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Old August 16th, 2014, 06:59 PM   #1
Snowieflake
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Lane Splitting on a Single Lane Road

So on my ride home from work, there are quite a few roads with only one lane in each direction (I choose to take the back roads instead of taking the really crowded I-805 or I-5). 30+ cars frequently get backed up on at least one of them. This road is wide enough for about 1.75 cars in each direction. The cars stay mostly to the left, hugging the double yellow, leaving a lot of room on the right to ride past.

On a road with a single lane of traffic in each direction, should you split on the left between the cars and the double yellow where the oncoming traffic is closer to you, or on the right where there's more space?

Thanks for the advice!
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:10 PM   #2
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:16 PM   #3
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this sounds like a trick question, though I understand what is being asked the wording screams to me to ask this question in response.

How can one split lanes with only one lane?

That question was only off of the wording, I understand that there are two lanes here.
What you're talking about is straight up passing over a double yellow, this is on the dumber side of things that you can do. Passing one vehicle at a time (on the left only) after making sure that the path is clear should result in you being fine assuming that you pass safely.
Rule of thumb, if there is any doubt at all about the safety of the pass or how far ahead you can physically see to determine if there is oncoming traffic then don't pass
Also it's illegal and you can get cited for reckless driving which sucks
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:29 PM   #4
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The way I am reading the question is not passing (crossing the double yellow on the left to go around a car) nor it is lane splitting (riding the white broken line between lanes moving in the same direction)

This reads as remaining in the same lane as a vehicle moving in the same direction and going around that car within the same lane, either to the left so the bike is between the double yellow and the car or to the right between the car and the shoulder...

To answer the question, neither.


Let's see what @alex.s says as he splits normal traffic routinely and may have a better response.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:31 PM   #5
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^ if nevadawolf is right and that is what the question really means then just don't do it, that's dumb and people swerve within their lanes on a regular basis for a large variety of reasons
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:35 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NevadaWolf View Post
This reads as remaining in the same lane as a vehicle moving in the same direction and going around that car within the same lane, either to the left so the bike is between the double yellow and the car or to the right between the car and the shoulder...
Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. So what everyone is saying is that you really shouldn't pass cars with a single lane of traffic in that direction?

What about between a single lane of traffic and parked cars? Same thing still?
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:37 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowieflake View Post
Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant. So what everyone is saying is that you really shouldn't pass cars with a single lane of traffic in that direction?

What about between a single lane of traffic and parked cars? Same thing still?
that's just asking to have someone just swerve into an open parking spot in front of you without looking (because why would they need to look?)
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Old August 16th, 2014, 07:57 PM   #8
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Not addressing the splitting bit as a Nevadan I can't do it anyway, nor would I if I could (frankly no reason to here as traffic never gets locked up enough to warrant it).

I personally avoid the outside of any lane/road, as that's where the dirt and debris build up, constantly being pushed aside by the traffic. No reason to ride where traction is reduced or where additional distractions such as trash or (in my case) rocks and branches may be lying.


And, to comment on the cutting between a single lane and parked cars, how confident are you that a driver won't be stepping out from around one of those parked cars in stand by their door before opening it safely, or that a driver won't open their door slightly into the gap between the rest of the cars and themselves.

Sure they may be looking for pedestrians or cyclists, but you on a motorcycle will be moving much quicker than a cyclist and they may not process that the headlight they see in their mirror isn't in the lane of traffic beside them.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 09:52 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowieflake View Post
.........On a road with a single lane of traffic in each direction, should you split on the left between the cars and the double yellow where the oncoming traffic is closer to you, or on the right where there's more space?
I don't know about the second one, but I absolutely advise against the first option.

You will not have too much of a escape path if a car being passed pushes you over oncoming traffic.

The rules of thumb that have kept me alive for many years of street riding have been described by Chuck Yeager:
  • There's no such thing as a natural-born pilot.
  • If you want to grow old as a pilot, you've got to know when to push it, and when to back off.
  • I was always afraid of dying. Always. It was my fear that made me learn everything I could about my airplane and my emergency equipment, and kept me flying respectful of my machine and always alert in the cockpit.
  • What good does it do to be afraid? It doesn't help anything. You better try and figure out what's happening and correct it.
  • You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can't, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don't give up.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 10:15 PM   #10
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How slow are the cars moving along? If it's stop & go traffic at 5-10mph, I would have no problem passing on the right (traveling at 15mph). I've been doing this with my bicycle in NYC for well over 2,000 miles. At least in NYC, drivers are somewhat aware that a bicycle will prob pass thrm on the right during 5mph stop and go traffic.

It really depends on the culture. If there are tons of cyclists where you are and there is always traffic, chances are cyclists are passing on the right (between traffic and parked cars) and drivers aren't completely shocked when it happens.

