Close Call

[BorgBiker]

I've had my Max for almost 2 months now, and loved every minute of it! I've put almost 3000 miles on it so far, and really got my riding chops back. Nothing shows that to me more than the number of crisis's I've averted while riding in Los Angeles area traffic. Amazing how some people in cars seems to spend less than 1% of their ability driving.

Last night while riding home, traffic through the first half of my commute was lighter than normal. As the flow was 45-60 mph, I saw no need for lane splitting. The second half begins after the freeway I am riding eastbound on crosses over another freeway traveling north and south. This is usually where traffic slows down a lot, with the merging and splitting off taking place.

After around 5 minutes, I had slowly come up on another motorcyclist lane splitting ahead of me. He was very skilled, having an Adventure-Tourer with large rectangular boxes mounted. They stuck out at least as wide as handlebars, and he maintained a speed that was near that of my much narrower bike. He sometimes had less than an inch to spare on both sides at once, something I don't know if I could pull off regularly.

So when I was down to about 4 car lengths behind him, I had a thought that drivers usually aren't paying attention to what's behind them in heavy freeway traffic, and we lane splitters often surprise the drivers. At least I can say that has been the case when I've been in the driver's position. And after one bike, another coming through quickly after is even rarer. No sooner had I had this thought, when a car in the lane to the right of me (going maybe 10-15mph moves over to his left while I'm just coming up on him! Before I could react, I hit him. It was a glanced blow, as I was trying to remain calm and smooth while avoiding a crash. It happened fast, the events aren't 100% clear, but it seems that I hit that car to my right which had moved over, and then I assume I bounced a bit to the left, coming in contact with the car on my left. My left mirror was rotated back at this point - proving SOME kind of left car contact.

Everything happened so fast, at this point I was waiting for the crash that never came. I found myself rolling along, everything seeming normal except for a tremendous pain in my right ankle/foot. The bumper for the car on my right knocked it off the peg and back a bit, the way it was throbbing I thought it was mangled up.

Technically, I should have stopped. But I was thinking about not clogging the freeway with a jam that would last for hours no doubt, so I calmly changed lanes until I could get to the next exit. The cars that were involved with me stayed driving in their lanes,so I proceeded to pull into a gas station to see if my foot was still functioning. Amazingly enough, the pain got no worse when I stood on it. When I got home it was a bit swollen, and I somehow bruised the back of my right heel (very odd pain). The Max is worse for wear with only 1 small scratch on the rt muffler, nothing else I could find - even the mirror was simply swung back on it's adjustment threads.

I called the non-emergency 911 after I got home to inform them of what happened. Didn't feel like being a hit-and-run driver. No one had called in, so there probably won't be any investigation.

To my knowledge, I did nothing wrong, wasn't speeding, was following the legal guidelines for lane splitting, etc... I survived due to not being excessive in my actions, and I like to think that my previous 100,000 miles of riding had something to do with that. If you live in an area where lane splitting is allowed, or ever do - always remember that cars drivers are beyond oblivious to us. They won't even know it was their fault in a situation like this.

As for me, I chalk this up as the ultimate close call. I will be fine, the bike is great - as I rode home on it - and whatever I might have done to the cars I encountered wasn't enough to warrant them reporting it. The only downside is that I won't be riding for a few days.

 

[bazwell]

That's about as close as a call gets! We'll have to call you Lucky.
Best be learning from that one.

 

[PDWeyand]

Well I must agree that was a very close call, glad your okay. I do not know if lane splitting is a great idea, you just never know. I mean what if a 4wheeler get pissed, moves over in his lane to use up more of his lane, where does that leave the rider, less room and probability to more likely to get hurt. It has happen before and will again. I hate to think like that but I have seen it happen. I do not want to be the person to find out that the guy in the car is having a bad day.

 

[rusty]

Well I must agree that was a very close call, glad your okay. I do not know if lane splitting is a great idea, you just never know. I mean what if a 4wheeler get pissed, moves over in his lane to use up more of his lane, where does that leave the rider, less room and probability to more likely to get hurt. It has happen before and will again. I hate to think like that but I have seen it happen. I do not want to be the person to find out that the guy in the car is having a bad day.

