• Welcome to the BMW Scooter Forums. Member registration disables ads and allows you to post and share. Register Here.

Legal Lane Splitting now the LAW in California!

Nice that they finally made if official though that's been done with impunity for many years. I used to do it enroute from Medford, OR to San Diego often with my Goldwing. Pretty big bike for lane splitting but it worked and sure saved a lot of time. Once I rode from the top of the Grapevine on a Friday evening through LA and out the South side in about an hour and a half. It would have taken twice the time in a car. It's about time your state government gave you guys something instead of taking something away.
 
good news! I don't do it too often, but for example, I have ridden to work everyday for the past 2 weeks. It has not been under 100 degrees any of those days. Today I came to a stop light with cars back 10 or more deep, two lanes each way. Pulled between them and kept on moving as the light turned green before I got to the front of the line. Kept me moving rather than sitting in the heat. Whenever filter/split I'm very cautious. I definitely do it more in the summer on my home commute than any other time I ride.

At the same intersection the other day, a rider on a sportbike came flying through on the right side (in the bike lane) of stopped traffic going at least 45mph, timing the light "just right". I held my breath as in my mind I saw a car running a red light or pull out from the gas station right in front of him. Super dangerous and gives riders a bad name IMO.
 
The thing about filtering is it only works if you keep making green lights. Today on the way home two lights in a row I managed to make my way to the front. 3rd light, red turn. All the cars I passed before went by me while I waited for 2-3 minutes. So, really I don't know if it makes too much sense when there are lights. I could see freeway riding where traffic is moving at 10mph for 40 miles.
 
grey.hound said:
The thing about filtering is it only works if you keep making green lights. Today on the way home two lights in a row I managed to make my way to the front. 3rd light, red turn. All the cars I passed before went by me while I waited for 2-3 minutes. So, really I don't know if it makes too much sense when there are lights. I could see freeway riding where traffic is moving at 10mph for 40 miles.
Click to expand...

I hate left turn arrows. Especially frustrating when no-one is approaching from the other direction, but traffic is forced to wait. I think there are way too many traffic engineers that all went to the same school where they were taught to do everything possible to slow the flow.
 
A lot of left turn lights on our roads in OR go to amber blinking arrows which means turn with caution when opposing lane has a green. Makes a lot more sense on intersections when traffic is low.
 
exavid said:
A lot of left turn lights on our roads in OR go to amber blinking arrows which means turn with caution when opposing lane has a green. Makes a lot more sense on intersections when traffic is low.
Click to expand...
We have them in Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington too. Helps a lot when I'm at intersections where there are no cameras to detect vehicles in the turn lanes. My scoot will not trip the regular sensors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top