Lane Splitting and Filtering

There are many things I love about the Golden State, but as a motorcyclist lane splitting sits at the top of the list.  Splitting lanes and filtering provides a level of security and safety for someone on two wheels.  If a car gets rear ended at a traffic light it's typically a mellow situation.  Both parties pull to the side of the road and have an awkward exchange about whether or not there's any damage or if the damage is worth involving the insurance companies or the cops.  But when a motorcycle gets rear ended it can be game over.  Either the bike, the rider, or in some cases both can be very damaged.  A car has crumple zones and strategically placed steel beams to minimize damage and protect its passengers.  While safety is taken into consideration when designing a motorcycle, there's just no room for that same level of safety on a bike.  So cutting to the front of the line at a traffic light is really all we have.

The only safety factor I can think of when it comes to splitting lanes (traveling between cars while moving) is that one has the ability to get away from an aggressive driver.  I experience these people on a fairly regular basis.  I don't know exactly what their problem is, but I think they're either jealous that bikes are capable of squeezing into places their cars cannot, or they're just looking for some sort of challenge; a race.  It feels good to rub it in their faces a little and split through a whole pack of traffic leaving them in the rear view.  But that's not the only reason we split lanes.

I've been known to split lanes and/or filter to the front of the line in other states as well, but there are very few places where it's actually legal.  Most people understand that it's allowed in California, and now you can add Utah to the small list of states that allow the practice of splitting/filtering.  Oregon is very close to passing it into law as well, but both Oregon and Utah have more strict policies about how it can be done.  Give it a few years and both of these states will probably end up just like California.

There are definitely times when I just don't feel like splitting lanes and as long as traffic is moving along at a reasonable speed and nobody is messing with me in traffic, I like to just go with the flow.

Please keep in mind wherever you drive that if a motorcycle splits the lanes to get in front of you, it's possible that he's just trying to get away from an aggressive driver.  And I'll keep in mind that it can be very alarming to have a motorcycle zip right past your window out of nowhere; I've had that happen to me too and it's no fun.