Had a guy open his door to spit on the ground, while I was lane splitting in traffic.Lucky I was moving slowly,he all most got a Vmax in his lap.

 

[firefly]

I've had my Max for almost 2 months now, and loved every minute of it! I've put almost 3000 miles on it so far, and really got my riding chops back. Nothing shows that to me more than the number of crisis's I've averted while riding in Los Angeles area traffic. Amazing how some people in cars seems to spend less than 1% of their ability driving.

Last night while riding home, traffic through the first half of my commute was lighter than normal. As the flow was 45-60 mph, I saw no need for lane splitting. The second half begins after the freeway I am riding eastbound on crosses over another freeway traveling north and south. This is usually where traffic slows down a lot, with the merging and splitting off taking place.

After around 5 minutes, I had slowly come up on another motorcyclist lane splitting ahead of me. He was very skilled, having an Adventure-Tourer with large rectangular boxes mounted. They stuck out at least as wide as handlebars, and he maintained a speed that was near that of my much narrower bike. He sometimes had less than an inch to spare on both sides at once, something I don't know if I could pull off regularly.

So when I was down to about 4 car lengths behind him, I had a thought that drivers usually aren't paying attention to what's behind them in heavy freeway traffic, and we lane splitters often surprise the drivers. At least I can say that has been the case when I've been in the driver's position. And after one bike, another coming through quickly after is even rarer. No sooner had I had this thought, when a car in the lane to the right of me (going maybe 10-15mph moves over to his left while I'm just coming up on him! Before I could react, I hit him. It was a glanced blow, as I was trying to remain calm and smooth while avoiding a crash. It happened fast, the events aren't 100% clear, but it seems that I hit that car to my right which had moved over, and then I assume I bounced a bit to the left, coming in contact with the car on my left. My left mirror was rotated back at this point - proving SOME kind of left car contact.

Everything happened so fast, at this point I was waiting for the crash that never came. I found myself rolling along, everything seeming normal except for a tremendous pain in my right ankle/foot. The bumper for the car on my right knocked it off the peg and back a bit, the way it was throbbing I thought it was mangled up.

Technically, I should have stopped. But I was thinking about not clogging the freeway with a jam that would last for hours no doubt, so I calmly changed lanes until I could get to the next exit. The cars that were involved with me stayed driving in their lanes,so I proceeded to pull into a gas station to see if my foot was still functioning. Amazingly enough, the pain got no worse when I stood on it. When I got home it was a bit swollen, and I somehow bruised the back of my right heel (very odd pain). The Max is worse for wear with only 1 small scratch on the rt muffler, nothing else I could find - even the mirror was simply swung back on it's adjustment threads.

I called the non-emergency 911 after I got home to inform them of what happened. Didn't feel like being a hit-and-run driver. No one had called in, so there probably won't be any investigation.

To my knowledge, I did nothing wrong, wasn't speeding, was following the legal guidelines for lane splitting, etc... I survived due to not being excessive in my actions, and I like to think that my previous 100,000 miles of riding had something to do with that. If you live in an area where lane splitting is allowed, or ever do - always remember that cars drivers are beyond oblivious to us. They won't even know it was their fault in a situation like this.

As for me, I chalk this up as the ultimate close call. I will be fine, the bike is great - as I rode home on it - and whatever I might have done to the cars I encountered wasn't enough to warrant them reporting it. The only downside is that I won't be riding for a few days.

But after all that isn't lane splitting a lot of fun, I can't imagine not lane splitting, I feel like a paranoid squirrel riding in LA, reading the minds of zombie drivers from the position of their heads, but let me tell you, the most dangerous situation is the other lane splitters, many accidents are caused by other motorcyclist lane splitting, some new lane splitters do very very stupid things without looking. the safest time to go faster is when cars are slowing to a stop or starting from a stop, they never open doors during that time.
a bright headlight at night gets these zombies attention, also a bright headlight gets attention in daytime riding (that if they are not texting & looking down.

the best lane to split from is next to the fast left lane BUT watch for pileups, cars in the left lane will do a quick lane change to the right to avoid a pile up or just escape slowing cars, if you are on the right of these cars you need to be prepared to move over or apply brakes or else you will become road grease.

we have the advantage of seeing farther ahead so use this advantage to its maximum & avoid riding behind big suv's or trucks you don't see what's in front of them.

