Splitting Lanes

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
User avatar
hermitgirl
Member
Posts: 85
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:26 am
Location: Bay Area, CA

Splitting Lanes

Post by hermitgirl »

Alright! Who does it? Who longs to do it? What are your guidelines (if you have any)?

Since I use the Buddy to commute 40+ minutes back and forth from classes each day, I have found myself (as recently mentioned to vitaminC) addicted to splitting lanes. It shaves time off my commute, lets me stretch my "legs", and fulfills that tiny rebel inside.

So 'fess up! :twisted:
User avatar
peabody99
Member
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:19 am
Location: San Diego

Post by peabody99 »

lane splitting is illegal in ohio.. that said I do on occasion, if traffic is stopped, creep up to make a right turn on red if no one in front of me is turning. pretty lightweight, I know
User avatar
rickyd410
Member
Posts: 247
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:01 pm
Location: Baltimore
Contact:

Post by rickyd410 »

I'll split lanes if, say, I just got to the light, there's plenty of room, and I don't have too far to get to the front of the line.

When I do it, I LOVE IT. I don't do it all the time, but I think about doing it pretty much everytime I get to a light.

:twisted:
User avatar
ericalm
Site Admin
Posts: 16842
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Post by ericalm »

This is one of those hotly-debated scooter issues. What I've found so far is that people in urban areas in California are the most frequent lane splitters because it's (sort of) legal and drivers in these areas are most accustomed to having two-wheeled vehicles riding the dashes. I still think it's best for experienced riders who have developed their scooter sense (intuition of when a car is going to weave into a lane or run a light, etc.). Then again, I thought my sense was pretty good until it failed me.

My guidelines:
  • Be curteous. Signal. Don't cut people off. Don't show off.
    Keep your thumb on the horn.
    Don't do it in traffic moving faster than a crawl. Do it to get to an intersection or through traffic that's standing still.
    Don't do it on the highway.
    Don't do it where visibility (for cars and scooters) is limited, i.e., around curves, narrow lanes, etc.
    Don't ride between lanes of traffic flowing in opposite directions (up the middle of a 2 lane street).
    Don't do it at night. It's hard to discern in a rearview mirror that a scooter headlight is just that.
    Watch out for sport bikes. They have no patience and will weave between cars' bumpers at intersections or will weave around you when a light turns green.
User avatar
vitaminC
Member
Posts: 765
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
Location: Redwood City, CA
Contact:

Re: Splitting Lanes

Post by vitaminC »

hermitgirl wrote:Alright! Who does it? Who longs to do it? What are your guidelines (if you have any)?
You know I do! :twisted:

It can be a real time saver, and even if it's not, you'll still feel good because you're moving while everyone else is stuck! :P

Sometimes I am much more aggresive about it than others, though. Sort of depends on how the traffic is and what kind of mood I'm in. When aggressive I will split even if the light is green but the long line of cars has not yet begun to move- folks just move over and let me in when the time is right (so far!).

I would be reluctant to do it much outside of CA, however, as those poor unenlightned folks aren't expecting it and are likely to get very worked up about it.
User avatar
Elm Creek Smith
Member
Posts: 643
Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:17 am
Location: Owasso, Cherokee Nation, I.T.
Contact:

Post by Elm Creek Smith »

Not exactly lane-splitting, but, when traffic is at a stop, I have been known to take to the shoulder and pass them slowly and carefully. Once, back in my real motorcycle days (Harley people will disagree with me), I rode to work in the snow on my bike. I was on the shoulder (which was all gravel) riding easily through 6 inches of snow. The cars on the pavement weren't going anywhere.

As for lane-splitting, I've seen car (and pickup drivers especially) open their doors to stop it. Dangerous for both rider and driver.

ECS
User avatar
ericalm
Site Admin
Posts: 16842
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Post by ericalm »

Elm Creek Smith wrote:As for lane-splitting, I've seen car (and pickup drivers especially) open their doors to stop it. Dangerous for both rider and driver.
See? CA drivers are generally happy to have one less vehicle waiting in front of them in traffic. When I've asked drivers how they feel about it, they're usually peeved by obnoxious behavior rather than the practice of lane splitting itself. That's a pretty unscientific survey, but it seems to hold true in this region.
User avatar
vitaminC
Member
Posts: 765
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
Location: Redwood City, CA
Contact:

Post by vitaminC »

Elm Creek Smith wrote:Not exactly lane-splitting, but, when traffic is at a stop, I have been known to take to the shoulder and pass them slowly and carefully.
Out here, I think riding along the shoulder will get you a ticket much quicker than splitting lanes will, though it is awfully tempting when there is only one lane of traffic and it's not moving...
User avatar
vitaminC
Member
Posts: 765
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
Location: Redwood City, CA
Contact:

Post by vitaminC »

ericalm wrote:When I've asked drivers how they feel about it, they're usually peeved by obnoxious behavior rather than the practice of lane splitting itself. That's a pretty unscientific survey, but it seems to hold true in this region.
Yeah, like the bozo on the rashed sportbike that smacked my car mirror after I had moved over to let him through. F-you too, buddy! :evil:
Keys
Member
Posts: 2037
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:57 pm
Location: Next to a big dirt lot.
Contact:

Post by Keys »

Living in Cottonwood, AZ, I have to pose the question; what's traffic?

