*The definitive laneSHARING thread*

[JakesKTM]

I'll bump this to make a comment.

Yesterday I was sharing a lane with a mini van going down the main drag which is three lanes wide. Speed limit is 40 on this stretch but it is often clogged with semi-truck and commercial traffic going 25-30. I pulled up alongside mini-van mostly to show some wheel and let her know I was in her space if she couldn't see me via her traditional means (mirrors/over the shoulder glances - yea right). She reacts. At first she is yelling at me from behind her closed window. Then she speeds up as I move up through the lane. I don't react and let her pass me. She gets to the next light first and moves purposely over to close the gap on the center line. I politely go around her on the right and come to rest next to her on the right side of the lane instead. This time the light goes green and I check both directions before letting the throttle open up a bit and get away from her - hoping there is no traffic enforcement lying in wait.

The lesson here for me was something I read in other threads about knocking people's mirrors off and kicking those cars that fail to yield or take intentional action to mess with you. It is much easier to let them be the ass and ride around them. You have the advantage in every aspect except braking. It is always better to "share" the road and insist on it whenever posible. Don't react and use your moto advantage to distance yourself from the crazies....

Have a Great Day!

 

[erok18]

^ good on ya for not flippin out!

that said, there are times where using your moto advantage to distance yourself is the best thing you can do. just depends on the type of crazy you encounter and the circumstances during said encounter.

i wouldnt say braking is the only disadvantage either. in the event of contact with another vehicle, id say we're at a pretty huge disadvantage too. hehe.

IMO

 

[motorman4life]

I agree, kudos on taking the high road, Moto Vader. It is unfortunate that so many motorists not only don't understand the law, but aren't willing to share the road. It seems when someone gets startled as a result of their own inattention and incompetence, their first reaction is to become angry toward the person they perceive as in intruder upon their little cocoon of tranquility. And thus, you see unnecessary and extreme "road rage" responses for merely being "within their gravity."

Like I say, you can be right, but it's not worth pushing it and being "dead right."

 

[JakesKTM]

I agree, kudos on taking the high road, Moto Vader. It is unfortunate that so many motorists not only don't understand the law, but aren't willing to share the road. It seems when someone gets startled as a result of their own inattention and incompetence, their first reaction is to become angry toward the person they perceive as in intruder upon their little cocoon of tranquility. And thus, you see unnecessary and extreme "road rage" responses for merely being "within their gravity."

Like I say, you can be right, but it's not worth pushing it and being "dead right."

Well put and another point of view I didn't consider. Being right is not the point so why risk it. This is why I chose to ride. Because it is easier to share a lane on either side than to force myself into spaces with a cage or knock peaople's mirrors to get them to back off. We have the maneuver-ability to get to our destinations safe and sane and with our karma intact :thumbup

 

[Fiction]

On the California DMV website:
Motorcycles may travel faster than traffic during congested road conditions and can travel in the unused space between two lines of moving or stationary vehicles, which is commonly called “lane splitting.”

ok, so, that's pretty much what i've always thought lane splitting/sharing to be.

i've only been riding here a couple months, and only been commuting about a month, and i've always made an effort to be pretty much as close to the lane lines as is reasonably possible without hitting the dots, while staying in the same lane as consistently as possible. that way it's still clear what lane i'm in, but i'm also crowding the cars in said lane as little as possible.

that said, i'm sure that means my bars and mirrors are frequently on or over the line, as the line is generally going to be the path of least resistance. i can certainly understand it being an issue when a bike is rather unpredictably swerving from one side of the dots to the other and essentially carving out its own lane from between two others, but otherwise it seems like common sense to me to stay as close to the middle as possible instead of claiming so much more room from an already-occupied lane.

is that wrong simply because the letter of the law prohibits straddling of any kind regardless of circumstance, or should i really make an effort to keep my whole bike solidly in the lane in question, taking up more lane space which, in my opinion, seems more dangerous.

edit: also, i'm reminded of the question i came here to ask.

lane sharing at night? upon being confronted with the idea of it with the time change, it does seem incredibly risky primarily because it will be much more difficult for cars to identify me in their mirrors.

great thread, by the way.

 

[Marcoose]

Here's the text (verbatim) from the CHP's site: "Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible under California law..."

I'm late for this chat, so if this has already been asked, shoot me. Which California law does prescribe how, when, where, why, who can share lanes, please?

I also read, "Splitting traffic is not specifically addressed in the California Vehicle Code. However, nothing prevents two vehicles from sharing the same traffic lane until it becomes unsafe." Which is kind of confusing.

Thanks!

Marc.

 

[Cincinnatus]

It's THAT GUY. In the LEO Forum, won't read the whole thread, filled with quotes from the Code, advice from LEOs, and experiences from riders... :rofl

"TLDR" is your name.

