Split'en Lanes

[trbig]

Not splitting lanes... but a graghic reminder of how people don't look alot of times before they pull out... just like lane changing.. you could be right there when it happens.

Stupid Cager

[mro]

Man dies after clipping big-rig on motorcycle

In the local paper Wednesday.

Gregory T,. was splitting lanes (7:10 am) thru 10 to 20 mph traffic and supposedly clipped the rear of a big-rig and was thrown from his bike under the rear portion of the truck's trailer and then run over (truck was hauling sand) He was pronounced “dead at the scene”.

I started the poll because I was curious about what others here thought about splitting lanes after I saw the remains of another bike accident while I was splitting lanes on 580 (not too far from above accident) As the CHP pointed out in the article, while it’s legal to split lanes, it’s not the safest way to travel.

Seldom does a week go by with out at least one bike accident in the news and not unusual for there to be several. During the same time there are regularly half a dozen car/truck accidents per day.

Regardless of how you look at it, this guy screwed up and paid the ultimate price.
Will I stop splitting lanes? No.
Can’t happen to me? Sure can.

mro

[HobbyMan]

No debate here. Riding a motorcycle is risky buisness. But if you think about it, how many things that you do endanger your life that you don't normally consider. I still consider it a safe as flying on a plane.

[Snow]

Life is all about risk management. Motorcycling and scuba diving are a lot like life - do everything you can do minimize risks and you'll probably be ok.

For example: you know you have iffy brakes - do you ride anyway or fix them first? Scuba diving - your BC has a little leak, do you fix it or go diving? Every little risk adds up and you should eliminate as many risks as you can so that when you have an unexpected risk, you can overcome it.

[Crazcnuk]

"Life is all about risk management. Motorcycling and scuba diving are a lot like life - do everything you can do minimize risks and you'll probably be ok. "

You can only account for yourself, not for the actions of others, therefore it's probably not the best practice to sneak up on people from thier blind spots!

[mason79]

Re: Man dies after clipping big-rig on motorcycle

when you split up to a big rig, don't you know that the driver of that behemoth needs room and can't see for crap?, i get to an 18 wheeler and i stop or slow way down, and the riding juices start to flow, i try to figure it out before proceeding, the wheels look big and i wouldn't want ot get crushed, at least with a car you can bounce off of it, the person who died had a lack of experience and made a bad desicion poorly executed.

Originally posted by mro
In the local paper Wednesday.

Gregory T,. was splitting lanes (7:10 am) thru 10 to 20 mph traffic and supposedly clipped the rear of a big-rig and was thrown from his bike under the rear portion of the truck's trailer and then run over (truck was hauling sand) He was pronounced “dead at the scene”.

I started the poll because I was curious about what others here thought about splitting lanes after I saw the remains of another bike accident while I was splitting lanes on 580 (not too far from above accident) As the CHP pointed out in the article, while it’s legal to split lanes, it’s not the safest way to travel.

Seldom does a week go by with out at least one bike accident in the news and not unusual for there to be several. During the same time there are regularly half a dozen car/truck accidents per day.

Regardless of how you look at it, this guy screwed up and paid the ultimate price.
Will I stop splitting lanes? No.
Can’t happen to me? Sure can.

mro

[HobbyMan]

I get nervous around moving 18 wheelers as it is. Cars I don't have as much a problem in slow traffic but 18 wheelers are just too dangerous

[fredintoon]

Back in the UK it's SOP to ease through slow or jammed up traffic on a solo bike by driving between lanes. There as here you have to be on the watch for Mr Stupid is all. Alas in Saskatchewan they'll try to give you a ticket for doing it. Traffic stopped at a red light. Cars parked in the curb lane. A ten foot wide lane between them. I'm doing four mph. A spotty teenage motorcycle cop pulls me over then gives me a lecture on motorcycle safety. I bite my tongue. 40 years on 2 wheels teaches you when to shut up and nod. Then he writes me a ticket. "See you in court" sez I.
"This case should never have been brought" sez the magistrate. Doubtless the Brit accent, gray hair, nice suit, photos of the scene showing the lane width and the article in "Classic Bike" showing a Triumph splitting lanes between two London Transport double deckers and the Bobby on the sidewalk ain't giving him no ticket must have helped. But I don't do it these days. Not with the sidecar.

[BrianB]

I do not do it because it is illegal here as well.

Last year I had a buisiness trip to Medesto California. Got my rental car and the first red light I stopped at, I notice this bike coming up between all the cars and he stops beside me and his handlebars were physically touching my driver mirror. When the light turned green, he was off like a rocket splitting the lane again. I had no idea it was legal there and maybe a good thing I met this guy at the light because I surley would have not expected a bike to share my lane like that.

It must be legal for cages to pass on the right in Cali too!

[trbig]

Oklahoma has no laws AGAINST splitting lanes, but they will write you a ticket for illegal lane changes if you veer from one lane to another a bit while doing it. Luckily he let me off with a warning..


Tod

[DJinNH]

Originally posted by cloerts
My wife cured me of anything like that with a couple stories about organ donors that came through the ER at the hospital where she works. I'm kind of attached to my body, don't want to lose half of it to a car door.

2004 - I spent three months in the hospital, 2 of those months in an ICU getting my left leg rebuilt. The accident was not from a motorcycle. I remember a female patient there, her leg was almost as bad as mine but hers was from a motorcycle. She was pretty hot looking too.

I'm in no hurry. Think I will keep my legs.

Don

[DJinNH]

Anyone really want to end up with a sexy leg like mine?

Don

[SiP]

I learnt to ride in the UK where "lane splitting" (that's a good way of describing it) as in the rest of Europe is completely legal. I t is safe enough to do and no more dangerous than any other aspect of riding a motorcycle - IF it is done with due care and attention - again just like all the other aspects of motorcycle riding.
What makes it a little safer over there is that cars etc... are expecting it. I have moved over and ahd drivers move for me to the edge of their marked lane specifically to allow a bike through. Whereas here in Canada I am shocked at how utterly unaware the vast majority of drivers are.
Incidentally: Aside from the states in the US and all of Canada that don't allow it - pretty much the rest of the world does (actually don't know about Oz - Strayla?) and get along better than fine with it.
It's also a personal choice - if it was legal it still doesn't mean you HAVE to do it, but I'd like to make that choice myself instead of someone who knows no better telling me what's safe for me and what isn't.
To finish (didn't mean to get on my high horse and write a novel here) I used to commute about 20 miles each way a day in the UK - took me 1Hr+ in the car, about 20 minutes or so on the bike. Every working day for 3 years in heavy traffic - not one incident.
Infact the last time I got knocked off over there was a clear sunny day making a legal overtake and the car u-turned - that's another story though.
Thanks for listening.

[xs650mike]

I split lanes in stop and go freeway traffic because it's a lot safer than being the meat in a bumper sandwich. I have been riding for 50 years and have never been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash.

[81xsproject]

I just had a scary split yesterday that brought me back to reality. I was coming up to a light that was backed up about 8 cars. The light is notoriously long. I decided to split. No sooner did I get about 2 cars in and the light turned. What to do...? I gassed it and got through. I am sure my 4-1 opened up in 1st scared the crap out of some of the cages I passed. Truth was, it scared me a bit. But, I am still a noob to riding and splitting isn't something I do too much.