Lane Splitting in Laguna Beach, CA

Two League of American Bicyclists certified traffic cycling instructors demonstrate the advanced traffic cycling skill known as "lane splitting" -- slowly riding between lines of creeping or stopped traffic -- which can be quite safe if the cyclists do not ride too fast or in ways that are unpredictable. Lane splitting is often used by motorcyclists to pass slower motorists, and this technique is just as effective for cyclists. Lane splitting is also legal in CA, and illegal in most other US states, though often used by cyclists in congested major urban cores such as NYC, Chicago and Boston.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Laguna
• Beach
• Bicycle
• Lane
• Splitting
• Heavy
• Traffic
• Driving

[KPKaccountt]

since when does lane splitting become illegal outside california ? what year ?

[CyclistLorax]

@KPKaccountt - The police in CA allow motorcyclists and bicyclists to do it, though CVC 21658 could be interpreted to exclude such practice. In every other US state laws like the ones I cited from the Uniform Vehicle Code, which serves as the model for most US states, are enforced to prohibit the practice. Look at the DMV websites of most US states and they show the practice to be illegal. California is the exception among US states. Check out the wiki article on lane splitting for more.

[KPKaccountt]

@CyclistLorax lol i believe that,i mean since when ?

[CyclistLorax]

@KPKaccountt - Apparently you don't understand the answer I gave, since "lol i believe that,i mean since when ?" is a child's response to factual information. My mistake.

[LevinMedia]

@CyclistLorax Just because the law allows it doesn't mean it's a good idea. When you combine your attitude of entitlement (displayed in your replies below) with oblivious drivers, you're asking for trouble, which you're getting. Frankly, I can't understand cyclists infatuation with PCH in Laguna... Glenneyre parallels PCH one block inland and it's normally devoid of traffic and parked cars. It's not like you get some view of the beach on PCH that you don't get on Glenneyre.

[CyclistLorax]

@LevinMedia - The CHP and motorcyclists are comfortable with lane splitting and frankly, it not a big deal. Lane splitting is not a common practice, except in urban cores and a few highways like PCH. Trouble? Did you watch the video? We didn't have any trouble. Regarding your hostility about route selection, it's the purview of the legislature to tell cyclists where we can ride. PCH is less hilly and faster than Gleneyre so I consistently use it; that's pragmatism, not infatuation.

[CyclistLorax]

@LevinMedia - What you call entitlement, I call rights. I ride where I'm legally allowed, and typically choose rotes that are direct and low risk, and I expect others to respect my choices, just as I respect theirs to use other routes and/or different behaviors. You can ride on Glenneyre, or in Peoria if you like, and never split when traffic jams; that's your decision, and your decisions have nothing to do with me and my choices.

[TidePools]

This doesn't seem safe at all.

[CyclistLorax]

@TheRealBaldman - You are a real sick puppy, wishing others harm, and you are none too bright, since a side-walk is a walking facility on the side of the roadway, hence the name side-walk; get it? Cyclists OTOH are drivers, and have the same rights and duties as any other drivers of narrow width vehicles, so if motorcyclists can lane split, so can cyclists. I wish for just one moment you could be smarter, so you could grasp just how sick and idiotic you appear to the rest of humanity.

[kopskup]

not that it matters but just FYI the zeros u used in the date at the beginning r actually letters in dennmark and norway its same as ö here where I live

[LevinMedia]

@SinfulMessiah amen brother. 

[hpotter1097]

Lane splitting is legal in California, but still must be done safely. In this vid, the lanes were too narrow for motorcyclists to split lanes safely, so they remained in lanes.

The 2 cyclists in this vid were riding pretty skillfully, obviously, they had done this before. I've personally only ridden like this when traffic is almost at a standstill; the primary danger then is avoiding turning traffic, dodging large truck mirrors, or opening car doors.

[CyclistLorax]

@KPKaccountt - Most states have laws explicitly prohibiting driving between lanes or requiring driving within a single lane. For example, here is UVC section 11-1303....(c) No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.

And section 11-309. Whenever any roadway has been divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic ...(a) A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane...