Wwyd if a lane splitting motorcyclist gave your car a tap (indicating he needs more room to lane split)

[VtPC83]

If you're against lane splitting then you don't understand it's purpose. Those flying past you at 2x the speed other traffic is going are doing it illegally, those that are pushing past you at 5/10 mph more than you are doing it properly.
Lane splitting limits accidents on motorcycles being rear ended which is one of the major causes of motorcycle accidents. This is mostly due to inattentive drivers. If the bike isn't there to hit you won't hit it. They should always be between cars, therefore NOT taking up a space.
I'm all for lane filtering, that is moving between lanes when traffic is stopped. Lane splitting is a harder nut to crack/enforce.

 

[WelshBloke]

It's not that people see lane splitting as cheating, it is cheating. In almost all places it's illegal and even where it's legal it shouldn't be. Traffic slows for a reason, too many cars for too little road space, lanes being closed, busy merges, etc. All vehicles eventually have to pass the obstruction and re-integrate into the normal flow once past it. When a jam is caused because of construction or accidents eliminating lanes the motorcycles don't generally split through the entire work/accident zone. 3 lanes into 2 or 2 lanes into 1 the motorcycle will generally sneak up to as close to the merge as possible, then get into a lane taking up a full space that could have been used by a car. For every motorcycle that passes a stopped car that car is often pushed one place further back in line and waits longer. It's no different than cutting a line at a movie or for an amusement park ride. Fuck them. Around here lane-cutting is very rare because traffic is bad and drivers guard their position. Try to cut in front of a car by splitting and be prepared to eat pavement or a guardrail. WAIT YOUR TURN LIKE A GROWN UP ASSHOLE! You're not special, I won't cut you off and take your spot and I expect the same courtesy in return.

Thing is that they aren't taking up a lane all the time so the time they are splitting is easing the flow of traffic.

 

[pauldun170]

Lane splitting is illegal here so I don't do it...anymore. When I was younger would do it until I found out it was illegal in NY
My #1 rule on public roads is to never touch other vehicles. or trees. or curbs or people.
If there isn't enough room then just gotta be patient. Eventually there will be a way past.

As long as lane splitting and filtering is done right it benefits everyone.
As for the people who are jealous that someone is getting ahead of them in traffic, that's a personal problem.

 

[Iron Woode]

lane-splitting is illegal here in Canada.

 

[Muse]

I wouldn't do anything. I'd think the mofo was very bold to do that. Hey, riding a bike on the freeway is dang fiendish to begin with. If a bike comes up on me and I see that, I give it room if it looks like they want to pass. People do it all the time here in the East Bay, N. Calif. But they often are going to fast to be safe. A car might not see them and go for a lane change and BANG! One messed up or dead biker.

 

[repoman0]

It would never happen because I drive small old cars that I know how to keep centered in my lane

If I fucked up badly enough at driving that a lane splitter had to tap my car to get past, I'd recenter my vehicle. Lane splitting benefits everyone if done responsibly and people who try to block them are douchebags.

 

[Ken g6]

I wouldn't let them in. Lane splitting is illegal in Colorado, and very dangerous too.

Couple who recently moved from Texas killed in motorcycle crash on Woodmen Rd

A couple who recently moved from Texas to Colorado Springs were killed in a high-speed crash on Woodmen Rd.

www.koaa.com

 

[pcgeek11]

He must have been moving to turn a jeep over on its side with a motorcycle.

 

[Paladin3]

I grew up riding motorcycles in the Los Angeles, CA area and did a little bit of lane sharing/filtering, but quickly stopped. It's a hell of a rush to lane split on the freeway, but the gain is not worth the danger. Even lane filtering on the surface streets, say at a stop light, seems rude. I can filter to the front of the line of cars waiting at the light, and I know I'm quicker than the cars when the light turns green, but it just always felt rude to do so.

These days I just wait my turn like everyone else. And I know I'm safer for it. All it takes is one jerk to open a door, throw something at me or nudge me with his car and I'm potentially dead. Not to mention riding a motorcycle is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Nothing fun to me about splitting through 30 mph freeway traffic going 60 mph like I've seen some riders do.

 

[rstrohkirch]

I wouldn't touch another persons vehicle and I wouldn't lane split. I don't feel sitting between two vehicles that are moving is safe. I would lane filter when traffic is stopped at a very slow pace if it were legal. But it doesn't matter as I don't live in Cali and I doubt many states will ever legalize lane filtering.

 

[olds]

I wouldn't let them in. Lane splitting is illegal in Colorado, and very dangerous too.

Couple who recently moved from Texas killed in motorcycle crash on Woodmen Rd

A couple who recently moved from Texas to Colorado Springs were killed in a high-speed crash on Woodmen Rd.

www.koaa.com

I grew up riding motorcycles in the Los Angeles, CA area and did a little bit of lane sharing/filtering, but quickly stopped. It's a hell of a rush to lane split on the freeway, but the gain is not worth the danger. Even lane filtering on the surface streets, say at a stop light, seems rude. I can filter to the front of the line of cars waiting at the light, and I know I'm quicker than the cars when the light turns green, but it just always felt rude to do so.

These days I just wait my turn like everyone else. And I know I'm safer for it. All it takes is one jerk to open a door, throw something at me or nudge me with his car and I'm potentially dead. Not to mention riding a motorcycle is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Nothing fun to me about splitting through 30 mph freeway traffic going 60 mph like I've seen some many riders do.

