Below is an article about an accident that happened here in Va yesterday. It involved a sport bike splitting lanes, losing control of the bike, crashing into two cars, bike burst into flames and he was killed. I am not posting this just to be morbid, but those of you that live in states where lane splitting is legal to you have these types of accidents often?
*****Do not watch the vid below if you do not want to see the aftermath of a motorcycle accident*******

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-ne...,3126183.story

dailypress.com
Fatal accident snarls bridge traffic
A Newport News man died after his motorcycle collided with stopped cars on the James River Bridge Tuesday afternoon.
By JENNIFER LATSON 247-4731
November 14, 2007
NEWPORT NEWS —







A Newport News man died after his motorcycle collided with stopped cars on the James River Bridge Tuesday afternoon.

Police have not identified the man because his family has not been notified.

Southbound traffic on the bridge was shut down for several hours, snarling rush hour traffic on the two-lane bridge.

At 2:30, a van ran out of gas and stopped about two miles onto the bridge.

Another van rear-ended the stopped van, forcing both lanes of traffic to grind to a halt, according to First Sgt. Keith Whitley of the Virginia State Police.

Shortly after that accident, a motorcycle driver sped through the stopped traffic, straddling the center line, Whitley said.

About half a mile north of the first accident, the driver lost control of the motorcycle, which struck two pickup trucks and a car before bursting into flames, Whitley said.

The driver, who had flown off the motorcycle after it tumbled out of control, died at the scene.

No one was injured in the vehicles hit by the motorcycle, and the collision of the two vans caused only minor injuries, Whitley said.

All lanes on the bridge were reopened shortly after 7 p.m.


A couple of vids of the sceen, bike on fire etc.

***Do not watch this video if you do not want to see the aftermath of a motorcycle accident*******
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPHaiL03zvo&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPHaiL03zvo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFhf57kBgd0

 

Well, at least the article said that the rider SPED through lanes, well when youspeed through stoppedtrafficyou will crash. It's unfortunate for his family but I guess I have no feelings for him; you do stupid stuff you pay the price.

I have split lanes for many miles here is So Cal and I have seen many bikers down splitting lanes, one common thing with all of them; they were ALL sport bikes. Have I had close calls, heck yea but I was moving at a speed that I could control.

 

My neighbor works in insurance and says she has heard of many of them but personally I have not heard of many. I lane split but not nearly as fast as I see rice rockets or my boy Butthead (an affectionate nick name for a dude I see every morning) that splits at hyper speed.

I keep saying that one day I will see Butthead on the road dead.

Slow and steady well controlled splitting is usually pretty safe.

 

have to agree if you ride like a idiot you might just get husrt /killed have split lanes for many miles and have never really been in a bad situation can't say it doesn't happen but not a commen thing here in cali.

 

I have never supported the idea of lane splitting. Seems like one more way to end up like the guy in the picture.

 

Bluerose,

"Slow and steady well controlled splitting is usually pretty safe."

__________________________________________________ _________

Exactly right as Bluerose stated above... SLOW n easy is the key - not 30-40 mph above the pace of the surrounding vehicles!

Sorry to hear about this. My prayers go to him and his family.

The operative word here is "SPED" thru the lines of traffic... This is a dumbassway to do it obviously.

Here in Calif it's legal but you rarely hear of any problems with it. When you do it's some character flying thru the lanes as occurred here.

Sorry but lane splitting,if done carefully and responsibly is quite safe. I only do about 10-15 mph (above the sped of the cars around me) between the cars and am on full alert the entire time for those inattentive drivers who may elect to try a lane change as i pass through.

I've never had a problem doing it and am very conservative in how I do it - just sort of slowly weave thru the lines of traffic.

 

Lane splitting, when done safely, may actually help a rider avoid getting rear ended, which is fairly common. IMHO

 

I dont get it?
How do they drive behind the wheel in a cager. But get on a bike, look out!
Its againts the Law of Nature, "The will to survive"
I does not make sence.

 

Doesn't happen to me often at all. In fact, never.

 

He had to be flying to explode the bike. I hate to see this happen to anyone, especially a fellow biker, but how stupid can you be? I feel sorry for his family, loved ones, and friends. He, on the other hand, just won the Darwin Award.

I wouldn't lane split if it were legal or not unless, I was trying to avoid an accident, but I damn sure wouldn't be shaking people's cages as I passed them.