A new bill signed by Governor Jerry Brown officially recognizes lane splitting as a legal act and authorizes California Highway Patrol to develop lane splitting safety guidelines for motorcyclists and motorists. Studies have shown that lane splitting is actually a safe way to drive and can reduce traffic and road accidents when done correctly.
That is the caveat. Motorcyclists who lane split at high speeds and in unsafe conditions are in greater danger. California Assembly Bill 51 clears up the gray area around lane splitting. While the practice was not explicitly illegal before, there was much uncertainty over whether the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles had proper authority to publish lane splitting safety guidelines.
That uncertainty is now gone. California Assembly Bill 51 AB 51 states in relevant part :. Where is lane splitting legal? Splitting lanes is riding a motorcycle between the lanes or rows of traffic.
It can also be called stripe riding or whitening, and its predominant use is to save time in congested traffic. While most people focus on lane splitting as a technique for speed, it actually has practical safety use as well.
Because motorcycles are smaller and lighter than normal cars, they are prone to being bumped if other drivers are not paying attention; lane splitting helps mitigate this. With a new lane splitting law passed in , California is the only state where lane splitting is fully legal.
Utah and Hawaii have modified laws allowing some iterations lane splitting, and there are 5 other states currently considering legalization. On top of that, 10 states including Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina do not have specific mention or prohibition of the act, but it is still possible to get a ticket for lane splitting in these places.
It is fully illegal in 32 states. The California lane splitting law has helped government agencies, law enforcement, and legal representatives have clearer terms to refer to when defining line splitting as driving.
These guidelines also allow California Highway Patrol and riders alike to have better guidelines for riding. In , then-governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 51 into law because lane-splitting was a legal grey area before then. In section of the bill, lane splitting is defined as a motorcycle that has two wheels in contact with the ground between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane. The DMV also advised not to lane split when surrounding traffic is traveling 30 miles per hour or faster.
These are good general lane-splitting guidelines for the safest possible ride. Yes, lane splitting as a motorcyclist could affect how the courts handle a related accident claim in California.
California is a pure comparative negligence state. If the courts find there is enough evidence to assign a percentage of fault for the wreck with the plaintiff, the plaintiff will receive a reduced recovery award.
If you get into a motorcycle accident while safely and prudently lane splitting, you may not bear any degree of fault for your collision. If, however, the defendant can prove you were speeding, weaving between cars or otherwise riding recklessly, he or she may be able to convince the courts that you were partially at fault for the crash. In this case, you would receive less compensation than you otherwise would have.
KQED is a proud member of. Always free. Sign In. KQED Inform. Save Article Save Article. California is the only state in the country where it is legal to lane split. Bay Curious. Listen 9 min.
Ryan Levi. Jul 19, Failed to save article Please try again. A new law changed things A motorcyclist lane splits on a California freeway. California Highway Patrol 3.
It's legal only in California According to the American Motorcyclist Association's website , every state except California bans the practice of lane splitting. Other states are trying to legalize it At least nine other states have considered legislation that would allow lane splitting, and some are expected to take up the issue again in the next legislative session, according to Nick Haris, the Western states representative for the American Motorcyclist Association.
It's legal in lots of other countries Motorcyclists lane split in Bangkok, Thailand. Lane splitting is common practice in much of Asia and Europe.
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