How and Why Motorcycle Lane Splitting is Safe and Good

[Supa Dexta]

[Kloubek]

I think Scat will use this video as the equivalent of porn.

[Tik-Tok]

I stopped watching after blondie said a motorcycle doing 20mph over a cars speed is "safer and more responsible".

[Mista Bob]

There is a reason why lane splitting is an accepted practice in the entire world..... just not in North America (aside from California).

There is literally no reason to not have legal lane splitting.
The only reason it is illegal here is because North America is the most anti-motorcycle place in the world.
In NA no one views motorcycles as transportation, they view them as 'dangerous toys'.

Everyone benefits from lane splitting.

[Supa Dexta]

Why? it is safer in some respects and is more responsible in terms of traffic congestion and the environment.

[Mista Bob]

But motorcycles look scurry, we should bans them.

[lilmira]

Is it really legal to do so outside of NA? Or is it just loosely enforced? Of course it can be done safely in slow moving traffic, same as jaywalking, also not strictly enforced in a lot of places lol.

[Unknown303]

Someone should tweet that to Nenshi. Although it will never solve anything. We tailor to those damn truck and SUV drivers here.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
I stopped watching after blondie said a motorcycle doing 20mph over a cars speed is "safer and more responsible".

+1

The only thing they discuss is how they don't get rear ended, and so it is safer, and that because it was how they were taught, it is ok to flaunt the law. I love how he brags about a stack of traffic violations in new york.

FACEPALM!

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by lilmira
Of course it can be done safely in slow moving traffic,

That's exactly it. Sure, go ahead and lane split at a red light to get to the front, it's definitely safer for a responsible rider.
Doing it in 30mph traffic though? (when he says doing 15-20mph ABOVE a cars speed is "safer").

[Dave P]

[pheoxs]

Lane splitting in stopped traffic (or <5mph) I think is perfectly acceptable. Nothing is moving so it's not dangerous and it doesn't slow anyone down.

Lane splitting while traffic is moving is just stupid. Especially when you see idiots doing it at highway speeds doing ~130 between cars because they don't want to wait the 30 seconds to properly pass. Fuck them.

Rode my bike for many years and yes I split some lanes when traffic was stopped due to accidents or construction but never on the henday or highway 2. Actually never above ~20km/hr I didn't see a point. So long as traffic is moving you can pass legally and safer so whats the point.

[roll_over]

[rage2]

Originally posted by Unknown303
Someone should tweet that to Nenshi. Although it will never solve anything. We tailor to those damn truck and SUV drivers here.

Our traffic laws are provincial.

[Mista Bob]

Originally posted by lilmira
Is it really legal to do so outside of NA? Or is it just loosely enforced? Of course it can be done safely in slow moving traffic, same as jaywalking, also not strictly enforced in a lot of places lol.

Depends where, but the vast majority of places it is completely legal.
Some places will have differing restrictions on it but still have it legal.
Some places there may be restrictions on it, but they are never enforced (Thailand, large cc bikes are not allowed to lane split anymore.... not enforced).
And in others (Australia) it was made illegal, but everyone still does it and it is never enforced.
They tried to make it illegal in France, riders protested by not lane splitting and filling up public transit.
http://www.twowheelsblog.com/post/40...-splitting-ban
Made them re-consider their decision on banning it.

In California it is only legal by a technicality in the law but I can't remember what it was exactly.
Not 100% if it allows people to lane split on highways at speed, but everyone does it anyways and I don't think it is enforced.

North America is literally the most backwards place in the world when it comes to motorcycle laws.
Anyone can buy a 1000cc super bike for their first bike, super easy license test anyone can pass. The rest of the world, it is not like this for the most part.
And of course.... lane splitting is illegal.

Hell even for automobile licensing NA is ass backwards, anyone with a pulse can get one.
In the UK for example, you actually have to go through a very tough license test to get one, along with required driver training before hand.
There are literally tons of people over there who have tried dozens of times to get a license and likely never will. . . . the way it should be.

[snowcat]

Lane splitting to the front of a red light is safe and should be allowed.

Bikes are only seasonal here, I wouldn't trust other drivers always looking for the bikes.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by rage2

Our traffic laws are provincial.

I just thought Super Nenshi could solve any problem.

[Sentry]

I'm ok with bikes lane splitting. If I were on a bike I would be hesitant to do it due to idiot drivers though.

[ddduke]

I do it every morning and it cuts at least 20 mins off my deerfoot commute. People in Calgary are fucked though, you get cars swerving into you, doors opening and endless honking. I usually go 30-50km/hr faster then the flow of traffic (gridlock) because that way most people don't notice you until it's too late and all you get is a honk instead of going 10 and having every 5th car try to hit you/box you out.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by ddduke
I do it every morning and it cuts at least 20 mins off my deerfoot commute. People in Calgary are fucked though, you get cars swerving into you, doors opening and endless honking. I usually go 30-50km/hr faster then the flow of traffic (gridlock) because that way most people don't notice you until it's too late and all you get is a honk instead of going 10 and having every 5th car try to hit you/box you out.

This is why I don't do it. That, and I really don't need the demerits on my license.