*The definitive laneSHARING thread*

[XPEHBAM]

Great thread and another bump for it.

I felt it is unsafe to split if traffic is moving at 40mph or quicker, but as a result of reading this thread I found out that I should not lane share if traffic is moving at 25mph or quicker.

I'll adjust my lane sharing accordingly.

 

[Bonzo]

If I am Lane Sharing and someone opens their door that causes a collision who is at fault?

 

[KenE]

good read

I must admit my Texas bias on this, it's actually on the test I took to get my M endorsement. Now that I know the status here, I can make a decision that's appropriate.
Thank you all.

 

[Klavdy]

Here's a link to an article on conspicuity (Hi-Vis, lights on etc)

It suggests :
" the main drawback of hi-vis and DRLs is that just when you’d imagine they would be most effective (because you’re so close to a driver it seems obvious he can’t fail to see you), is when they don’t work and that’s when you’re at risk of a “looked but did not see” accident.

 

[Cincinnatus]

If I am Lane Sharing and someone opens their door that causes a collision who is at fault?

The person that created an obstacle to your direction of travel, i.e. the driver, even if it was a passenger, as the driver is responsible for all actions of his passengers.

 

[Cincinnatus]

Here's a link to an article on conspicuity (Hi-Vis, lights on etc)

It suggests :
" the main drawback of hi-vis and DRLs is that just when you’d imagine they would be most effective (because you’re so close to a driver it seems obvious he can’t fail to see you), is when they don’t work and that’s when you’re at risk of a “looked but did not see” accident.

If you are that close to a driver, you are TOO close to a driver. GTFO of the AO.

 

[pt65]

Totally agree + 1 point

Lane share until you think it's unsafe for you to lane-share.

Your own level of caution/common-sense should be your guide.

The law cannot tell you when it's safe or not safe, but it's giving you leeway to make up your mind on whether to do it or not.

Frankly, I laneshare a LOT and I love doing it. It forces/allows me 100% focus and adrenaline, and gives me a cold-blooded rush that lasts FAR longer than coffee...

Lane share until you lose focus, then STOP. Allow your mind to rest, laugh, etc., then do it again. Rinse & repeat.

I totally agree, but might just add / clarify 1 point:

If you laneshare, pay attention to (focus on) EVERYTHING your eyes view, so that you actually see everything in your "sight of view".

Last year I did about 5-6.000 miles across the Bayshore / Bay Bridge / Franklin Ave to North Van Ness. Thats about a couple times a week. No matter if traffic was jammed up or moving at a crisp pace, I would laneshare, because I feel it is safer to be moving faster than general traffic. However, I almost always stayed at about 10 mph of surrounding traffic.

Only twice did I have a car try to change lanes on me in a situation where I had to react. First time was in moving traffic; they did not see me, closed the gap (from right to left) and finished changing lanes but I managed to slow enough to avoid a collision. This was on Franklin in SF in full daylight.

Second time, the car closed the gap (from left to right) and was actually diagonally stopped between two lanes. The car following the lane changer did not close the gap in front of him (luckily). I think I would have been able to stop, with, at absolute most, a slight bump into the lane changing car in front of me. Still, front brakes applied softly before gripping harder, rear brake applied as well, slight swerve, rear wheel locked up and I was in a very slight "dirtbike" slide for a fraction of a second (on eastbound bay bridge just before east / westbound goes over/under). Slowed enough to swerve left behind the diagonally stopped car and continue.

The second time happened during that dusky twilight time when its darkest out. Its not night time and not daytime. The sun is setting, shadows are at their darkest, and its hardest to see through and past all the headlights.

I dont know exactly what my speed differential was. I suspect that on Franklin it was about 10 mph. On the freeway, I suspect it was more.

I like to be going fast enough to accelerate past a car initiating a "normal speed" lane change next to me; slow enough to be able to stop behind a "quick" lane change ahead of me. What that speed is, depends on your skill and equipment, but I believe, will generally fall within 10-15 mph speed difference.

OK, so it was a few points more than just one.

Ride safe, and remember that your best bet is to "flick that switch in your brain" that tells you, as soon as you put your helmet on, everybody on the road is out to squash you!

