Californa CHP lane splitting , report on KTLA wrong

KTLA 5 Morning news reported that CHP law states no lane splitting faster then 10 MPH then the viehcal your over taking. correct. The reporter also stated no splitting when speeds are over 30 MPH. WRONG. The CHP is only advising not to split over 30 MPH. Nothing like reporting the law wrong just to in-bold drivers with miss information. Here is the reporters Facebook page she asked for your opinion http://www.facebook.com/michaelapereira5

News reporters often get it wrong whether it's a story about politics, guns, or the traffic laws. No surprise.

I read the comments on the reporter's facebook and I was laughing at the comments of many of her clueless followers. It's incredible how many people say "it came out of nowhere..." and "it's so scary when they(motorcycles) ride by so close". Nothing just appears out of nowhere.

We all need to be aware of our surroundings when driving/riding so we can all be safe.

Be careful! It's the clueless that can ruin everything b/c the old folks cant see past their sun goggles. I wish we could lane split here.

The problem with lane splitting is the fact that people think you are doing something illegal so they want to take it upon them selves to right your wrong. they move over onto the while line, Ive had someone open their car door when i was approaching. So many times people are on cell phones against their ear (illegal in California), texting (illegal in California) as well as multitudes of other things, but they feel they should be the police when your splitting lanes.

I heard a report that the DMV or CHP did that said more than 65% of registered California drivers didnt know lane splitting was legal.

The police do it, regular people like me do it, and yes there are a few crazy people that make all of us look bad, but i cut my time to work and home by 50% each way by splitting lanes. that gets me more time in the office and more time with my daughter and wife at night.

MUNDMAN said:

Be careful! It's the clueless that can ruin everything b/c the old folks cant see past their sun goggles. I wish we could lane split here.

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Yup, a lot of people in LA think its illegal. Respect to the ones that make sure we have space to split...I see you guys and can't thank you guys all the time, but I see you!

From the article, the CHP says "Lane splitting in a safe and prudent manner is not illegal in the state of California."

So how often is lane splitting done in an unsafe manner making it illegal in the state of CA? From what little I have seen, it is done legally at least half of the time which makes it an action not much different from everyday ordinary driving (by cars).

I think this is what might be confusing some motorists: "Risk of getting a ticket: Motorcyclists who lane split are not relieved of the responsibility to obey all existing traffic laws. With respect to possible law enforcement action, keep in mind that it will be up to the discretion of the Law Enforcement Officer to determine if riding behavior while lane splitting is or was safe and prudent."

I don't understand why lane splitting is such a contentious issue in the US, i have lived in london and biked on a daily basis and lane splitting is part of the driving culture for bikers and drivers who are all aware to check mirrors etc. There are still accidents from careless drivers and bikers alike but overall the process seems to work well.

Here in the US i live in NY and you are not allowed to lane split but i do so everytime i am on the bike as i feel safer and if stuck in a big traffic jam there have been instances were a car has driven into my box even though i am well located.

They need to resolve this issue as in my opinion lane splitting helps reduce accidents for bikers when done correctly.

reganc said:

I don't understand why lane splitting is such a contentious issue in the US, i have lived in london and biked on a daily basis and lane splitting is part of the driving culture for bikers and drivers who are all aware to check mirrors etc. There are still accidents from careless drivers and bikers alike but overall the process seems to work well.

Here in the US i live in NY and you are not allowed to lane split but i do so everytime i am on the bike as i feel safer and if stuck in a big traffic jam there have been instances were a car has driven into my box even though i am well located.

They need to resolve this issue as in my opinion lane splitting helps reduce accidents for bikers when done correctly.

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I tend to agree with you. We can't do it here either (Washington DC area) and it really causes problems getting stuck in traffic on a hot bike. I tend to do it in the city as I am leaving town, but VA traffic laws are serious and that keeps me from doing it there. Maybe some other VA folks will chime in, but I have always heard that VA treats it as a reckless driving violation and you automatically lose your license for 6 months not to mention the points, financial penalties, etc.

Well, i see a huge part of the problem is that it is only legal in California, one state out of 50, AND...... if only 35% of the drivers from that state are aware it is legal, therein lies the problem

i lane split every day, and i can tell you that when you see out of state license plates, you do have to be extra careful, you never know what someone is going to do if they dont expect it.

Im glad the CHP is talking about it, it appears it was on the news all across the state this week, I googled CHP lane splitting, and saw a few news reports from Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The more people know, the better off we should all be.

I too have been all around the world and lane splitting is common practice, here in LA, not one day goes by where i dont see the traffic report where a motorcycle is down on one of the freeways. It is very scary. Our state has 44 million people in it at last count i think ( 1 out of every 7 people in the US are here), so to say it is congested. We need more education.

im off my soap box now

reganc said:

I don't understand why lane splitting is such a contentious issue in the US, i have lived in london and biked on a daily basis and lane splitting is part of the driving culture for bikers and drivers who are all aware to check mirrors etc. There are still accidents from careless drivers and bikers alike but overall the process seems to work well.

Here in the US i live in NY and you are not allowed to lane split but i do so everytime i am on the bike as i feel safer and if stuck in a big traffic jam there have been instances were a car has driven into my box even though i am well located.

They need to resolve this issue as in my opinion lane splitting helps reduce accidents for bikers when done correctly.

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I was splitting on the 60fwy between E.LA ic and 710fwy following a biker chipper, he pulled over to the side and waved me by knowing his big kawi can't dodge mirrors fast enough. 2 thumbs up.

reganc said:

I don't understand why lane splitting is such a contentious issue in the US, i have lived in london and biked on a daily basis and lane splitting is part of the driving culture for bikers and drivers who are all aware to check mirrors etc. There are still accidents from careless drivers and bikers alike but overall the process seems to work well.

Here in the US i live in NY and you are not allowed to lane split but i do so everytime i am on the bike as i feel safer and if stuck in a big traffic jam there have been instances were a car has driven into my box even though i am well located.

They need to resolve this issue as in my opinion lane splitting helps reduce accidents for bikers when done correctly.

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Understand the legislation is driven by large lobbying group backed up wealthy insurance companies. If you want laws changed, join AMA and voice your opinion, they'll just keep taking away our previleges if we don't fight back.

^you should join ama regardless; great organization.

Im a member

i get great information from their newsletters

i got a notice recently that more than 20 states were looking into lane splitting and other issues

kensteele said:

^you should join ama regardless; great organization.

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During summer last year and the year before they had big signs saying to double check mirrors and watch out for motorcyclist. I was happy to see that.