Barf Slow Your Roll" Lane Splitting Campaign

[little-al]

Didn't have the time to read all 15 pages, but I'll say a couple things:

1) Great idea to educate the risk/benefit of lane splitting, both regarding safety and PR. When I lived in CA and split, I normally only did so when traffic was at a dead stop or only moving about 20MPH at most if it was a lot of stop/go. As long as I could roll with traffic and maintain balance consistently, I didn't split.

2) Do what you can to preserve this privilege by behavior, working with your legislators and considering others on the road. We don't have this privilege elsewhere, and I really miss the option when traffic is backed up. It would be a shame to lose it.

Legislators in NC propose lane splitting every so often, but it has never gotten enough traction to move ahead, but it sure would be nice!

Good luck!

 

[HeatXfer]

Thanks for the update, I've been looking forward to this.

 

[budman]

We will be asking for video testimonials from riders as part if this too.
The objective to humanize us as riders and to say thanks for sharing the road.

I have a vision of these. Just need to execute.

 

[rodr]

Good stuff Dennis. Haven't been to CG in a while but look forward to seeing what will be there to support this. Thanks for your tireless work to improve our image.

 

[DataDan]

I don't expect this to be used in the PR campaign, but for the benefit of those reading this thread:

Use extreme caution when splitting next to a wide vehicle and when splitting in narrow lanes. Never split between TWO wide vehicles. And never split next to a wide vehicle in narrow lanes.

So far in 2015, 11 California motorcyclists have been killed in lane-splitting crashes. The previous high for a calendar year in my records was 10 in 2014. That's based on news reports citing law-enforcement sources. In 7 of those deaths, a wide vehicle was involved (8.5ft is full legal width)--including tractor-trailer, bus, delivery van, single-unit flatbed truck. In 4, the crash occurred in narrow lanes. Standard width is 12 feet, but construction can narrow lanes to 11ft, and some city streets have lanes as narrow as 10ft.

 

[zixaq]

Can I humbly suggest that someone correct the banner for this campaign to "They're watching"?

 

[budman]

Yes

Thank you.

Some one clicked it

 

[UDRider]

So like this?
[youtube]sHX9MVtfB_k[/youtube]

 

[budman]

Maybe.

 

[HeatXfer]

So like this?

Not sharing, a dick move in my book, just some guy speeding. The hand on hip when he can't pass that last car is a possible attitude flag.

 

[LectricBill]

So like this?

Lane sharing into oncoming traffic is something I'm almost never comfortable with. Too many variables (like that bike on the right shoulder at 0:13) and the consequence of a head-on too enormous for my taste.

 

[UDRider]

Hmmm, well how about this?

[youtube]P3JXojX7DI0[/youtube]

 

[T100]

I like the foot wave when people move over for him.

 

[UDRider]

I like the foot wave when people move over for him.

Her.

 

[asdfman]

Not sharing, a dick move in my book, just some guy speeding. The hand on hip when he can't pass that last car is a possible attitude flag.

Wait, hand on hip is an attitude thing? I do that when I'm cruising cause it's kind of comfortable.

 

[Roundboy]

We could all slow it down a bit.
I'm no angel when it comes to splitting. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Wait, hand on hip is an attitude thing? I do that when I'm cruising cause it's kind of comfortable.

This^^^
And equally important, I put my hand on my hip to indicate that I will be holding my position and won't be doing anything hinky/unpredictable anytime soon.

 

[Carlo]

I'll say it again; motorcyclists in Oregon and Washington (probably most other states with metropolitan areas) are watching California to see how this turns out.

And; on the rare occasions I'm in California when splitting becomes helpful, I will never do it if traffic is actually flowing, even 20 mph, and never more than 10mph delta.
It's just common sense, and if everyone in California split that way, it would be a safe bet that the statistics of 10-11 deaths per year that Data Dan cited would drop to less than half of that or more. In addition, way fewer drivers would be objecting to lane sharing. Maybe even enough to guarantee that a bill to outlaw it will never pass.

Get it right, you guys, so the rest of the country's motorcyclists can point to California as proof that lane sharing can be safe, and that it works to reduce congestion!
Let's hope this campaign works.

 

[Carlo]

This^^^
And equally important, I put my hand on my hip to indicate that I will be holding my position and won't be doing anything hinky/unpredictable anytime soon.

The average driver won't recognise hand-on-hip as a signal that you have no plans for hinky actions. They just see it as over-confidence, or even arrogance, especially if you're passing them in the same lane in heavy traffic.
Personally, I think it's a bad idea to not have both hands where they need to be to have complete control (instant use of clutch and front brake) while you're passing within rwo feet or less of a car.

 

[gixxerjeff]

The average driver won't recognise hand-on-hip as a signal that you have no plans for hinky actions.

I spend very little time and effort attempting to communicate with drivers. Conveying my intentions to other riders is my primary concern.