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I split on the highway here daily, even though it's illegal in Illinois. BUT I have a very strict set of rules I follow:
1. Only split when traffic slows below 10mph
2. Only go up to 20 mph
3. Get back in the lane when traffic speeds up, large spaces start to appear in the lanes, or there isn't a wide enough space for me with a nice safety margin.
In all of my commute time on the highway I've had plenty of close calls when I was NOT splitting and following the laws. Nearly rear-ended and side-swiped several times. I have never had anything near a close call when splitting.
I would certainly rather deal with the possible moving violation then get hit by a car. I can usually see cops way ahead of time and then I get back in line.
The really interesting thing, is that last season when my bike was fully faired it seemed to piss off some drivers. They would regularly honk at me, shout out the window right when I went by, etc. This happened nearly every day. This season, with no fairings, that has not happened ONCE. I think people not having the visual cue for "crotch rocket" changes their behavior.
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