PS - the new guidelines - I don't think that they've changed anything in general. The biggest change, hopefully, will be that more people become aware that it is legal to laneshare!

 

[SPQR]

The Hurt report is a bit outdated. I would suggest reading the MAIDS report from the EU. As filtering is legal in all areas studied it is a better representation of the collision statistics than Hurt.

From my reading it would seem that 5 times more collisions occured when the motorcycle was at a stop than while filtering. (So where does this whole 'it is dangerous' line come from?

 

[BikerBob]

Why doesn't California educate the 4-whelled motorists?

Thank you for the thorough information on lane sharing in California. My observations have shown that it isn't so much the motorcyclists that are the danger, but the cagers who aren't aware that it is legal, and often take offense that motorcyclists do it, even to the point of "squeezing" us out. My safety lies largely in the fact that the CHP (or California) does not take the law as serious as it does for bicyclists in the cities to make it safe. Just a skinny lane designating lane sharing area with an iconic motorcycle printed within would do the trick...I'm just sayin' Ugh!

 

[deaconblues]

Sometimes they do 'educate' the public... usually by pulling someone over when they catch them blocking a bike intentionally (crowding the line, driving on it or over it).

They require 8 hours of 'study' for traffic school, for all those folks looking to erase a ticket from their record... why not put in a section on lane-sharing?

People down here in Te-has think it's dangerous (cos, you know, someone might open a door!) but from what I've experienced, you're much more likely to be rear-ended 'accidentally' than closelined by a door 'accidentally' (the latter happens when someone loses you in the rest of traffic, the former is an intentional "hey, watch this" event).

There's also the physics of what happens when you DO crash while lane-splitting. Assuming you're riding at a safe speed, the impact will be most likely 'stationary object' or someone moving in the same direction as you, and will come from the side, NOT from up front or behind. You'll probably suffer some damage to your legs, maybe your hands. You might smack someone's mirror with your shoulder or forearm. Your head, back, and torso will most likely not be impacted, and you probably won't get flipped over the k-rail, run over, or sent flying through a vehicle. All in all, you'll survive it and probably recover to ride again. Damage to car: bodywork, maybe a mirror. Damage to bike: bodywork, mirrors, hand controls, and maybe front wheel.

Contrast with getting rear-ended while stopped. You WILL get slammed forward, and will probably suffer impact to your head, back, and torso as your bike is driven into the vehicle in front of you, flipping you backwards to impact the colliding vehicle. If the impact isn't enough to knock you off the bike straightaway, then you get to feel what it's like to ram into something head-on OR get dumped off as the mangled remains of your bike tumbles underneath you because the rear wheel is caved in, the frame is bent, and so on. The likelihood of your injuries being 'slight' is ... not good. Damage to car: front grille/radiator/hood, and/or damage to rear of vehicle. Damage to bike: wheels, frame, driveline, bodywork... hell, write it off, it's totaled.

 

[Stint]

One of the new guidelines -- and I didn't see them posted here unless I'm blind, and I am...

http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/lanesplitguide.html

"3) Intentionally blocking or impeding a motorcyclist in a way that could cause harm to the rider is illegal (CVC 22400). "

That one is why I'm posting. I had some POS in a Prius covered with peace and equal stickers intentionally block me here in Oakland.

What do you do when they do that? It's illegal as the new guidelines state but the odds a LEO would see that are astronomically low. I felt like educating the guy at the next light but managed to get around him. Mind you, this was in town on Broadway, with traffic moving about 10 MPH, I was within the guidelines as I now try to follow to a T -- as much as my safety allows.

 

[Cincinnatus]

GoPro or Contour.

Let them know you've got a camera, get the pics to an LEO.

Let the LEO have a nice conversation with them.

 

[danix]

Yesterday's lane sharing fun: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438726

 

[Jahuty]

When encountering HOV lanes with double solid white lines on the highway, is a motorcyclist allowed to split along the double whites?

There are signs stating, "DO NOT CROSS DOUBLE WHITE LINE" and even though I see cars doing it, I know they shouldn't and that means we shouldn't either.

