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[GregKhougaz]

There was a thread on this topic sometime ago.  I posted a CA Highway Patrol bulletin on the subject.  They consider lane splitting to be legal based upon a California vehicle code section which allows passing on the right when there is a lane to the right or room on the right.  Still, it is risky and must be done with prudence.   My experience is that most motorists will move over to let me by.  Face it, motorcycling is risky and most motorists are incompetent.  We ride as though half the drivers do not see us and the other half are trying to kill us!

[Midnight Rider]

There was a thread on this topic sometime ago.  I posted a CA Highway Patrol bulletin on the subject.  They consider lane splitting to be legal based upon a California vehicle code section which allows passing on the right when there is a lane to the right or room on the right.  Still, it is risky and must be done with prudence.   My experience is that most motorists will move over to let me by.  Face it, motorcycling is risky and most motorists are incompetent.  We ride as though half the drivers do not see us and the other half are trying to kill us!

Now those are some useful road signs!  We need some of those in Alabama.

Do not try lane splitting in Alabama...you will be a greasy spot on the road.  Even if you take the shoulder of the Interstate, cage drivers will honk, appear to pull over on you, and cuss you out

[Talon]

I have never lane split, had a bike tap the mirror of my rental car in L.A. on a double lane exit ramp as she passed at about 25 while we were sitting still. I'm not in that big of a hurry!

Craig

[CVOThunder]

the first rule of driving in California traffic? DON"T use a turn signal because people will purposely cut you off if they think you want to get ahead of them...

Exactly right. 

The second rule in CA is to poke along in the left lane, and refuse to move over and let faster moving cars pass.  Never saw such poor driving anywhere I've lived, except maybe Utah. 

Yeah I don't understand why they drive so chitty. My shop lead didn't much care for my comments that I was gonna take my company provided truck and shove the winch up someones ass the next time they cut me off.

Only way I'll drive through CA is leaving late at night or early in the morning. Kudos to those of you who are gifted enough to split lanes. Ain't gonna be me.

[DJ56]

Now this is some serious lane splitting...

http://video.tvguide.com/Police+search+for+motorcycle+speed+demon/10731079

[jacks]

Yep, I do it (and love it) here in Melbourne Aus. all the time...the cops CAN charge you with crossing lines without indicating etc. IF they can be bothered chasing you, but are reasonably tolerant if you are not too dangerous in your interpretation....the freeways are an example where traffic is stopped through peak times, so up the middle I go and then you get the wankers that move over so you cannot get through, it's then into the breakdown lanes...$140 fine for that, (once again if they can catch you)...that hit on the siren couldn't possibly be for me officer...surely ha ha...Kahil Gibran (The Prophet) cited:- (Man delights in making laws...but he delights MORE in breaking them)...how true...I feel so sorry for the motorists in their cages with windows... that have to sit in traffic and wait their turn....

[cvobiker]

Last weekend a group of six road our bikes to the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Traffic not to bad until we hit Hwy 121, which came to a complete 'turtle crawl'. So we proceeded to lane splitt to beat the heavy traffic..  For the most part, we were cutting the ride side until we came upon some idiot driving a jacked up truck that decided he didn't want us to pass.  He seen us coming from behind and once we came upon him he pulled a complete 90 degree to block the fog lane (emergency parking).  Really stupid move on his part,, we  simply cut around him on the left side and the miles of traffic behind us did the same, trapping the stupid fool in his spot.. As far as we could see, no one was letting the fool back into traffic...  I wanted so bad to bump into this guy at the track and ask him how he enjoyed his trip in.  

[Ironhorse]

Statistically speaking it's actually safer for a motorcycle to split lanes. The majority of freeway accidents are rear enders, and a motorcycle has a better survivability rate when it is between, or along side a car as opposed to being sandwiched front and rear. It was part of an NHSTA finding.

[Panhead_Jimmy]

California Highway Patrol (Ca Motorcyclist Safety Program) on legal lane splitting general guidelines:

http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/lanesplitguide.html

"Lane splitting in a safe and prudent manner is not illegal in the state of California.
The term lane splitting, sometimes known as lane sharing, filtering or white-lining, refers to the process of a motorcyclist riding between lanes of stopped or slower moving traffic or moving between lanes to the front of traffic stopped at a traffic light.
Motorcyclists who are competent enough riders to lane split, should follow these general guidelines if choosing to lane split:"

and it goes on

[kraut]

lane splitting is perfectly illegal in most European states - but on the other hand a habit of most bikers and widely tolerated in slow traffic. You have to know what you are doing though - but when riding a bike you always should 

[GregKhougaz]

Great information, Jimmy.  Thank you!   

[2018_FLTRXSE]

California Highway Patrol (Ca Motorcyclist Safety Program) on legal lane splitting general guidelines:

http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/lanesplitguide.html

"Lane splitting in a safe and prudent manner is not illegal in the state of California.
The term lane splitting, sometimes known as lane sharing, filtering or white-lining, refers to the process of a motorcyclist riding between lanes of stopped or slower moving traffic or moving between lanes to the front of traffic stopped at a traffic light.
Motorcyclists who are competent enough riders to lane split, should follow these general guidelines if choosing to lane split:"

and it goes on

Great stuff....

[RidinRuby]

Words to live by from the "Lane Splitting Guide"

              "If you don't fit, Don't split" 

[DDavidson]

Watch the crosswalks!

Saw another dangerous situation where a bicyclist ignored the traffic signal and crossed against the signal in the crosswalk.

Crossing against 3 lanes 2 going straight and 1 turning left.  She was obscured in front of the car in the number three lane when our direction signal turned green. The car coming up in the number two lane had to stop suddenly when she appeared around the car in the number three lane. (She waved) In the turn lane we waited for her to clear before proceeding.

If a rider had shot the green light between the cars in lanes two and three he would not have seen her in time and might have mowed her down.

I've also seen this happen with mothers and children, and seniors where they need a little extra time to finish the crossing.

I saw a father let his three or four year old run across by himself when the light turned green. Anybody turning right on red would not have seen this kid because of the other cars stopped. Many right-on-red drivers no longer stop, check, then turn but roll the red and only stop if they are impeding vehicles with the right-away.

[CVOJOE]

The guidelines say "motorcyclists can ride between two cars if there is room, but only at speeds no more than 10 miles-per-hour faster than the vehicles they're passing. The rules also say that motorcyclists should not attempt the move at full freeway speeds, or in any traffic going faster than 30 mph."

That sentence would indicate that they will start enforcing what they haven't been previously, lane-splitters 10MPH above speed of other vehicles, or freeway speeds, or in traffic faster than 30MPH. Trying to make it safer out there for all concerned, but it's a big change in that it's now in writing (but not codified).