When is lane splitting legal in california

Posted on August 10, in Motorcycle Accidents. If you ride a motorcycle in the State of California, you can lawfully ride on the dotted line between two lanes of traffic on a highway with two or more lanes moving in the same direction. This is lane splitting, and it is legal in California. In August , California became the first state in America to pass a law that officially defined lane splitting also called lane sharing in its vehicle code.

It was also the first state to remove the language in its law that made lane splitting illegal. California decided to remove the language from its traffic laws prohibiting a motorcyclist from riding on the line between lanes due mainly to a study from UC Berkeley. Although technically California did not legalize lane splitting, it removed the law barring this practice, becoming neutral on the subject.

The change officially made lane splitting neither legal nor illegal in California. We proudly serve the entire state of California , and are happy to provide you a free case evaluation. Motorcycle Accident? Search for:. January 29, What is splitting lanes? In what states is lane splitting legal?

Lane splitting safety tips Lane splitting should always be done cautiously and only by experienced riders. You should never go into a lane split without thinking about the following safety tips: Always consider your full surroundings before beginning a lane split — these include lane width, traffic speed, weather, and visibility conditions. Lane splitting is typically safer between the far left lanes of traffic than others. Do not assume other drivers are paying attention or can always see you.

Avoid staying in blind spots or lingering in between vehicles. Use your high beams during daylight. It is typically safer to split between the far left lanes than between the other lanes of traffic. Avoid lane splitting next to large vehicles big rigs, buses, motorhomes, etc. Riding on the shoulder is illegal; it is not considered lane splitting. Be visible — Avoid remaining in the blind spots of other vehicles or lingering between vehicles. Intentionally blocking or impeding a motorcyclist in a way that could cause harm to the rider is illegal.

Drivers in the far left lane should move to the left of their lane to give motorcyclists ample room to pass. Checking mirrors and blind spots, especially before changing lanes or turning. Signaling your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.

Being alert and anticipating possible movements by other motorists. Repeated attempts to repeal California's motorcycle helmet law and substitute it with a lesser version requiring those under 18 to wear a United States Department of Transportation compliant helmet have failed in the state legislature. Statistical information continues to support the helmet law, but some adult riders have been advocating its repeal from the moment the law went into effect on January 1, Advocates of repeal contend it is a matter of individual choice whether to wear a helmet or not, and a personal right to decide whether to take the risk.

The idea that motorcyclists over 21 should be exempt from the requirement for helmets completely ignores some other facts that prompted passage of the helmet law. According to the American Motorcyclist Association's website , every state except California bans the practice of lane splitting. Specifically, the states prohibit motorcycles from passing a vehicle in the same lane and riding between lanes of traffic or rows of vehicles.

At least nine other states have considered legislation that would allow lane splitting, and some are expected to take up the issue again in the next legislative session, according to Nick Haris, the Western states representative for the American Motorcyclist Association. News reports of Californians lane splitting go back to at least the s. Starkey said the practice started as a way for motorcyclists to get through the state's notoriously bad traffic.

According to the study, "Lane-splitting appears to be a relatively safe motorcycle riding strategy if done in traffic moving at 50 mph or less and if motorcyclists do not exceed the speed of other vehicles by more than 15 mph.

But the authors also say that the study cannot be used to compare the overall safety of lane splitting:. To estimate how the risk of being involved in a collision changes when motorcyclists chose to lane-split, we would require information on both the lane-splitting and non-lane-splitting riding that is done by some identifiable sample of motorcyclists.

The collection of these data is fraught with problems, and the current study did not attempt to collect such data. In other words, researchers would need to collect pre-crash data from motorcyclists who lane split and those who don't, and see if one population is more likely to get into a crash than the other in order to determine the safety of the practice overall.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that even though California is the only state in the country where lane splitting is legal, it's in the middle of the pack when it comes to motorcyclist fatalities per , registered motorcycles compared to other states. But this doesn't take into account other differences between state laws, including helmet laws and motorcycle riding culture. Lane splitting allows motorcycles to weave through traffic much more quickly than cars can, and bikers argue it also improves traffic for all commuters.

A study from Brussels — where lane splitting is legal — found that if you replaced 10 percent of cars on the road with motorcycles, it could cut the time everyone spends in traffic by 40 percent, in part because of lane splitting.

While safety is often used by drivers as a critique of lane splitting, motorcyclists say it actually makes them feel more safe while riding. Getting rear-ended while stationary or in motion is an especially big concern of motorcyclists.

Miller and Starkey also said motorcycles and motorcyclists can overheat if they are stationary for extended periods of time. Motorcyclists also argue that drivers' perceptions of lane splitting are skewed because they more clearly remember the times when a motorcyclists does it recklessly, at a high speed, as opposed to when a rider lane splits responsibly at low speeds.