Lane Splitting is on the agenda (again) in Washington State.

Representative MacEwen has introduced some lane splitting legislation.

House Bill HB1106 would allow lane splitting if the rider is going no more than 10 mph more than the traffic and is riding at less than 35 mph.

If would also make it a traffic infraction for the operator of another vehicle to interfere with the rider splitting lanes.

If you like this bill, let both of your House of Representatives member know.

Follow this link and click on the comment box.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1106&Year=2021&Initiative=false

It is a BS bill that needs to die.

Freedom is scary

Such important work they do in Olympia.

I support this. Lane splitting is one of the few things CA has done right.

If you dont like guns, dont buy a gun. If you dont like lane splitting, dont lane split.

For Freedoms sake, all I'm asking is for people to help get this passed.

Lane splitting is retarded but if you want to get sandwiched between two vehicles or face plant into someone changing lanes, go for it

I've seen nasty accidents in CA because of it and I don't care at all for bikers flying between rows of cars in heavy traffic

You realize lane splitting doesn't necessarily mean doing 120 between two cars doing 60, right? I'm trying to figure what part of doing 15mph between two cars doing 3mph is dangerous. If you dont feel comfortable doing it, that's completely fine. Dont do it. But quit trying to stop me from something that isn't affecting you in any way.

^^Indeed. Lane splitting is clearly an existential threat...it should be debated vigorously, all day, every day, for the entire session.

They can get to 'small stuff' like the decimated economy later.

$.02 worth,
Boss

PS...in all seriousness, anything that takes time away/ runs down the clock from their GC agenda...

I'm cool with it if the lane splitters insurance covers damages to vehicles when they collide with drivers who obviously can't see them, don't expect them, and are driving safely. Happens all the time and creates heart/headaches for everyone.

Sure I understand the difference and don't think that either is safe. I didn't say you shouldn't be able to do it. I just think it's a dumb thing to do. I'd rather bikes be able to treat the shoulders like extra lanes

I absolutely agree about the shoulders, but I'll take what I can get.

I dunno man. Have you seen the shit piled up on the freeway shoulders? Sand, gravel, nails, ladders, piss bottles, heroin needles, etc.

I'd like to be able to filter at stoplights like many other developed countries, as a motorcycle I'd be off the line before 99.9% of drivers are off their phone.

look at all the haters that dont realize just how much proper lane splitting helps  traffic congestion and rider safety.

On top of all the shitty drivers around here
I have to worry about some guy coming out
of nowhere on the side of my car?

If it does pass one of you will be in here bitching about the ticket you got and how the cop has no way of proving your speed as it was completely arbitrary guestimation.

Not I, if I get stopped it's usually my fault. I wont admit to anything, but I'll pay my fine and be on my way.

“Lane splitting should be illegal, for everyone’s safety”

“Assault Weapons should be illegal, for everyone’s safety”


You folks crying about something you have no true understanding of sure sounds like the anti-gunners when they cry about shit they are ignorant of too.

FFS at least educate yourself or be open to listen to riders.

If you look before you change lanes, then there will be no problem.

Lane splitters are aware that holes in traffic means someone might switch into them and might not be paying attention.  However, there are usually few holes in traffic when traffic is bad enough to use lane-splitting.

The only people that don't like lane-splitting, are people that aren't paying attention while driving, or are mad someone else is getting through traffic faster than them.

I've lane-split in California and Europe, and it is much more civilized than getting rear-ended by a car driver not paying attention.

Your condescension is duly noted. You have no way of knowing why I disagree with lane splitting. Do you say "cagers" a lot, too?

That's true, I don't know everyone's opinion.  Maybe there is a good reason for disagreeing, but over the decades I haven't heard one.

I've put hundreds of thousands of miles on motorcycles.  Just like we don't like ignorant hoplophobes deciding our 2nd Amendment Civil Rights, it also irks motorcyclists when "cagers" decide laws based on feelings and not facts.

If I'm surprised by a biker in traffic, I get mad at myself for not paying attention, not the biker.

I apologize if I have offended anyone.

Just between you, me and Connie Chung, I'm not easily offended. And, for the record, I've been on two wheels since 1968. My personal observation is that few things are as likely to end in disaster while riding a motorcycle as surprises. When you base your riding habits on time saved, you neutralize the value of time. Saving time on a ride is not only false economy, it flies in the face of the primary reason for riding: personal freedom/enjoyment. Conversely, taking time neutralizes the inherent danger in surprises. And, of course it does, in theory, enhance the enjoyment of the act of riding.
Instead of improving your "lap times" by lane splitting or cutting corners, leave a little earlier, so you can spend more free time behind those handlebars. It has been said that it's not the destination, it's the journey. And, never forget how tiny are those two little contact patches between you and the pavement.

Well put as a rebuttal. I agree with allowing lane splitting on the basis of freedom. Granted I also disagree with most speed limit laws too for wide open areas or any area on a clear day...