 

[Enchanter]

I'm late for this chat, so if this has already been asked, shoot me. Which California law does prescribe how, when, where, why, who can share lanes, please?

I also read, "Splitting traffic is not specifically addressed in the California Vehicle Code. However, nothing prevents two vehicles from sharing the same traffic lane until it becomes unsafe." Which is kind of confusing.

Thanks!

Marc.

Not only is the answer in this thread, you answered your own question.

 

[Andreas]

It's been quite some time (2 years!)...I think that this question deserves a bump, as I do not feel it has been addressed fully.

Enchanter made a reference which says motorycles may share the unused space between cars, but this reference does not mention the specifics of staying within a particular 'lane'. I appreciate the reference, Enhanter (thank you), but am looking for a little bit more.

Excerpted post from two pages up in this same thread:

I have read this thread in its entirety and several others and feel that I have a fairly good understanding of lane sharing. I am still wondering:

I understand that vehicles can share a lane if there is enough room to do so safely without crossing the limit lines.

However, suppose the scenario is that there are two lanes on each side of the road. On a given side, both lanes travel straight through an intersection.

Often times I will encounter an auto who has positioned themselves towards the edge of their lane (closer to the car next to them), making my available path a little bit narrower. This means that in order to share safely, I may have to cross over the limit line dividing lanes one and two while I'm traveling up to the stop light.

If there are several cars that are doing this leading up to a stop light, that would mean that if I was trying to share lanes I would have to weave over to the adjacent lane several times. This seems like it could be more dangerous as opposed to simply riding safely and cautiously along the limit line that divides both lanes if there is enough room.

However, this contradicts my interpretation of what i have read here which is that when lane sharing you cannot straddle lanes or ride on top of the limit lines (whether they are fog lines, double yellows, or lane dividers).

What is the legal and safe way to share lanes in this situation?

I understand that there is no vehicle code for lane sharing, and so this particular issue cannot be resolved by resorting to a handbook.

I am more concerned with the opinions of real Law Enforcement Officers with regards to this issue. They are the ones with the discretion to determine when lane sharing is safe, and they would also be the ones that could answer this question.

Thanks for your attention

 

[Cincinnatus]

Do it...

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... :laughing

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

 

[Marcoose]

The law cannot tell you when it's safe or not safe...

I'm sure you're referring to specific traffic "law"/codes/regulations, but FYI, other laws do tell us of safe and unsafe things.

http://www.osha.gov/

 

[Mtsul]

Wow nice great reading

 

[Cincinnatus]

^^ Spammer, go away.

 

[Erbuck]

"forced" lane sharing

I had a case on the SM bridge a couple weeks ago where an SUV merged from lane #2 into my lane #1, essentially pushing me over to the left. I'm not sure if I crossed the white line onto the flat and open "shoulder". There was a car behind me, so I sped up and returned to my lane. Nothing more than annoying.

The SUV was responsible for the unsafe behavior in my case. Seems like that would be my universal response if I was cited for lanesharing in an unsafe manner.

Is the motorcyle always the unsafe party when lanesharing?

 

[sprorchid]

opcorn

 

[chrish4ku]

Color Tests:
Last year I was fortunate to be a part of a Rev'it apparel test. At that time I had various jackets of different colors from black to hi vis yellow. I have found a much better response when wearing the hi vis jacket while lane sharing. My commute was from Alameda to SF and in the summer I was riding that 4 days a week. The Posey tube is very narrow and tricky - and the noise levels in there make even my KTM "silent". Aside from the buses, most cagers were more willing to give me the room needed as opposed to closing in on me.

The black jacket seemed to get the "surprised" looks form people as they sometimes did not see me - or at least that is what I noticed. Not to say you can have close calls no matter what you are wearing, but the hi vis jacket logged zero events while lane sharing. I am seeing more yellow and orange jackets out there, so perhaps they are starting to really catch on like in Europe.

I also try and always run my high beams during the daytime as they aren't too crazy bright but will catch more attention if someone is checking their side mirrors.

I do not like sharing when cars are staggered, as both of my close calls where when people try to jockey for position on 880.

 

[Klavdy]

Lane Sharing benefits all, here's a recent study.

 

[boney]

Lane Sharing benefits all, here's a recent study.

Definitely worth a read. It should be forwarded to the politicians as well.

 

[Marcoose]

Last week I thought of "An Hour Without Lane Sharing". A whole day would be plain mean. But just one hour, like 5 to 6pm on a Wednesday, from the Bay Bridge to the Caldecott tunnel, would quickly demonstrate the difference between with sharing and without sharing.

 

[speedydave]

Last week I thought of "An Hour Without Lane Sharing". A whole day would be plain mean. But just one hour, like 5 to 6pm on a Wednesday, from the Bay Bridge to the Caldecott tunnel, would quickly demonstrate the difference between with sharing and without sharing.

I'm cool with 5-6pm. I'll still be at work. :laughing