I started riding in CA 40-some years ago, split lanes
constantly and never had a problem. I found getting rear-ended or being cut off a far more common experience.
In some states they would need to change more than the law though. In Texas for example, the car drivers take it personally when a motorcycle tries to slip by and will
often try to cut him off or even open a door. Once had
a pissed off cau-boi wannabe stalk me for 7 miles up I-35
for daring to pass him on the right while he was on the phone.
Talk about motor cyclists,, there are plenty of cyclists out there giving the rest of them a bad name. I have lost count of the times I had a cyclists fly by me at what seemed like a 100 mph in a no passing zone! I have seen cyclists weave in and out of traffic and ride bumpers. Going to Virginia once there was some guy in a little suzuki or something passing cars on the left and right (going on and off highway!) traveling at an incredible speed!) A few years ago in our community some guy on a large bike killed himself and an entire family in a min van that was turning into a fair. They clocked his speed at 100+. He was decapitated instantly but the mini van burst into flames killing father mother children and a grandfather! Sickening!
Then I see some guy with a bumper sticker (kill a biker-go to jail!) makes me freaking mad!
No!You want to do your own thing.Lane splitting is stupid and dangerous ,as is passing on the right.
If the car driver had moved to the right while you were illegally passing you'd be crying-if you survived.
I'm fed up with all the special people thinking the great majority of drivers following the rules should give way to the speeding egotist who flashes his headlights or rides a motorcycle.
Some people work hard to earn the disdain of the average driver.
Not to change the topic, but I was born in the NE Texas/SE Arkansas area and now I’m back after so many lifetimes. The area is still full of rednecks & mental cases. Mental cases and rednecks seem to make up most of the same group, and you better get out fast if they take a disliking to you ;-)
Never ridden in Cali, but the 6 weeks (and 4000 miles) in Germany was a revelation. Drivers actually got out of your way if you were going fast, not like the USA where someone will purposely clog the left lane when they see you coming. A big bike got a lot of respect there, too. You couldn’t just hop on one at 16; you had to spend a couple years on smaller bikes first, and the license tests were no joke, either, also unlike here.
Same here. I had long highway commutes. Never had any kind of issue lane splitting in Ca because it's expected by drivers -except those newbs from out of state that continue to frantically switch back and forth to dead stopped lanes of traffic. They are easily avoided though.
Much more dangerous to bikes is the left hand turn from the on-coming lane.
I find it irritating when some croch-rocket blows past me, or somebody passes me on the right, but it’s nothing to get into a lather about, considering I pass on the right as well. That cau-boieeeeee needs some professional help.
Judging by the comments, I would dare say that Arizona is pullin’ a bona!
Yep...In Cal many times ya see drivers moving over slightly when a bike is approaching from behind, on the line...No big deal, and shows the drivers here are paying much better attention.
The country is full of AHs.