Why do Motorcyclists risk injury or death by Lane Splitting?

Whether legal or not, I would not attempt it if I were a motorcyclist.





In my opinion, I think it's retarded that a motorcyclist should sit in the same lane as a car because:


1) Too close for starters, much like tailgating which is illegal; and


2) What if the car had to swerve for an obstacle or hard braking car in front? Your right next to it so you will be forceably swerved off the road or into another car. Instinct of the car driver to avoid the accident infront means they may not consider the motocyclist next to them.





I would be more inclined to simply be patient and overtake in the same manner as a car driver.





I'm not asking this question out of spite of a motorcyclist being able to get from point A to B quicker than a car when in traffic. My question is based soley on safety. Whether you like it or not, some car drivers are not always aware of their surroundings and I think that in these instances it is in the best interests of the motorcyclist to keep their distance.Why do Motorcyclists risk injury or death by Lane Splitting?
Motorcyclists with some experience develop a sort of sixth sense, and also learn to look EVERYWHERE. Not just straight in front of them. You learn to look around curves. You learn to CONSTANTLY monitor your surroundings. If you are distracted and not concentrating on what's going on around you, an accident is sure to happen.





Lane splitting is not that dangerous if done in the right circumstances. It's best not to take all day to do it. Get on through there quickly.





I once got a ticket for it, issued by a cop that was a little less than well informed. Beat it in court easily.Why do Motorcyclists risk injury or death by Lane Splitting?
the technical version of lane splitting is riding the dividing line between the 2 lanes of travel. for a bike, we actually have 3 lanes we can use for 1 car lane; near the center line, in the center of the lane itself, and by the white berm line.


bikes are only 1/4 the size of cars, and in heavy traffic with unattentive drivers, bikes can easily become squished between 2 cars.


in some states, it's illegal for bikes to lane split...riding in between traffic. other states dont specify whether its legal or not, and other's encourage lane splitting to reduce car vs bike accidents; california being 1 of them.


there's still alot of air cooled bikes on the road, and in stop n go traffic, they can overheat. water cooled bikes dont have this problem.


if u deliberately open a door in front of a bike when its legal for them to lane split, u will get busted for it.
Because I can.


Personally it keeps me alive, safer and happy.


When I ride my (big) FLTRi I prefer to roll through stopped vehicles. If the light goes green I fall into a respectable place.Otherwise I'm up front free from your exhaust and the 'nascar jam'


Only time ever hurt was stopped at an intersection and blindsided. I respect the auto drivers ask for you to understand and not anger and pray for riders safety. We are a lil crazy you know!
What you describe is not 'lane splitting'. Riding gives you a different perspective on these things. If you rode, you'd split lanes, legal or not, at least occasionally.
from your avatar i would say that you look like a motorcycleist!
in california it is legal for bikes to split lanes in traffic jams, the rationale is that if the bike is air-cooled ( and many are) the rider needs to keep a certain minimum speed to keep enough air flowing over the engine. sitting and idling in one place would overheat the engine.





i did see one time where somebody opened the door on an ancient two-door cadillac right when a bike was approaching. boom.
Two types of people ride motor cycles.





1) Those who have fallen





2) Those who are about to fall !





I've had a bike, it's just my 2 cents !
I hardly ever see a motorcycle untill I get passed by one using the line between vehicles. I am surprised that a rider would dare such a thing.
When driving in Italy, cars stop at lights and dozens of mopeds zoom up the lines, and when the light turns green, the mopeds zoom out before the autos. It's hilarious.
Motorcyclist are good





Bikers are bad.....they don't care and don't give a fu*k about you, the laws or anyone.

tend skin