TexasCHLforum.com

this bill or similar is brought up every session. Has not passed yet. I'll worry about it once it is decided.

I have seen cars squeeze a gap to disallow a rider to go through, but in my years of lane sharing I never saw a car door open, or even threaten it. My bike had louder than stock pipes, and even then most cars did not know I was there until passing their front tire. The flip side of that is since they were unaware of me, my safety was 100% on me. Never have I bumped a mirror. It is not for everyone, but I am a supporter.

edit - to add a note:

95% of my lane sharing was on freeways. In town it is more dicey because drivers are looking for stores, driveways, jumping lanes more, etc. Just a lot more distraction on surface streets.

There have never been any laws regulating top speed or differential speed in CA for lane splitting. The CHP used to have guidelines posted on their site but have since taken them down. As we all know from pirates, guidelines are not enforceable while code is...

RHenriksen wrote:

Glock4ever wrote:Don't see enough motorcycles on the road in Texas to buy the traffic argument.

But more people would leave their car at home and dust off the motorcycle that had previously been left in the garage.

Also, more existing riders would be willing & able to wear more protective gear in summer w/o concerns of heat stroke if they can rely upon a little airflow instead of sitting & baking.

Add me to that list. I hung up my jacket and helmet as my daily commute after getting 8 more stop lights, and permanent construction on my ride. Just way too much stop and go to feel safe (whatever safe means on two wheels). Let me split lanes, I would be back on it, and wear my gear in the summer. The last straw before giving up the bike for me was it started overheating on a regular basis sitting in traffic. Regarding truck mirrors, never been an issue. I rode in the Sacrament area, very agricultural, and not over-run by hybrids... If there is not space, I don't go between them. When traffic speed picks up, I get back in line. Watch for blind spots. Read the drivers, how they check mirrors, hand position on steering wheel, etc. It is amazing how well you can predict their lane changes. Don't cruise next to cars, cruise in the gaps and move ahead when ready with purpose. Just like everything else, there are safe ways and stupid ways to do it.

I have been in Texas for 10 years and miss lane splitting. I had an urban commute for about 5 years of 25 miles each way. I split lanes almost daily, and by far (when done correctly) felt safer between cars than behind them. Most cars never knew I was there until I was past, at reasonable speeds. Watching for gaps that cars can jump into was the biggest thing. I have friends who were rear-ended on bikes while not sharing lanes. I saw one nasty accident when a bike tried to shoot a gap and missed... My first 5 years here I commuted 40 miles a day. I gave up commuting on the bike when traffic got so congested I no longer felt safe in line with the cars.

I don't know the current law in CA (the only state I know that it is legal) but it used to be worded on the CHP website:

there is no law against sharing lanes, as long as it is done safely and prudently.

Very often you would see a moto-cop splitting lanes with up to 5 bikes right behind like a mini parade.

No speed requirements, etc. But any LEO could site you for wreckless riding any time they felt the need. bikes that fly through traffic and cut in and out give the rest of us a bad name.