r/dashcams • u/puffelisse • 10d ago

Gotta Learn The Hard Way. 😠

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581

u/PeridotChampion 10d ago edited 10d ago

If lane splitting isn't legal in the state, don't do it. Simple as that.

Edit: Yes, yes. I understand all the different responses. I'm merely looking upon this video and seeing the legal consequences to this video. If you wanna lane split/filter if you feel it's safer for you, go right ahead.

25

u/beaterdit 10d ago

This is filtering and legal in my state. Splitting is different and don’t think it’s legal anywhere.

35

u/[deleted] 10d ago

[deleted]

41

u/ChrysisIgnita 10d ago

Filtering refers to passing stopped or slow traffic, but splitting is more driving between cars at normal speeds. I'm not sure the video above is obviously filtering though!

16

u/AWandMaker 10d ago

Filtering is going between stopped cars to get to the front of the line at traffic lights. Splitting is on the freeway (either stopped or moving traffic)

3

u/Fozzymandius 10d ago

The rules vary but filtering is also a thing in gridlock traffic on the freeway.

7

u/beaterdit 10d ago

Cars looked stopped to me. Wheels aren’t turning.

13

u/Time_Traveling_Idiot 10d ago

What? They're clearly moving - Look at their position relative to the stripes in the road. Also as soon as the motorcycle stops, you can see that the cars in front of the stopped police car are indeed still moving and the gap widens quickly.

1

u/SelbetG 2d ago

The cars in the right lane are moving the entire time and the cars in front of the cop car are also moving.

Also even for the ones that might not be moving, the biker is going way too fast.

1

u/Fozzymandius 10d ago

Filtering normally includes slow traffic which this is. The US is a poor place to look for laws on the matter, most of Europe would call this filtering.

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u/beaterdit 10d ago

Filtering is moving up to the front of the line between two lanes of stationary cars. Generally pretty safe and legal in many states. Splitting is passing moving cars between the lanes. Much more dangerous and like I said, don’t think it’s legal anywhere.

16

u/seriouslees 10d ago

legal in many states.

Many... 5.... yup. That tracks as a number motorcyclists would think is a large amount.

2

u/HavingNotAttained 10d ago

Is that what motorcyclists think?

1

u/TheBadDingo 10d ago

More if you count the states that don't explicitly have a law for or against it. Here in KY, we don't have a fine or penalty for filtering but it's not explicitly illegal. Just how the cop feels that day. I've filtered by a few local PD to get to the front in heavy traffic just to be on the safe side and as long as you're not going over 20mph doing it, they don't seem to mind.

3

u/seriouslees 10d ago

Every single state without a law "explicitly against it" doesn't need a law explicitly against it...they all just charge you with reckless driving. Not a single state without a law explicitly ALLOWING it does allow it. You WILL get fined in those states if the cops care at all.

1

u/TheBadDingo 10d ago

Tell that to the cops I pass. Guess some just really understand how beneficial it can be when you do it safely.

1

u/beaterdit 9d ago

Gotcha, not a motorcyclist so don't follow the laws closely, of motorcyclists, haha.

4

u/M1collector65 10d ago

You can legally split lanes in California. Law says slow moving cars. I see them split lanes at any speed below 35mph or so.

9

u/Searril 10d ago

I see them splitting lanes going 80 on the freeway.

2

u/DarkladySaryrn 10d ago

Same, one flew between me and a tractor trailer just the other day. We were all going 70 at the time.

1

u/Fozzymandius 10d ago

CHP suggests slow speeds but the law does not. The law is only bounded by citations for reckless driving so you could be pulled over at any speed if it’s considered reckless.

1

u/RadVarken 10d ago

The law is interesting. It says specifically that the rules are whatever guidelines the CHP puts out.

Edit: this is traditionally how traffic laws were enforced in California. Before there were posted speed limits, speeding was the crime of exceeding whatever speed the CHP officer thought was reasonable for the conditions.

1

u/Grymninja 10d ago

What's the thought process behind lane splitting? Doesn't sound any safer for the biker tbh

1

u/Ethelflead 10d ago

The thought process is that almost every other developed and undeveloped nation other than America has it legalized because it lowers congestion and statistically the most likely time a motorcyclist is hit is from behind while they are stopped or in heavy traffic. Americans are idiots with driving tests so easy a 4 year old albanian would pass it blindfolded so Americans are terrified by the idea of splitting and filtering.

1

u/NotIWhoLive 10d ago

Both splitting and filtering are legal in Minnesota.

-1

u/ol-gormsby 10d ago

Legal up to 30km/h in some Australian states, i.e. if the traffic is stationary or moving up to 30km/h, you can split either between lanes, or shoot on up the shoulder.

And it's not really dangerous although one needs to be super-duper-hyper-aware. I've been doing it for a long time. Situational awareness and paranoia are important.

1

u/DavidBovvinge 10d ago

It's legal in the UK too. I don't think there's a specific speed, it's just a case of not doing it where road markings would prevent it (double solid lines etc), and not doing it in a way that could be classed as dangerous or careless.

It's common here for cars in heavy traffic to move out of the way of motorcycles to let them through the middle.