Lane Splitting

[RBX]

So i want to have the same Lane Splitting law as Californians enjoys, here in Maryland. ABATE doesn't seem to have any information on their site about a possiblity of an ammendment.

Anyone have any info on past attempts at this law Or suggestions / Arguements, Beer?

Good news is, Maryland is slated to get new motorcycle tags October 1st as long as the Gov approves it. The new tags would be the same dimensions as the rest of the frickin country. And i swear i saw a bike with a smaller MD tag then mine last week. I though it was a fake, but it had raised letters/numbers and reflective paint.

RB

[yuu]

I've seen MD tags (Ahem Zoom) that have been cut down to the 'normal' dimensions. So you might well ahve seen a home brew job.

[rhouck]

As long as traffic is heavy enough that the police cruisers can't follow you through, it's legal everywhere! :angel:

But seriously, good luck with that. As nice as it would be, do you really think the ignorant masses will vote for anything beneficial ONLY to motorcyclists? (even though it could do wonders for encouraging more people to ride scooters/motorcyclists to relieve beltway congestion and parking problems everywhere....)

[RBX]

Originally Posted by yuu

I've seen MD tags (Ahem Zoom) that have been cut down to the 'normal' dimensions. So you might well ahve seen a home brew job.

no, the tag i saw was not 'cut down' i have seen those before. these numbers were smaller.

Originally Posted by rhouck

As long as traffic is heavy enough that the police cruisers can't follow you through, it's legal everywhere! :angel:

But seriously, good luck with that. As nice as it would be, do you really think the ignorant masses will vote for anything beneficial ONLY to motorcyclists? (even though it could do wonders for encouraging more people to ride scooters/motorcyclists to relieve beltway congestion and parking problems everywhere....)

Gas prices are pushing more people to buy bikes that wouldn't normally consider it previously. I don't think folks in this state bother to pay any attention anyhow. They did however vote for helmets! Which is only beneficial to bikers. I would try to spin the idea that this will help traffic conjgestion by allowing more spaces a bike would occupy in traffic to be freed up.
While i realize this may be a very difficult venture, i would atleast like to try.


RB

[rhouck]

Originally Posted by RBX

Gas prices are pushing more people to buy bikes that wouldn't normally consider it previously. I don't think folks in this state bother to pay any attention anyhow. They did however vote for helmets! Which is only beneficial to bikers. I would try to spin the idea that this will help traffic conjgestion by allowing more spaces a bike would occupy in traffic to be freed up.

Untrue as the cost of head trauma can be incredibly expensive and uninsured/underinsured victims means the burden falls on the state. Plus it contributes to raising everyone's health insurance rates.

And regardless of those points you are talking about a SAFETY measure: people LOOOOOVE to tell other people what they should be doing with their lives, especially when it comes to things that THEY think are unsafe (i.e. you shouldn't smoke, you shouldn't drink, you should wear a seatbelt, etc).

My point being that they are two completely different issues: one gives motorists power over motorcyclists by telling them what they have to do (i.e. wear a helmet), while the other gives motorcyclists advantages over other motorists. Not that you face an impossible fight, but just far more difficult than passing a helmet law.

If you do intend to pursue this, you need to cover all sides: from why it is advantageous to why it is still safe. Compare it HOV lanes, where it would encourage more people to ride (just like HOV encourages people to carpool) since they would have an advantage over other drivers. Bring up how idling in traffic is harmful to the environment due to emissions and gas useage and that filtering would reduce this. Wikipedia also cites the Hurt report as saying filtering reduces rear-end collisions with motorcyclists by 30% (a substantial boost to rider safety).

Make sure you examine any differences between CA and MD. Are the lanes the same width? What about educating drivers if the law changes? How did the law initially come about in CA? (I've heard rumors about it being due to air-cooled bikes and So Cal heat)

Also consider looking beyond this country's borders; look at the UK, Japan and other countries that all allow it. What are their laws? How do their traffic patterns compare to MD?


You certainly face an uphill battle, altough not necessarily impossible. Just realize it will take far more than a letter saying "I hate waiting in line!"

Best of luck to you!

[bschurmann]

while your at it can you give Virginia a shot too. ;D I am always asking myself "why the F am I sitting here sweating my a*s off when I could easily just ride on past all these people". Sooo tempting but the fine is not worth it.

as for the roads in cali... the lanes on the highways and streets I drove on, in and around los angeles were way tighter then here.

[zooom]

I'll say that in stopped or severely slowed traffic (meaning like 5-15mph on say a 45 or faster MPH road for example) I will filter through at a minimal pace, mostly due to just a need to move, but also to secure my ability to be able to react to protect myself if some arsehole decides to try and impede my progress in some fashion deliberately and also to be able to navigate without upsetting anyone's mirrors or otherwise positions...the only time I have ever been spotted by a person of authority (thus far, and am knocking on wood as I type this) it was in Georgetown on M st in rush hour traffic and it was stopped with about 4 cars making it through each intersection at each light change...a DC cop on a Rebel 250 saw me and waved a finger at me like "no no" and pulled alongside of me and asked me why I was doing it...I told him "aircooled bike and I was only slowly filtering through, as he probably heard" cause I was on my Monster with Arrows which isn't silent, along with the sleigh bells sound of the clutch....he told me to just be careful and no stupidity as long as I was just slowly filtering, he'd look the otherway....I gave him a thumbs up in acknowledgement and went along my way.....so I support it as long as you aren't being stupid....I have seen arsehole baller riders that are on the beltway in over 55mph traffic doing a ton+ in splitting movements though everyone and that is what we have to watch out for with splitting laws...

[empress duc]

...lane splitting newbie here...

ducati culture and me had an intense session with it on
395 south, passing downtown, things slowed to a stand-
still as we passed the wharf. dc decided to go for it and
was a good thing since it was a parking lot all the way
to the exit for DCA-National (there was an awful accident).

during our slow filter, we went right past a olice: car and i was
pretty freaked out. he didn't flash or honk or "woopwoop"
at us or anything. i guess he just understood.

we must have been lane-splitting for at least 1.5 miles or
so. it was crazy. i'm not confident that another olice: would
have been as lenient, but i'm thankful.

be safe whether you split or sit...
~ empress ~

[rhouck]

@zooom - weird that a DC cop even mentioned it. Last year I'd lane split to job #1 down Mass Ave in the morning and then lane split up M street to job #2 each afternoon. I would pass cops, heck even pull up next to them at the stoplights and they wouldn't even say anything. I do agree that they seem pretty lenient as long as you're not being a jackass.


As for VA, I use the rule that I only split when traffic is so heavy there's no way that any cop could catch up to you to pull you over even if they wanted to [laugh] Really the only difference between splitting in DC and splitting in VA is that in VA there is always that one asshat driver every 1/4-1/2 mile or so who gets pissed as you go by and starts honking his horn...

[ltnuke]

So what is the fine for lane splitting in VA/DC/MD?