use. It is for everybody. So it is our job to safely and politely acknowledge a motorist if they give you a room or a  lane split to ride for yourself. Here, a motorist giving you space is a courtesy, which should not be taken as an obligation. It would be best if you were not a jerk here in this situation.

After all of that, you should always beware of the roadways. Here, you should never forget and be aware of potential hazards whenever you’re driving. Here they may include any uneven surfaces, potholes, inattentive drivers, and any poor weather conditions. Here you will see that riding on the painted lines can also reduce your grip on the road when it is raining. In this situation, you should be on extra high alert for any of these hazards when splitting lanes. You should always stay focused so that you can respond to any dangers if they arise.

Here lane splitting is a very controversial subject, and it is often alarming for drivers. If you ride too fast in this kind of situation, you will startle all the drivers, or you can even distract them from focusing on the road they are riding. Additionally, you will also see that most of the rear-end incidents in traffic are pretty minor and can be only fender-benders. 

Still, the bikers are at a higher risk of being injured or even seriously injured in rear-end incidents in these situations. This is because all the motorcyclists have lower visibility on the roadway than other cars. It is also recommended for all motorcyclists to wear bright colors while riding on these roads.

How lane splitting is beneficial for all.

Some people also believe that this lane splitting can also be beneficial for a lot of them. Due to the lane-splitting laws, many motorists get frustrated because they do not like to wait in line in heavy traffic. 

Here if a biker leaves their spot in the traffic to any lane split, it generally allows each of the vehicles to be one spot closer to their destination. This will allow both the biker and other motorists to travel quicker. A recent study also found out that if 10% of all the drivers switched to riding motorcycles, the overall travel times would decrease by eight minutes per journey.

Places Where Lane Splitting laws are Legal

Lane spotting is a widespread practice across many countries in Europe and Asia. In the United States, all the bikers and their lawmakers are also in a large number of heated debates about this practice. Currently, only one state that explicitly allows this lane-splitting law is the state of California. Several other U.S. states are also considering adopting this legislation to make lane splitting legal. 

Can motorcyclists Split their Lane?

In many countries, cyclists and motorcyclists have become the little black of rice. This is because there are very few on the highways. They are consistently among the thousands of cars and trucks that circulate daily on the roads. 

It is also not a secret that many motorists nowadays see themselves as the enemy to defeat. They see it especially when all the motorcyclists do not want to respect the articles of the traffic regulations that are a big concern for the judiciary system. 

In the U.S., the lane splitting law is currently only legal in California. There are also several states where it isn’t explicitly declared as it is illegal. Many of them also are asking about the legality in their states. It should also be noted that it is only up to the Highway Patrol, and here they will determine if the act is safe or it is unsafe. This means that you can get a ticket for violating it, but your state does not have any law forbidding the act. 

The primary Legal Definition of Lane splitting is that a motorcycle is being ridden between the rows of any stopped or moving vehicle in the same lane, including on both the divided and any undivided streets, roads, or highways. California is currently the only state in the U.S. that has officially recognized this lane-splitting…

The main difference between Lane Filtering, Lane Sharing, and this Lane Splitting

Here, lane filtering refers to a situation in which a motorcyclist is picking its way through all kinds of slow-moving or all types of stationary traffic, such as an area present at a stoplight. Here the term lane sharing covers the part in which two riders in the same lane, either side, are standing by side or in a staggered formation. 

This lane splitting, aka this white lining on the highways, generally refers to a motorcyclist weaving between all types of moving traffic at a higher speed. Here they all are usually staying predominantly on the lane dividing line. This type of riding is also considered a bad practice.  

As a general rule of traffic, this lane-splitting do’s, and its don’ts are best governed by the government’s healthy survival instinct and riders. Here, more importantly, if you are a person who doesn’t feel confident enough to do it, then you should not do it. 

All the safety Guidelines for Lane Splitting laws

Many safety programs suggest that a motorcycle should never travel more than ten mph faster than the traffic when passing. It is also not advisable for you to do this when the traffic starts moving at a speed of 30mph or more. It would be best to remember that the faster you pass, the less time you will have to react to any adverse situation that may happen to you. 

Another thing that you have to remember is that the Lane splitting generally keeps the riders safer by eliminating their exposure to any rear-end collisions. This also helps a rider as it lowers the congestion by effectively removing motorcycles from all the traffic lanes. Here, the streets are often considered the safest to split between lanes one and two, also present in the furthest left. Here the highways most distant to the right see the most movement. They are all regarding the traffic, which often adjusts for on-ramps and exits. This situation makes it a lot more dangerous for a person to lane split. 

Safety precautions while using these lanes

In a place of tight spaces, you should always look at your bike from the front. You should always take a look whether you have any wide bars, fairing, panniers, forwards, or any engine bars. Here it would be best if you had an object of this exercise to give you a better appreciation of the physical size.

Now you can add two feet on either side of your vehicle. This is always considered the minimum that you will need if you want to take into account the car, which has its wing mirrors and the lateral movement of your bike from any potential buffeting or any type of raised line-markings.

Conclusion

Whenever you see that there is a subject of lane splitting and it is up for discussion, then the four R’s will also come into play. These generally refer to the following. They say Be Reasonable, Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Beware Roadways. It would be best if you always were reasonable with your speed. 

It would be best to be super aware of all kinds of poor and all types of uneven surfaces, wide vehicles, inattentive drivers, and poor weather conditions while you are riding in heavy traffic. Therefore, a person must stay focused at all times to respond to any potential dangers. 

You should always remember to stay alert and be sensible, and if anything feels wrong, you should always ease back without taking any unnecessary risk. You should always try to create a safe environment on the roads.

Also read: Motorcycle Helmet Laws