Is lane-splitting legal in Texas?

[barres]

I know it is legal in some other states, like California (IIRC), but is lane-splitting legal here in Texas?

[Target1911]

I dont know for sure but I dont think you can do it. not to mention....It is VERY dangerous on TX highways. For some reason the driver here dont take to kindly to being outdone. Its good way to be seriously interupted by a bumper or fender. The idiots around here dont even know how to check their blind spots before changing lanes.

I am sure some of the local LEOs will chime in on the legality issues.

[Fosforos]

California is the only state I've heard of that allows lane-splitting.
I'm pretty confident that it's not allowed in Texas.

[KBCraig]

Only legal in California, per the Wikipedia article (follow the cites to make sure).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_splitting

[boomerang]

I wish bicycles would stop doing it in town, or the cops would start enforcing the law.

[ProudNativeTexican]

NO, and even bicycles better becareful or they mine get a "redneck" spitting tabbacoo as they ride by.

[Keith B]

That's why I drive a two-door car, they are VERY wide when opened and reach across into the other lane!

It irks me to no end when motorcyclist or bicyclist do this. They can wait their time in line just like any other vehicle on the highway.

[anygunanywhere]

When we lived in California, our male Weimaraner learned to launch at the riders splitting lanes. He would wait until the last second and scare the snot out of them. Caused a few bumps and bruises. I gues I was a poor excuse for a pet owner.



Anygunanywhere

[seamusTX]

Transportation Code § 545.060: DRIVING ON ROADWAY LANED FOR TRAFFIC.
(a) An operator on a roadway divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic:
(1) shall drive as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane; and
(2) may not move from the lane unless that movement can be made safely.

Personally, I don't mind if motorcyclists turn themselves into organ donors by driving between vehicles, but some car drivers don't like getting blood on their tires.

- Jim

[Kalrog]

It irks me to no end when motorcyclist or bicyclist do this. They can wait their time in line just like any other vehicle on the highway.

This is one of those things that really needs to work both ways. I ride a bike (used to ride a motorcycle). I never lane split with the motorcycle - never wanted to. I was another car out there (just one with amazing acceleration). But it is a bit more tricky with the bicycle in that I am not nearly as equal. For the record, I ride in the shoulder whenever I can - and I plan my routes so that I ride the most bike friendly streets possible. But I do actually lane split some on the bike - usually when trying to turn left and it is the only way I can get across the road without becoming road pizza. This is a safety thing for a bicycle when riding on a 65mph street and trying to turn left at a stop light. I can't get over without waiting until traffic is stopped. And then if I were to take my place in line, I would get run over from behind since I can't accelerate to 45 prior to the turn. So I position myself as far outside as possible and turn straight to the new shoulder. To do anything else is dangerous for both me and the other drivers.

Necessity and safety trump laws sometimes. The car drivers need to respect the bicycles as well.

[jimlongley]

Only legal in California, per the Wikipedia article (follow the cites to make sure).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_splitting

And we all know how reliable Wikipedia articles are, right?

That article appears to me to be one of those self-serving ones where someone wants to justify their point of view. All they have to dio is publish it on Wikipedia and then point to it as justification. I have done so myself just to prove the point.

Anti-gun nuts, ethnic discriminators and others have done the same.

BTW, when I was in the rescue squad we picked up a lane splitter once, not the only case, but the only one I rode one, and he was in pretty rough shape. He misjudged the space between cars that were traveling about 15mph and tried to squeeze through at about 30. Untangling his left hand from the clutch handle was something we left to the surgeons, we just cut off the handlebar and sent it along with the rest of him.

I know of several others of a similar stripe, which would seem to put the citation of no known accidents due to lane splitting in the Wikipedia article a little on the Clinton side of the truth.

[jimlongley]

The car drivers need to respect the bicycles as well.

I just wish some of the bicyclists would respect the cars a little more. We routinely have packs of bicyclists riding on the 75 frontage road up here that ignore stop signs. Single riders do it too, but the packs are the most obnoxious, you get to sit there and fume while they ignore the law, and if you have the timerity to blow your horn, your get the Hawiian Rockefeller Friendship salute.

[Kalrog]

We routinely have packs of bicyclists riding on the 75 frontage road up here that ignore stop signs. Single riders do it too, but the packs are the most obnoxious, you get to sit there and fume while they ignore the law...

Yeah, that makes me fume as well. Ya gotta actually obey the law when it isn't dangerous to do so.

[KBCraig]

Only legal in California, per the Wikipedia article (follow the cites to make sure).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_splitting

And we all know how reliable Wikipedia articles are, right?

*ahem*...

Only legal in California, per the Wikipedia article (follow the cites to make sure).

[gregthehand]

I would have gotten out of my car and yelled at them. I guess if I'm on my bike I don't even have to get out