Motorcycles Splitting the Lanes
March 24th, 2007
I remember a long time ago, when I was first learning to ride a motorcycle in the Bay Area of California, seeing motorcycles beating the stop and go traffic that typifies San Francisco by going between two stopped cars. I quickly learned that this was the best way to save the engine of my motorcycle from over heating, as well as save a few clutch cables. But was it legal?
In California, it is perfectly legal for a motorcyclist to split lanes, as long as done safely. What this means is that the traffic has to be at or near a stop, only the striped lanes can be used for lane splitting (no crossing the solid lines delineating the edge of the road), and the motorcycle speed cannot be more than 15 mph above the traffic speed.
OK, now we bikers may know this, how about the cagers? Most are not aware of the legality or the reasons for lane splitting. So it helps when the television media puts out the word. NBC in San Diego just featured a story on lane splitting, which can be seen here.
And one last thing, California is the only state where motorcycles splitting lanes is legal.
Entry Filed under: Motorcycle Laws
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