Tracy Press

Is it really legal in this state for motorcyclists to go inbetween cars when they are stopped or slowed? And if it is legal, then WHY? I almost hit one this morning when I was changing lanes. A car had slowed and was letting me in but the motorcyclist decided he was in to much of a hurry.

In a nut shell, the answer is; Yes, motorcycles CAN share the same lane as another vehicle. The California Vehicle Code does not prevent two vehicles from sharing the same lanes. It is however against the law to &quot;Straddle&quot; lanes or move from lane to lane while driving. Vehicles, in this case a motorcycle, must stay in one lane or maintain a straight course of travel while driving.<br><br>Post edited by: ADeputy4U, at: 2007/07/27 00:03

It is legal in California to &quot;split&quot; lanes with a motorcycle. In fact, you'd better watch out because frequently in the commute to and from the Bay Area the motorcycles splitting lanes are California Highway Patrol, Alameda County Sheriff's Department and Oakland Police Department. You really need to turn and look behind you before you change lanes, especially in heavy traffic where motorcycles are more likely to split lanes. Thank you for your courtesy in doing so. <br><br>Post edited by: dynagirl, at: 2007/07/27 04:39

Lane splitting is not illegal in California. It has a real purpose to protect the motorcyclist, however like most vehicle driving laws it is often misused or exceeded. If a motorcycle was to be rear-ended while waiting in traffic the result is almost cetain death for the operator. With a bike only having 1 brake light it is often mistaken for the middle brake light on a car and the bike gets hit. Please use caution when changing lanes and look everytime (as you should do anyway). Thanks for bringing it up

Sounds very dangerous. It seems like a motorcycle would have to be &quot;straddling&quot; 2 lanes when passing inbetween cars. I just don't see how it is possible for them to maintain one lane going in the middle of 2 cars.

If you are in a car, don't worry about it too much. Sure, it's dangerous, but most of the danger is to the retard on the motorcycle, not to you in your car. If you crash into him because you couldn't see him, it is probably his fault, and he is the one who dies. Make sure your &quot;underinsured motorist&quot; coverage is high, because most of the losers on motorcycles just carry the minimum (not an issue if the dead motorcyclist is a cop, since the government can afford to pay for your damage).

Just looking around at all the losers riding motorcycles around this town, I can't help but think that the world would be better off without them.