So if we're allowed to at least split that lane that'd be nice, but what's to stop us from just moving a foot over to the left and hopping into the lane once a gap opens up?

Diagram:

Edit:
Post #120 by Cincinnatus asks a very similar question with the exception of the double yellow with a solid white.

 

[-Ever-]

When, if ever, is it OK to split on the right (with the "right" being the final lane to the right)?

Sometimes the right looks more tempting when the left has a choke point between two cars.

I was coming home from Mt Tam today and hit the usual traffic coming into Mill Valley before the freeway. Here's a Google shot of where it was backed up. Imagine a line of cars (and no construction signs). Would it be ok to slowly creep up in that right lane?

 

[Marcoose]

When, if ever, is it OK to split on the right (with the "right" being the final lane to the right)?

Sometimes the right looks more tempting when the left has a choke point between two cars.

I was coming home from Mt Tam today and hit the usual traffic coming into Mill Valley before the freeway. Here's a Google shot of where it was backed up. Imagine a line of cars (and no construction signs). Would it be ok to slowly creep up in that right lane?

Legality notwithstanding, if by creep up you mean as slow as a human would fast-walk/jog and you're very mindful of potential passengers opening their doors and whatnot, then it'd relatively safe. Any faster and you're rolling the dice. The danger of splitting by stopped cars, on the right and left, is some may use that time to empty cups, ashtrays, air out, etc.

 

[wheel_muse]

I'm amazed by the recent increase in rude lanesharing behavior by some riders. It seems some are taking advantage of the on again / off again chp guidelines and flaunting the gray areas of the law.

The chp guideliines were reasonable and complete. Why do i see so many instances of riders splitting when traffic is moving freely? Speeding AND splitting? Moving to the front at a.red light when they're only passing ONE car?

Even if you're riding legally, if you don't respect other motorists don't expect them to respect you. Do us all a favor and help riders earn a better public image.

 

[EvilStig]

Moving to the front at a.red light when they're only passing ONE car?

I do this. My intention isn't to cut anyone off or get the jump on them (although I DO come off the line fast whenever I filter, so I'm not inconveniencing the other vehicles waiting at the light). It's just safer for me to not get stuck sandwiched between someone stopped at a light, an a potential distracted driver closing from behind. Getting rear ended in that situation will wreck your shit right quick, so I go between the lanes.

Incidentally I've been known to share between freely moving lanes of traffic on the freeway for the exact same reason--if traffic is moving at 80, and suddenly comes up on a section of traffic moving at 55, I'll lane share past the first one or two cars just to get a shield between me and the cars behind me who might fail to notice the slowdown and cause a collision. Beyond that though I immediately slow and go back into the lane unless traffic drops below 40-45 or so.

As for the HOV/double white, I generally treat it the same way as I treat the shoulder, which is to say I'll only lane share there if I can do so safely from entirely within the lane, without crossing the line.

Being a courteous rider or driver is really less about what you do and more about how you do it. Using your signals, not passing too fast or too close, respecting right of way, and yielding to lane changers who signal, not revving your engine at people to get them to move over, etc... If you want people to respect you, just don't be a dick.

 

[Starpower]

I was at a road construction stop and idled my way to the front. The traffic Control person told me that it is completely legal and safer to approach the front under these conditions on the other side of the fog line on the right side of the road I was going up the left of my traffic. However this quote gives me pause is it legal or not ?

Riding in the bicycle lane or over the fog line is a clear violation of 21755 CVC ("The driver of a motor vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the paved or main-traveled portion of the roadway.")

 

[ariacode]

Will any of the guidance in this (great) thread be outdated when AB51 goes into effect?

The bill can be seen here.

I'm particularly curious about whether or not AB51 affects splitting next to the fog line or a double yellow. See post #5 for pre-AB51 discussion.

21658.1. (a) For the purposes of this section, "lane splitting"
means driving a motorcycle, as defined in Section 400, that has two
wheels in contact with the ground, between rows of stopped or moving
vehicles in the same lane, including on both divided and undivided
streets, roads, or highways.

Does "vehicles in the same lane" mean "vehicles traveling in the same direction" here?