So my advice to you is to make your own decision based on your surroundings.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 10:43 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowieflake View Post
On a road with a single lane of traffic in each direction, should you split on the left between the cars and the double yellow where the oncoming traffic is closer to you, or on the right where there's more space?
no.

i am one of the biggest proponents of lane sharing here.

single lane for your flow is not the place to be sharing unless you simply want to get one car ahead so you are not at the back of a long line of cars. trying to split the opposing lanes is asking for death. trying to split the shoulder is asking for not only nails in your tires, but literally nobody expects people to pass on the shoulder and they will readily pull into the shoulder without looking or signalling and then blame you for passing in the shoulder.

two lanes minimum for lane sharing.
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Old August 16th, 2014, 11:34 PM   #12
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I'm with Alex.

That said, in California it is legal to share lanes, essentially because it's not illegal to do so. It's not legal to ride on the shoulder, and it's not legal to cross the double-yellow to pass. So on a one-lane road that is wide enough to share safely, given the choices you list, the safer option is to be on the right side of traffic, but still within the lane. But - it's unexpected by car drivers, and wouldn't be something I'd generally consider unless traffic was completely stopped.
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Old August 17th, 2014, 10:41 PM   #13
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Quote:
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How slow are the cars moving along?
The cars are really stopped and moving only at 5mph or less; there's also a HUGE lane on the right side - almost enough for another car length.

I've seen other bikes passing people on the right side of the lane, but wasn't sure if I should be doing the same.

This is a map of the typical traffic that I have to face on the way home. I have to go from the pink square on top to the purple square on bottom. The single lane road that I've been talking about is Carroll Canyon Road to the right of the I-805.



That being said, thank you everyone for your advice. I guess I will try and find a different way home... I'm not sure if I'm ready to battle the rush hour traffic that is on the I-5 or I-805 in the afternoon, but I guess I'll have to figure out another way around it.
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Old August 17th, 2014, 11:02 PM   #14
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every time i spend more than 100 feet or so on a shoulder i always seem to wind up with a nail in a tire
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Old August 17th, 2014, 11:58 PM   #15
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Oddly enough, I have a couple of friends that work in that exact same area in Sorrento Valley.

Have you tried taking the 15 south to the 163 and going west on the 52? You could split on Miramar Road and there is usually minimal slowdown on the westbound 52. You will be traveling a longer distance but won't have to sit in traffic.
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Old August 18th, 2014, 12:04 AM   #16
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splitting miramar to noble sounds like a good plan
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Old August 18th, 2014, 07:02 AM   #17
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Ahhhh. It's a shoulder. I wouldn't ride in the shoulder. That's the easiest way to pick up a screw or nail in your tire. Besides, it's a moving violation and insurance rates won't be pretty if you get caught.
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Old August 18th, 2014, 03:15 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by menikmati View Post
Have you tried taking the 15 south to the 163 and going west on the 52? You could split on Miramar Road and there is usually minimal slowdown on the westbound 52. You will be traveling a longer distance but won't have to sit in traffic.
I've thought about it, but it really is a much longer way to go. Getting to the 15 would be the hardest part. Once I get to the 15, it's smooth sailing all the way home, but traffic on Mira Mesa can get pretty bad.

Quote:
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splitting miramar to noble sounds like a good plan
If I take the streets home, I usually do split Miramar and take Nobel. The problem lies in the fact that the fastest way to Miramar is Carroll Canyon, the one land road. Perhaps I could take Mira Mesa to Camino Santa Fe to Miramar....
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Old August 18th, 2014, 03:20 PM   #19
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traffic sucks doesn't it. can you leave earlier or later to avoid the rush?
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Old August 18th, 2014, 04:19 PM   #20
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I pass on the right of stopped cars at no more then 10mph on two lane roads if I deem it safe and clean(no nails). It's rare when I need to do this and 90% of the time it's to get up to a red light. If you don't cross the white line then technically your still lane sharing but technically don't mean jack $hit in the court of law if you riding like a jackass so keep all that in mind. Also like other have said if you get into an accident while passing on the right you'll have little to no defense in the eye's of insurance.
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Old August 18th, 2014, 04:22 PM   #21
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All of this can be solved with this
Please wear pants
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Old August 18th, 2014, 05:42 PM   #22
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HAHA that would be fun to fly if I could find a place to park it.

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Old August 18th, 2014, 08:45 PM   #23
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Old August 19th, 2014, 09:38 PM   #24
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How can one split lanes with only one lane?
Exactly. This isn't splitting lanes, this is riding against oncoming traffic.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 09:04 AM   #25
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I can't recall any roads like that when I was in San Diego from 2008 to 2012, but there were plenty in the mountains of WV when I bought my bike in (also in 2008). I had never been on motorcycle except the MAF days earlier and I was suddenly thrown into blind mountain curves on two lane roads that aren't wide enough for two cars! I made it 600 miles home to GA and them over 2,000 miles to San Diego where I spent those years of lane-splitting bliss!
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Old August 27th, 2014, 02:39 PM   #26
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Despite it probably being illegal, passing a car while staying in same lane sounds like a recipe for disaster but then just b/c i don't like tuna casserole doesn't mean you don't.

