I just saw a Shell commercial, where they talked about new technology. Apparently, the aim is to take advantage of unused pavement in traffic. That's a BIG key to reducing traffic congestion. Lots of technology is going to be created to reduce the space between vehicles front and back.

Lane splitting already makes use of empty pavement between vehicles.

What a great idea.

Maybe if we got people out of their cars and onto bikes we wouldn't need to add hundreds of dollars to the price of a new vehicle to do something that motorcycles have already been doing for decades.

What a concept.

 

One side of the argument, when you mention lane sharing and choices, is that you aren't really 'sharing' the lane. That is, you're not asking other drivers for permission, so they aren't choosing to share, you're taking it from them. And while you state that you want to make your own choices, others around you feel the same way and your choices take away from theirs. Since they legally have possession of the lane, your imposing or forcing your will on them when you decide to split or 'lane share'.

Most riders who split lanes are not doing it because they are concerned about engine overheating. I see tons of motorcycle commuters splitting lanes and their only motovation is to get ahead of the next guy and shave off a few minutes in getting home. And in commute traffic, no matter how many vehicles you pass, there's that many more still ahead of you when you take your exit. It's kind of funny: the same guys who split lanes to get home faster are the same ones that tell others how much they love to ride. So if they love to ride, why the lane splitting to save a few minutes? Any ride is a ride, so enjoy it.

I agree with one of the posts in this thread on just how many people lane splitters **** off, and do nothing to improve the relationships of driver vs. rider, car vs. motorcycles. I've been riding almost 36 years but have to admit that when a bike blasts by me with 4"s to spare, doing 20 or 30 mph faster than traffic, or ripping on their exhausts and giving everyone a heart-attack, I figure at some point someone is going to retaliate against the biker and who's really to blame? People like to label drivers in cars as 'cagers', as in a negative connotation, but I don't see cars trying to share lanes with motorcycles. In fact, the same people who choose to split lanes usually goes ballistic when they feel the car got too close to them. Double-standard and hypocritical. I once watched a bike squeeze up between two cars at a red light and at the next red light, the bike was already stopped and one of the cars 'encroached' in his space so they were three wide again. The biker though started screaming at the car, trying to kick in the fender because he felt the car got too close to him, though it was no closer than when the biker did it to the car at the previous light. Double-standard and does nothing to improve the us vs. them relationship.

Just because 'we can' do something doesn't always mean we should...

 

Did you honestly just try to argue that we should enjoy being in traffic just because we're on a motorcycle?

 

.......

 

So, thousands of bikers split lanes every day with no problem, but you saw one guy get mad so we are hypocrites? That's pretty funny.

Do you only use the right-most lane at all times? I mean, I know you are allowed to use the other lanes, and get where you are going, and distribute the traffic better, but by your logic you are a hypocrite if you use the other lanes to move faster than the slow lane.

Do you ever use the carpool lane? Are those in the carpool lane hypocrites as well?

Splitting is not done simply to get to the front of the line, and it isn't looked on the way you seem to think it is, at least not in the Bay Area. It makes no sense for bikes to sit in long lines of stop and go when there is space to keep them moving and safe. It benefits all drivers and riders.

 

come ride on 101 in san jose during rush hour. every time i lane split there its like Moses parting the red sea. i'm going to have to assume that their maneuvering to the far sides of their lane is permission.

 

The driver does not own the lane, and sharing is legal. I am not taking anything from him/her, so I don't need permission. If there is space, I am legally allowed to use it.

If the driver wants to get mad, believe they have the right to the whole lane exclusively, believe I am somehow getting over on them, that is on the driver.

 

Sharing is not legal, and the driver does own the lane. Splitting is tolerated.

If you were riding down the middle of your lane, and a cage was driving along in a lane on either side with one side of his vehicle in your lane, right beside you, you'd sing a very different tune about lane ownership because you would sure as hell feel that he was driving in YOUR lane. You'd sure as **** be kicking and cussing at him to get back into HIS lane!

 

If we are in stopped traffic and he wants to share my lane that's fine that's part of the deal. I find a large percentage of people are much more mature than the motorcycle riders on the forum. And they tend to move over for me
Just last night I had a go to LAX to pick up someone. Had to take my car in bumper-to-bumper stopped traffic averaging about 15 miles an hour. Every time I saw someone on a bike I would move in my lane give them more room

I didn't get upset I didn't get pissed off admittedly I got a little jealous wishing I had been able to bring my bike and do the same

I guess that's maturity

 

I enjoy riding, I don't enjoy sitting in traffic when it's 100 degrees. On my commute there were several stop lights down a ten mile stretch of four lane road that myself and usually two or three other bikes (often police bikes) would split up to the front and then we were were gone. My 45 minute commute was 30 minutes on the bike. Almost without exception the other cars tried to move out of our way. My relationship with those drivers is fine and I will start using the term "cager" when I sell all three of my cars.