Quote:
Originally Posted by Proteus
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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Someone please help me give this man a "helpful" rating! I couldn't have said it better myself. I lived in NYC for 30 years and in NJ for a few years. I split in NYC and NJ. Well, I split a lot more in NYC because of the heavy traffic. Well, more like.....i filter up to the front of the line at a red light. And when the light is about to turn green, I move up 5ft (into the pedestrian cross walk) and within a second or two when the light turns green, I pull away from everyone. So technically, I'm not in anyone's way.
In NJ, I rarely split because when there's horrible traffic by me, I'm still moving 25mph. I only split in NJ when I'm close to the Holland, Lincoln or George Washington bridge when traffic is at a stop still.
NYC drivers don't seem to mind. They actually kinda expect you to ride batshit crazy. If I'm carrying a passenger and riding conservatively, a lot of them would tailgate.
But just like Proteus, I don't split like an asshat. I'm maybe 10 or 15mph above their speed. And if we're moving 20mph or more, I don't split. But I will filter to the front of the line at almost every red light (whether I see a cop or not)....as they really don't give a crap.