As I remember from my 30 years in CA you are welcome to lane split but it’s on you. You get splattered it’s not the cars fault.

The part of the legislation in WA  that says a car can be liable is total bullshit.

After experiencing lane splitting in CA, I would say there are a spectrum of splitters.  Were on cruisers and just kept moving through the stopped cars at a reasonable relatively safe pace.  Had an assortment of splitter pros going quite fast and had to look out and yield for them.  Most cars make room when they see you coming.  Can definitely see how it improves the flow of traffic and get the motorcycles moving, this reducing the congestion

In CA it is illegal for a vehicle to "intentionally" block a motorcycle that is lane splitting, i.e. opening their door, swerving to that side of the lane, etc.
But hey, burden of proof, or whatever.

Whenever I was in my car, I would move to the edge of the lane to let motorcycles through, but I'm not a selfish or self righteous asshole, I let people merge too, even if they are retarded, cause hey, the smoother traffic flows, the faster we all get where we are going.

If a car did block me while I was on my motorcycle, I'd simply wait for an opportunity to pass them, not rev my engine, honk, or get irate.

Some animals want to be more equal than others.

I dont think "equality" has anything to do with this.

The underlying point has everything to do with a small group of people wanting special privileges for themselves.

You're not wrong, but SCIENCE and studies have shown that it does reduce traffic congestion and reduce serious and sometimes fatal rear end collisions for motorcyclists. Prove to me, how motorcycles traveling in unused road space negatively effects you.

It also has nothing to do with special privileges either.  

You sound like you're likely a fan of seatbelt laws too.

Agreed on intentionally. If I missed that in the bill my bad, lack of reading comprehension.

My problem would be the closing rate of a motorcycle and not seeing them in my mirror. Pretty easy on a curve to initiate a lane change without expecting a 45mph motorcycle to be splitting.

I’m in support of the practice in the belief that it speeds things up for everyone, although I never did it in my time on 2 wheels in CA.

Lane splitting might have a better chance of passing if the the law specified that lane splitters would automatically be considered to be at fault if there was a traffic collision while they were splitting lanes..sort of the same logic that applies to rear end accidents.  Obviously there should be something saying that causing a deliberate collision with a lane splitter would place blame on the driver that deliberately caused a lane splitter to be involved in a collision.  

I'm just not sure how courts would sort out someone who was changing lanes in a normal, safe fashion, from the asshat who is deliberately trying to cut off or strike the lane splitter.  

In the general sense, I am not opposed to lane splitting, but the lane splitter would own the majority of responsibility for collisions caused when splitting lanes.

“But muh safety!” “If it saves just one life!” Yeah, where have we heard that before?

At this point science and statistics have been politically abused so much that they say pretty much what anyone’s agenda pays them to. We aren’t hearing about any significant number of motorcyclist being hurt in rear end collisions, so it’s pretty obvious that it isn’t that big of an issue.

The motorcyclist’s safety argument in favor of lane splitting is laughably self contradicting:

“People don’t see see us and therefore we have to ride like everyone is trying to kill us”

“We want to legalize this additionally risky behavior and people will just have to see us”

If the motorcyclist lobby were truly concerned about safety, they would be pushing for requirements for additional lighting and the wearing high visibility colors on helmets and outerwear to increase what is by their own admission a lack of visibility. You know, like the shit that actual safety advocates for the automobile industry foist upon us. But no, instead motorcyclists are usually griping about having to wear a helmet. And here they are wanting to trade one perceived risk for what is likely an even greater one. So at least drop the safety act. It is transparently BS. When motorcyclists are wearing oscillating lights on top of their helmets we can talk about the “safety” of lane splitting.

What you really want is the legalization of a special privilege for convenience for most motorcyclists and to act like assholes for a few others.

And that isn’t “unused” space on the edges of lanes. It’s there by design to accommodate a variety of vehicle sizes and provide a margin of safety for everyone. Which makes trying use safety as a reason to reduce or eliminate that margin all the more self defeating. That space on the edges of lanes is no more “unused” than the space in the middle of the lanes between the front and rear of vehicles waiting in a line. Prove to us how using THAT space negatively affects you, other than having to use the roads according to the same set of common rules as everyone else. And demonstrate a little patience. Like everyone else. Oh, the horror.

And I am not even completely opposed to the idea of lane splitting. I am just tired of minority groups demanding special accommodations and being lied to.

Maybe we should go for maximum freedom and eliminate lane markings and speed limits altogether.

Weak ad hominem argument. Congratulations?

It's a matter of safety.  You are more likely to get rear-ended in stop and go traffic than to have an accident splitting lanes.  Even the California Highway Patrol did not object to lane-splitting.

And I'm talking about stop and go traffic where there are no holes for people to change lanes.  If there are holes, then the rider is prepared and can alert the driver of his presence.

Got a favorable response from Christine Rolfes today. Hope it moves forward.

Glad to hear it, I hope so too