I generally only split on the freeway. I ride slow enough that I can stop if someone changes lanes. I move over to let other mc split past me.
I will filter on city streets. I first come to a stop in traffic. I then time the light so as I filter to the front, I get there as the light changes. Unless it's some old fogey stopped 20 feet behind the limit line. Then I will filter up and pull in front of them.

I've been riding on the street for 44 years. I've never had a collision with a car. I've been down due my my own ignorance or bravado but they were always single vehicle accidents.

On the freeway, I have cars cut me off on purpose and I have cars move over for me. I always give them a wave or nod. When I see them move over to cut me off I either yield or pass them on the opposite side of their vehicle. It's funny to see them watching you in the mirror then moving over to cut you off. As soon as I see them look back up for traffic, I move behind them and to the opposite side where they have cleared room for me and pass there. I hope it pisses them off.

 

[Paladin3]

When I was young I road almost full time unless it was raining, which was quite a bit in sunny Southern California. For about three years I didn't even own a car except for my wife's. I was riding around on a motorcycle at my first newspaper job, which is where I photographed the first of many traffic fatalities. I used to get sent to them specifically because I could filter through the backed up traffic if a freeway was shut down to get to the scene. Sometimes those fatalities involved motorcycle riders, and seeing all that death took the fun out of riding or driving fast for a long time. As my wife used to say, I started driving like a little old lady.

Then I had my first wreck when a driver having an argument with her boyfriend make an illegal U-turn across all lanes of traffic right in front of me. I got the bike slowed down as much as I could when it fish-tailed and tossed me off. I bought a truck after that and didn't ride for many years. When I bought a bike again I was in my late 30s, and I try to ride as defensively and alertly as possible now.

But all motorcycle riders understand that what would be a fender-bender for a cager could potentially kill us. And we do it anyway. Any driver who would intentionally fuck with a rider needs his teeth kicked in. Even an aggressive rider splitting lanes is little danger to someone in a car. While irresponsible drivers are willing to potentially kill a rider because they can't stand seeing someone get ahead of them in traffic.

 

[rommelrommel]

Watching lane filtering in Taiwan was interesting. Mopeds filter to the front and then mostly get passed again by the next light.

 

[nexus5rocks]

I hate lane splitters with a passion... but I wouldn't give him a tap. Nor would I move over. I'd hug the white line.

why? they're helping by not taking up more space in a car.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I won't intentionally escalate the situation, nor would I do anything about it. The rider can wait his or her turn like everyone else

 

[pcgeek11]

why? they're helping by not taking up more space in a car.

Well thank god I don't live in a traffic hell like California.

In my opinion lane splitting (as done by all that I have seen do it) is only asking for a wreck.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I never heard of anyone doing lane splitting here, I don't think it's legal. The main issue I have with it is that they are putting themselves in danger and if something happens I'll probably end up responsible. When driving I'm looking at my mirrors and everything but I'm expecting to see cars in their lanes, not a motorcycle showing up out of nowhere between the cars and me. Not sure how the laws work for lane split related accidents but if they put all the responsibility on the biker and not the cars involved then be my guest and try it but I personally think it's a stupid thing to do just from a safety perspective for the biker.

That said if a biker tapped my car in a non rude way I would probably just nod my head to acknowledge I see them and make sure I give them room by speeding up or changing lane or whatever the situation may call for.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Next motorcyclists will expect me to be driving a SMART car so I take even less of the lane for their betterment. Not going to happen. Instead, I'm sizing up, with my waist, and buying a land yacht. Maybe an original Hummer, or an ex-military deuce and a half.

 

[brainhulk]

So to clarify, what I witnessed was not a friendly tap. It was a forceful tap. Clearly the biker was angry, as he glared at the car driver as he made his way past finally. And to top it off he made an angry gesture with hand as pulled away.

 

[eng2d2]

I always move and give way to motorcycle riders.

 

[olds]

So to clarify, what I witnessed was not a friendly tap. It was a forceful tap. Clearly the biker was angry, as he glared at the car driver as he made his way past finally. And to top it off he made an angry gesture with hand as pulled away.

Dude was a dick. People like him are going to ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Red Squirrel]

In that case if they're being an asshole I would just completely ignore them. They WANT a reaction. If I do anything that can put them in danger it's illegal. If I just drive normally and carefully they can't do shit and it will piss them off even more. I used to use a similar approach when I worked customer service and had an irate customer. I call it killing with kindness. It's actually kind of fun because you can almost sense their rage building up since you just stay calm and talk normally. They want a reaction but it never happens. I've never had to hang up on an irate customer before because they always hang up before out of frustration that I'm not being rude back at them, which would prompt them to want to speak with the manager.

 

[skyking]

I am a big fan of others driving motorcycles or taking transit or anything that reduces impact on all our commutes. I also am a fan of filtering, because I simply don't want to see somebody get killed by an inattentive driver. What would be a moderate rear-ender in a car could be a fatality for a biker, and if they filter into the gap they are safer from that.
Lane splitting with a differential of greater than ~15 MPH is annoying and dangerous, IMO. If somebody signaled me courteously from the gap, I would try to make room. Tap on my car and act like an asshat is ruining it for everyone.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'd say lane splitting is more dangerous because as a car driver you are less likely to see a bike coming. while you are staying in your lane it is possible to hover back and forth a bit while driving especially during curves. Even more dangerous with semi trucks as when there is a curve it's possible for part of the trailer to get close to the edge of it's lane and it could pin a bike against the vehicle in the other lane as the semi truck driver may not even know there's a motorcycle there.

 

[BudAshes]

Lane splitting is a great practice. The only thing I think they need to change is to ban smoking for people that do it. I don't want them wrecking their precious organs with tobacco when I need a transplant.