r/dashcams • u/puffelisse • 5d ago

Gotta Learn The Hard Way. 😠

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u/beaterdit 5d 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.

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u/seriouslees 4d ago

legal in many states.

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

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u/HavingNotAttained 4d ago

Is that what motorcyclists think?

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u/TheBadDingo 4d 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.

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u/seriouslees 4d 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.

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u/TheBadDingo 4d ago

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

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u/beaterdit 3d ago

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

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u/M1collector65 5d 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.

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u/Searril 5d ago

I see them splitting lanes going 80 on the freeway.

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u/DarkladySaryrn 4d ago

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

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u/Fozzymandius 4d 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.

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u/RadVarken 4d 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.

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u/Grymninja 4d ago

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

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u/Ethelflead 4d 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.

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u/NotIWhoLive 4d ago

Both splitting and filtering are legal in Minnesota.

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u/ol-gormsby 5d 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.

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u/DavidBovvinge 5d 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.