Lane splitting - new report out of CA

[Gregg_VA]

Seems like the appropriate place to post this. Came out yesterday (10/21). Seems neither good nor bad but obvious conclusions where you would expect them.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/tra...le3204990.html

[alex.s]

i think this statement was the biggest surprise to me but i think the stats are skewed by bike type... i have only seen one bike crash while splitting (didn't really see it... just know the person who crashed)... but i have seen several low CC cruisers rear end the cars in front of them when they weren't splitting... i think the biggest discrepancy about the crashes comes from the fact that its only based on supplemental crash reporting done by police... so if the crash wasn't big enough to justify a police report... its not going to make it into the stats... i think this is the case with many of the bikes that crash on the freeway who aren't lane splitting.

"Lane-splitters had a greater chance of being involved in a crash during the morning and afternoon commute hours than motorcyclists who were not lane-splitting."

[Gregg_VA]

Most likely because traffic is at its peak during those two time frames. What they don't address is statistics. How many accidents (morning/afternoon) as a ratio to how many cagers were on the road during that time. That statement in the report is really irrelevant until they can frame the outcome statistically.

[alex.s]

very good point!

[JohnnyBravo]

So the report just told us what we already know? Hmmm they coulda paid me to write that! I do like the "lane splitting is no more dangerous than riding in general" in the first few lines of the report. Everyone knows the faster you go the more dangerous most anything is... Well except being chased by sharks with laser beams, then excess speed is critical!

[alex.s]

woah now johnny. no shark jumping here.

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBravo

So the report just told us what we already know?

Yes *we*, as riders, know that. We know the dangers of a distracted driver, of road rage, of excessive speed. So, what's the point of a study to confirm what we already know?

To convince the drivers and other riders and other states that if done properly and safely, lane splitting is beneficial to all road users. It's not the crazy Asian or Russian examples of wild and out of control riders splitting recklessly, heedless of anyone else. That's the problem, other drivers only see the lunatics on videos and think all riders are crazy psychos with a death wish.

So now advocates of lane splitting have a study they can pull out in the face of opposition and point to with numbers (hoping the actual study has the hard numbers vs just a general summary) and use as real world, day to day, proof.

[JohnnyBravo]

That's it... I'm writing a letter to Santa!

Man I wish I was in Jville so I could go ride over that bridge! Jumpin sharks