My question would be how much time would you save v/s risk? Only you can answer that.
I learned to ask that question when i finally i got caught speeding and the ticket was $280. Later i calculated the amount of time i would have saved by speeding v/s speed limit. Turned out to be 6 minutes; I rarely speed anymore and that is small beans compared to wrecking your bike; wrecking you life. I know the question wasn't about speeding but it does have a little to do with saving time.
Uhm, above is my long winded version of "evaluate and execute".

My 2 cents.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 02:43 PM   #27
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Despite it probably being illegal, passing a car while staying in same lane sounds like a recipe for disaster but then just b/c i don't like tuna casserole doesn't mean you don't.

My question would be how much time would you save v/s risk? Only you can answer that.
I learned to ask that question when i finally i got caught speeding and the ticket was $280. Later i calculated the amount of time i would have saved by speeding v/s speed limit. Turned out to be 6 minutes; I rarely speed anymore and that is small beans compared to wrecking your bike; wrecking you life. I know the question wasn't about speeding but it does have a little to do with saving time.
Uhm, above is my long winded version of "evaluate and execute".

My 2 cents.
whenever i pull up to a line of stopped cars -- (and i dont have someone behind me who i can tell sees the stop and sees me and is actively braking) -- i will pull up at least one or two cars even on one lane roads. just so i have cars behind me already stopped. i've been inches away from being rear ended twice, so now i try to take as few chances as i can.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 03:13 PM   #28
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I'm paranoid at being the last as well. So paranoid sometimes that I keep my eyes on my mirror so long that I tune out on what's going on in front of me. Alex, like you, I had a few people stop short behind me. Not a good feeling. But each time, I darted between lanes a half car length next to the car in front of me.

I know it makes me look like an ass to those cars. But I really don't want to get rear ended. People either don't know how to drive, got distracted or can't judge speed vs distance when it's time to stop at a red light.

The worse is when you're stop at a red and it turns green. Then you see a car in your mirrors approaching 100ft away. You know he doesn't plan on coming to a full stop if he doesn't have to.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 03:36 PM   #29
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I'm paranoid at being the last as well. So paranoid sometimes that I keep my eyes on my mirror so long that I tune out on what's going on in front of me. Alex, like you, I had a few people stop short behind me. Not a good feeling. But each time, I darted between lanes a half car length next to the car in front of me.

I know it makes me look like an ass to those cars. But I really don't want to get rear ended. People either don't know how to drive, got distracted or can't judge speed vs distance when it's time to stop at a red light.

The worse is when you're stop at a red and it turns green. Then you see a car in your mirrors approaching 100ft away. You know he doesn't plan on coming to a full stop if he doesn't have to.
don't feel bad about their misunderstanding. one time i was coming to stopped traffic for construction late at night on the freeway. asshat behind me wasn't stopping so i pulled between the cars out of the center and wham. the dumbass rear ended the car i was behind and shot the brake light assembly out at me. hurt my leg and gave the bike some scratches. idiots.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 05:48 PM   #30
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don't feel bad about their misunderstanding. one time i was coming to stopped traffic for construction late at night on the freeway. asshat behind me wasn't stopping so i pulled between the cars out of the center and wham. the dumbass rear ended the car i was behind and shot the brake light assembly out at me. hurt my leg and gave the bike some scratches. idiots.
That would have scared the crap out of me!

In other news, instead of going on the one lane street, I am lane splitting on the freeway. I tried 805, but the lanes are super narrow and that freaked me out. Yesterday, I went on I-5 and I ended up lane splitting with 3 other bikes, which was actually kinda fun! I'll probably end up going home this way from now on.
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Old August 27th, 2014, 05:52 PM   #31
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other bikes in front of you are helpful in the sense that they'll be the ones to get hit by a car darting into the other lane... but bikes are very unpredictable compared to cars. especially inexperienced bikers. so just remember to be careful and keep your distance from them also. scariest part is probably starting to split... some bikers on the 5 go around +35mph from traffic so if you pull out into the middle without a good look you're chancing a dance with one of those gsxrs. i usually just try to avoid being near other motorcycles unless its a friend
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Old August 27th, 2014, 05:59 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by alex.s View Post
other bikes in front of you are helpful in the sense that they'll be the ones to get hit by a car darting into the other lane... but bikes are very unpredictable compared to cars. especially inexperienced bikers. so just remember to be careful and keep your distance from them also. scariest part is probably starting to split... some bikers on the 5 go around +35mph from traffic so if you pull out into the middle without a good look you're chancing a dance with one of those gsxrs. i usually just try to avoid being near other motorcycles unless its a friend
Thanks for the expert advice. I was actually the one in front and they were all following me..... and then they decided that I was going too slow so they split one lane over to get around me
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Old August 27th, 2014, 06:10 PM   #33
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in a couple months and they'll all be off the road. it makes splitting much nicer when you're the only bike around
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Old August 28th, 2014, 02:50 AM   #34
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Hi @Snowieflake - welcome to the forum.