--Keys :D

P.S. We DO have what some people call traffic, but an average of maybe a 3 - 4 minute wait really doesn't count...
"Life without music would Bb"
lou76
Member
Posts: 374
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:39 pm
Location: phoenix, az

Post by lou76 »

Keys wrote:P.S. We DO have what some people call traffic, but an average of maybe a 3 - 4 minute wait really doesn't count...
yo keys.... horse drawn buggies and model Ts dont count as traffic... :lol:
User avatar
lobsterman
Member
Posts: 1027
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:09 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Post by lobsterman »

Interesting. I just looked it up on the AMA website, and for Ohio under Lane Splitting it says this:
Not referenced in Administrative Code or Statutes
So, does that mean we can do it in Ohio?
User avatar
GatsbyGirl
Member
Posts: 140
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:24 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by GatsbyGirl »

I have a friend who took the MSF course in Chicago. When they showed the training video, the instructor said, "Ignore the part about lane-splitting; that only applies to California."

Don't know if that's still the case.
User avatar
peabody99
Member
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:19 am
Location: San Diego

Post by peabody99 »

lobsterman wrote:Interesting. I just looked it up on the AMA website, and for Ohio under Lane Splitting it says this:
Not referenced in Administrative Code or Statutes
So, does that mean we can do it in Ohio?
it is in the motorcycle book you get at the bmv to get your permit (the written part) I just took the 3 day course though and it was never mentioned there
User avatar
peabody99
Member
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:19 am
Location: San Diego

Post by peabody99 »

see page 24: http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/pdf_forms/GHS0071.pdf

interesting it says "usually prohibited" real helpful. you know if you do it you will probably get a ticket (aside from the obvious possibly getting in an accident) The cars around here already are not looking out for scooters or cycles (look right at you and still turn in front of you), they sure as sh*& are not looking for lane splitters too scary.
User avatar
GatsbyGirl
Member
Posts: 140
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:24 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by GatsbyGirl »

http://accident-law.freeadvice.com/acci ... t-laws.htm

From the searching I've done it seems that several states generally allow it, but that it's only part of the legal written code in California. So, basically, anywhere else, it might not be your lucky day if a cop sees you doing it.
User avatar
vitaminC
Member
Posts: 765
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
Location: Redwood City, CA
Contact:

Post by vitaminC »

GatsbyGirl wrote:So, basically, anywhere else, it might not be your lucky day if a cop sees you doing it.
If I was splitting in a state other than CA, I think I would be more worried about the adverse reactions of other motorists vs a cop giving me a ticket. At least with the latter, you can plead ignorance, while a "vigilante" motorist could really mess you up.
seth xyl
Member
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:17 pm
Location: cincinnati ohio
Contact:

Post by seth xyl »

There's a shirt that Aerostich makes that says "Why wait?" about motorbikes ability to shave that time off our commutes. I think about that every time traffic starts to crawl, then it depends on my mood.

Me and my Stella got hit once when a car tried following my example, she just clipped my back bumper though, and scratched her paint more than mine.
-Seth
2009 Black Jack
2005 Genuine Scooter Stella (Mint Mangle)
1986 Japanese market Honda CBR400R Aero
1987 Yamaha DT50, to be Supermoto'd
2003 KYMCO People 50 (Exile) OYL #77
1996 Kinetic TFR
User avatar
rajron
Member
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:53 pm
Location: ABQ & PHX

Post by rajron »

When I lived in California, I had a motorcycle; I had a 35 mile commute on the freeways during rush hour – everyone on motorcycles split the lanes, there were lines of us passing cars as they were stopped on the freeway – most only went about 10 or so mph over the commute traffic’s speed but some of the nuttier bike riders would go 60 – 70 between the cars – nuts!
Here in NM it’s against the law to lane split and I wish we would adapt to the California ways on the Hwy-ways it would speed my commute up.
User avatar
ericalm
Site Admin
Posts: 16842
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:01 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contact:

Post by ericalm »

rajron wrote:Here in NM it’s against the law to lane split and I wish we would adapt to the California ways on the Hwy-ways it would speed my commute up.
The problem is that CA drivers are used to lane splitters and don't take offense. In other states, it seems to piss people off. Even a lot of scooterists from other states say they're miffed when someone splits. So there would definitely be an "adjustment" period. You can bet if it were legalized, most cagers wouldn't know about the new law and would be just as offended as before.

Plus, not quite the same traffic problems in NM as in California...
User avatar
vitaminC
Member
Posts: 765
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:32 pm
Location: Redwood City, CA
Contact:

Post by vitaminC »

Oh, and I don't split in turn lanes, even when there are multiple lanes all making the same turn. That just adds too much unpredictability, as many drivers exercise very poor lane discipline in those situations.
User avatar
rajron
Member
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:53 pm
Location: ABQ & PHX

Post by rajron »

Yea commute isn’t so bad here – and it’s true, if you heard, the drivers are some of the worst here in NM.
The time I would like to split lanes more than any other time are at stop lights where everyone is actually stopped and taking advantage of the small size to edge closer to the light and make it through the light instead of having to wait, I think it would improve flow of traffic – but there is the adaptability issue.
I lived in Gilroy and commuted to Milpitas, prior to that I used to commute into Redwood City from San Jose.
GalacticFattPatt
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:52 pm
Location: Largo, FL

Post by GalacticFattPatt »

I only been riding two weeks now.
On my ride over the weekend with my buddy who has been riding 2 years, did this. I stayed back until traffic moved. He said that I would get use to doing it after a while.
My thoughts on it are, I am the only orange buddy around, they see me on my commute almost everyday, I don't want to peeve someone off and have them come after me.
So no lane splitting for me.
Evil will always prevail, cause Good is just dumb!
User avatar
GatsbyGirl
Member
Posts: 140
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:24 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by GatsbyGirl »

Even though it is legal here, I know it's something that will take a long for me to be comfortable enough to do. I paid special attention last night on my ride home and counted 8 scooters and motorcycles doing it (all safely and correctly) and it really does help with the LA traffic congestion. Not to mention makes you go "Wish I was on my scooter" as you sit there going nowhere.
Post Reply