The statement is true in both states where it is legal and those where it is accepted practice. The exception would be the unusually irresponsible bike rider.
Anyone who’s spent time in Bay Area traffic knows motorcyclists rarely hesitate to zip between gridlocked cars. It’s called “lane splitting,” and, to the chagrin of many motorists, California is one of the few states where it’s legal.
Motorcyclists argue that lane splitting, when done carefully, is no more dangerous than riding with the flow of traffic.
“The level of safety is about the same because what you lose in space you make up for in heightened awareness,” said David Peterson, president of the Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club.
A study conducted four years ago by a University of Southern California researcher supports that claim.
The study, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation, concluded that lane splitting is safer than sitting in stop-and-go traffic, where bikers are far more likely to be “sandwiched” between two cars.
“For a motorcyclist, that’s the safest place to be,” Professor Harry Hurt said shortly after releasing his study. “A lot of people think it’s a hazard, but the cold, hard facts are that it’s not.”
Motorcyclists like lane splitting for one simple reason: It whittles down the time spent sitting in traffic.
“Everybody likes to keep moving,” Peterson said. “I save a tremendous amount of time.”
Peterson said lane splitting to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza shaves at least 15 minutes off his commute between El Cerrito and Novato. Other riders said lane splitting halves the time spent riding from the East Bay to San Francisco.
California Highway Patrol officers embrace lane splitting because it allows a quicker response to emergencies. And those who ride air-cooled motorcycles say they have to keep moving to prevent their engines from overheating.