Have you ever been driving, only to be startled by a motorcycle zipping past your car between the lanes? You probably shake your head and think to yourself that such maneuvering must be illegal. Well, in California, that is not the case. Lane-splitting is allowed in California, but there is controversy concerning this.
The CHP introduced the new rules in January 2015 after consulting with other state agencies and motorcycle-rider groups. These new rules apply to city streets, highways and freeways across the State.
A recent study from the Office of Traffic Safety indicates that a mere 53% of Californians are aware that the land-splitting practice is legal. That means nearly half of the drivers on the road suspect lane-splitting to be unlawful, and some people will even go out of their way to block the practice when they see it coming.
Many are unaware that this is allowed in California; partly due to the lack of aggressively alerting the public and due to the fact that no other state allows lane-splitting on its roads.
From Not Illegal to Legal
Every other state bans lane splitting, according to the American Motorcyclist Association, although some states have reconsidered it in recent years.
The California Vehicle Code does not mention lane splitting at all.
The closest thing motorcyclists have had to lane splitting rules are guidelines the California Highway Patrol issued in 2013. However, they were never legally binding, but advised motorcyclists who lane split to do so when traffic is going 30 mph or slower, and not go more than 10 mph faster than the speed of traffic. They also recommended riding between the left lanes (where drivers are “more accustomed” to it) and not lane splitting near trucks, at night, on unfamiliar roads, or in bad weather.
However. the bill that was recently passed in the legislature runs along the same lines, but makes the issue much clearer. It “unequivocally authorizes motorcycles to drive between stopped or slow moving vehicles,” as long as traffic is moving at 50 mph or less and the motorcyclist does not outrun traffic by more than 15 mph.
Now there is an effort to legalize lane-splitting in other states, such as Washington, Oregon, Texas and Tennessee, as a way to relieve highway congestion.
