Split'en Lanes

[DiverRay]

Splitting lanes at the light is NOT legal in CA! "LANE SHARING" on the freeway IS legal, as long as you are no more than 15mph over the speed of traffic, or no faster than you can stop when some BOZO does a sudden lane change with no signal.

[planedick]

Not legal?

I didn't know that splitting lanes at signals was ilegal in CA. Just last week I did that and ended up sitting right in front of two cop cars and blasted off when it went green. Although I did show some real get up and go I was careful to not go over the posted 45 mph speed limit, just wasted no time in getting to it. Neither of them stopped me or even acted like it was illegal.

[mro]

Splitting lanes at the light is NOT legal in CA!
I do so now and then...
Also have seen the sheriff and CHP do it.
Have also seen the CHP split lanes on the freeway doing 70 MPH with no "emergency" apparent.


mro

[xs650mike]

splitting at lights and on the highway

Normally the only place I split lanes at lights is in congested San Francisco. The cops there don't really care since they can't catch you in the traffic and you are just helping things to flow.

A CHP motor officer explaned the deal on splitting in California. It is not specifically legal, it just isn't illegal. It is the individual officer's call if he thinks you are unsafe (ie. Reckless
Driving). The rules of thumb are: You must be between two AVAILABLE lanes. No running along the shoulder or median...this is reserved for emergency vehicles or police use only. You must be in one or the other lane, no running on the lane marker. Your speed should be no more than 10 mph faster than the traffic and you should not exceed 45 mph.

My hints for keeping safe (if there is such a thing) are: Keep brake controls covered. High beam on in daylight hours. Low beam if you have driving lamps on. (I always run with high beam or driving lamps in daylight.) Watch for the jealous anus cager who will try to cut you off. In most cases you can gas it and get through before he can move over (watch his front wheels). Nowadays most drivers will move over if they see you in their mirrors.

25 years back I was commuting home on the SF Bay Bridge in the rush hour splitting lanes on my narrow 550 Vision. Behind me was a CHP officer on a Kawi Police 1000. A jerk in a little Honda Civic moved to cut us off little realizing that the second bike was a cop. I got through but the CHiP got cut off. I heard him yell over his speaker, "The red Civic, pull over at the toll plaza!" I had a big smile on my face the whole way home.

[SiP]

That's good advice for anyone trying to get through traffic, and the way it should be. Plus the red civic story is priceless.
I have a story about a guy messing about like that once - but don't want to tell it as you'll think I'm psycho.

[planedick]

Another thing

To watch is the driver. The one watching you intently in the mirror is much more dangerous than the ones who don't see you at all. One time some do do tried to cut me off like that but ended up hitting the side of a Greyhound bus. I often wondered how he explained that to the CHP as the bus driver was watching me too and saw it all. He He He