Newly transplated to CA. Hearing about how its legal to ride the white line and slide by 4-wheelers when in traffic. Trying to find written guidelines that define the specifics; do bike have head of line privileges at stop lights, is there a speed limit, is it only on the right shoulder or center line, etc? Can't find anything on the CA DMV site. Anyone know the skinny on this?

Thanks, J

 

Be cautious. I've been pulled over for splitting too fast before, and the officer told me the law is what he deemed a safe speed. He informed me that going any fater than 5mph faster than the cars is unsafe. Of course this is subject to that officer. I have split lanes for many years and been pulled over once. I have never been in an accident from splitting lanes, regardless of my speed. I say use your own judgement. Just remeber those cars can decide to change lanes at any time without signaling. Have quite a few grays from this.

 

Riding the white lines or lanesplitting is illegal in CA and can get you for illegal lane changes. Lane sharing is legal when done "in a safe and prudent manner", which is of course up to the interpretation of the CHPie. I have never had any problems lane sharing on CA highways pver a period of 27 years and many tens of thousands of miles. I follow a few simple "rules", some of which are: I do not ride the white (or yellow lines), I don't travel more than 15 mph faster than the flow of traffic, I will only lane share when vehicles in adjacent lanes are next to each other, and I usually don't "split" when traffic is more than about 35-40 mph.

 

In California it's called Lane Sharing (Splitting)....You won't find much about it even in the motorcycle hand book from the DMV. It's quitely legal.

The general rule is not to go more the 5 miles over the speed of traffic. A lot of folks do the head of the line thing at lights to avoid the whole rear-ending thing with no comment from the police. As far as I know the sholders are off limits (it's not an extra lane) and I wouldn't want to be on them unless I had to be...to much debris and the potential for a stopped cage.....It will get you a ticket. The Car Pool lane is legal for a bike in most areas.

I am just getting my feet wet...but I'm a relatively new rider and chicken so I've only done it once.

 

More like 10-15 mph. Shoulders definitely off limits. Also can get cited for sharing on surface streets. For Lane sharing on freeways, it is best to do it between the #1 and #2 lanes.

 

I'm in the Monterey area. I see a lot of bikes doing this on 1 and 68, especially around Carmel, and near/past Laguna Seka on the way to Salinas. Felt the urge a few times to do this but most often its been where it drops down to one lane both directions. If I understand you all right, I can only share or split between lanes going in the same direction and not at the yellow or at the shoulder....and only at safe speeds, when prudent and appropriate?

I might just shy away from the practice for now. It has too much grey area associated with the legal interpretation. I have NC tags and my personal experience with splitting legal hairs is I always lose.

Thanks for the info!

 

there is an old thread on this
basically it is neither legal or illegal you can do it
but use common sense no safety lane riding

[IMG]local://upfiles/5757/B8DFF624903C4161A728B9C83E67D7C9.jpg[/IMG]

 

It's legal:

Passing on the Right

21754. The driver of a motor vehicle may overtake and pass to the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:

(a) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn.

(b) Upon a highway within a business or residence district with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles in the direction of travel.

(c) Upon any highway outside of a business or residence district with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width and clearly marked for two or more lines of moving traffic in the direction of travel.

(d) Upon a one-way street.

(e) Upon a highway divided into two roadways where traffic is restricted to one direction upon each of such roadways.

The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of a slow moving vehicle from the duty to drive as closely as practicable to the right hand edge of the roadway.


&



Pass on Right Safely

21755. The driver of a motor vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. In no event shall such movement be made by driving off the paved or main-traveled portion of the roadway.

 

So much confusion. Do what the police do, and don't do what they don't do. They even often lead a string of bikers. They lean over lines away from wide vehicles. They lean over and ride between yellow lines. It's safety, but not abusive.
They don't often go to the head of the line at a stop light, or the head of the line at an on ramp, or the outside of one lane, or cross a bunch of lanes or solid yellow or white lines.

I always let the police go by, as well as any others who want to go way faster than I want to go between cars.

Either I'm riding confident, in control, with no fear and do it, or I don't do it, and just go with the flow.

 

Regarding going to the front of the herd at red lights; I lived/rode in L.A. from '02-'05. What everyone says about lane sharing is spot on, but I also found that although not strictly legal, going to the front of the herd at red lights is an accepted practice. I've done it with L.A.'s finest in clear view and never was taken to task on it.

Bottom line - if you're not riding like an idiot, they don't normally screw with you, even if you practice "creative" interpretations of their liberal lane-sharing policies. There's PLENTY of sport-bike idiots doing way more stupid stuff than us - the cops are more interested in them!