From your initial post, I think you have some very specific roads in mind. I can't figure out from your description if it's safe on those roads. You'll have to use your own judgement.

I can tell you though, that on a single lane (per direction) road, it's a bad idea to lane split on the right of the cars of your lane (closest to the hedge/pavement etc). The only time I ever do this is if the cars in the lane are completely stationary and even then, I do it very cautiously and very slowly, opting to split on the left of the car wherever possible.

These are some of the reasons I do not lane split to the right of cars (near the hedge):

* Roads are often designed so that they are hump shaped so that the water flows off to the side of road where the hedge or any drainage systems are. As such, the right side of the lane is more likely to have a poor surface and pot holes on account of water run off and puddle formation. It's not ideal to be encountering water damaged road (pot holes or bumpy sections) when you're stuck between a wall/hedge and a vehicle to your left.

* You're more likely to get dirt, leaves, muc, fallen branches, sticking out hedges and trash there. These things reduce grip or provide obstacles that can upset the bike or require avoidance manoeuvres - not ideal if you've got limited space because there's a vehicle to your left. When lane splitting, it's really important that you are able to quickly slow down if a vehicle starts drifting in its lane and for many other reasons (too numerous to list here). It's harder to slow down quickly if the road surface is as described.

* Drivers are more likely to expect you on their left. It's a common convention to filter to the left of vehicles. The convention ties in cleanly with the standard principle that faster, overtaking vehicles, overtake on the left hand side of the slower vehicle to the right. It's reasonable for a driver to look ahead and see a slow cyclist on their right hand side, or a horse, or even a pedestrian walking in the road... but not an undertaking motorcyclist coming up behind them.

* If a driver wants to overtake the vehicle in front of them, it's a near-universally excepted principle that they should check their left side mirror and do a left side shoulder check (blind spot) before pulling out. This is taught in any good driver training course. It's taught over here in England and I expect it's taught in the states. If you're splitting past them on the left, they are likely to see you if they're following this principle. If a driver is going to turn off onto a side-road to the right of them or simply pull over -- unless they live in an area with lots of cyclists -- it's not so likely that they will do a right side mirror check and a right side shoulder check to see if there is anything coming up on their right. If you're splitting on their right and they pull over / turn off without indicating (last minute decision) then they're probably going to take you out.

* When you're to the left of the vehicle you're really close to the driver of the vehicle (sitting in the left of the vehicle). They're more likely to hear you, they're more likely to see you and even a driver with bad spacial co-ordination is likely going to be able to steer their vehicle such that they don't hit you. If you're on the far side of the driver (to the right of the vehicle), then the opposite applies. I think the spacial co-ordination aspect applies particularly here: why do you think the "cars stay mostly to the left, hugging the double yellow", as you described it? I think it's because a lot of the drivers don't have a good feel for the size of their vehicle, so they employ the tactic of: if I drive close to the left of my lane where I can what I'm doing, the right side of my car is probably not going to hit anything because I'm on a big road. It's kind of like, they are driving motorbikes with really bike side cars sticking out to the right and just hoping that the side car isn't going to whack anything. Stay to the left where they are sat and where they have a good awareness of their vehicle, not to their right where they're not really sure what's going on.


Some things to bare in mind: I've written everything above from the perspective of driving on the right-hand side of the road. Over here everything is reversed as we drive on the left-hand side of the road. I wrote all of the above from the perspective of driving on the right, for your convenience.

There's a lot more elements to lane splitting that are vital to know other than which side of the lane should I split on when travelling on a single lane road. I've only covered that one element. You need to know a lot more to figure out whether it's safe or not. There are many things to take into consideration: Speed of traffic, your filtering speed compared to the traffic speed, traffic density, road conditions, visibility, quality of drivers in the area where you are filtering, number of turn offs, size of the vehicle you are passing, qty of other filtering riders (it's sometimes a PITA splitting at the same time as other riders!) and how aware the drivers are of motorcycles and of lane splitting motorcycles.

Take what you want from my post. Hope it helps. I lane split on every ride (you kinda have to over here!) and it's a really enjoyable part of my riding. I hope you learn to do it safely.
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