Though the law permits lane splitting, if you get in an accident you will be at fault for not paying attention or going faster than safe so don't think the law is on your side.

when you get so confidant in your lane splitting skills WATCH OUT your next accident is around the corner.

for me the more traffic is jammed the better, its 100 times better than any game. my bike is down these days & feel so frustrated driving the car.

a bright headlight in the driver side mirror forces them to pay attention and even makes them open the way for you to pass.

 

[bazwell]

But after all that isn't lane splitting a lot of fun, I can't imagine not lane splitting, I feel like a paranoid squirrel riding in LA, reading the minds of zombie drivers from the position of their heads, but let me tell you, the most dangerous situation is the other lane splitters, many accidents are caused by other motorcyclist lane splitting, some new lane splitters do very very stupid things without looking. the safest time to go faster is when cars are slowing to a stop or starting from a stop, they never open doors during that time.
a bright headlight at night gets these zombies attention, also a bright headlight gets attention in daytime riding (that if they are not texting & looking down.

the best lane to split from is next to the fast left lane BUT watch for pileups, cars in the left lane will do a quick lane change to the right to avoid a pile up or just escape slowing cars, if you are on the right of these cars you need to be prepared to move over or apply brakes or else you will become road grease.

we have the advantage of seeing farther ahead so use this advantage to its maximum & avoid riding behind big suv's or trucks you don't see what's in front of them.

Though the law permits lane splitting, if you get in an accident you will be at fault for not paying attention or going faster than safe so don't think the law is on your side.

when you get so confidant in your lane splitting skills WATCH OUT your next accident is around the corner.

for me the more traffic is jammed the better, its 100 times better than any game. my bike is down these days & feel so frustrated driving the car.

a bright headlight in the driver side mirror forces them to pay attention and even makes them open the way for you to pass.

Lol. The only reason I haven't got bar end mirrors is because of lane splitting.
It's illegal here unless cars on your right are stationary, so I mostly do it when approaching red lights, which is pretty safe. When they aren't moving, they can't change lanes. Otherwise keep your eyes peeled!!!

 

[BikeShack]

LOL Holly Molly .... now that would freak me out!!! seeing someone's head sticking out of a car in front of me...

After 20+ years of lane splitting in So.Cal. I had to learn a new set of rules in the Mid-West....

I do find interesting though... the lack of interest in safety in this area... most people ride helmet-less and some even wear flip-flops :th_signs60:

Had a guy open his door to spit on the ground, while I was lane splitting in traffic.Lucky I was moving slowly,he all most got a Vmax in his lap.

 

[SpecOps13]

Here, the only time it's legal to split lanes is to avoid an accident. I do it quite often. Seems the
Tampa Bay area is in the top 20 in the country for Dick Head, Cage Drivers...


I've had other drivers congratulate me on some narrow misses. Will my luck hold out, likely not...

 

[rusty]

 

[Lew L]

Glad your OK.
I learned to ride in Cali and did plenty of lane splitting in my youth. Had a few close calls and later moved to a state where it's not legal. But when I'm back in Cal. I don't split'em. I think it pisses off the cagers. And, of course they don't see us. The Valkarie is a big girl and not really suitable for splitting anyway and I'd really hate to wreck my Max for the sake of getting there a few moments earlier.

Lew

 

[misiek93]

I'm sorry but in my opinion you're an idiot. Yes you got lucky but if that was my car you hit I would pull over and beat the crap out of you or at the very least report you for a hit and run. What if that car moved over 6 inches and just plain ran you over? Then the driver of the car would have to deal with hurting you, getting his car jacked up and possibly some legal issues depending if anyone would sue and all this so you can get to your destination a minute earlier? Seems worth it doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong I'm glad you're ok, it could have been a lot worse but I just don't have any sympathy for riders like you.

 

[firefly]

I'm sorry but in my opinion you're an idiot. Yes you got lucky but if that was my car you hit I would pull over and beat the crap out of you or at the very least report you for a hit and run. What if that car moved over 6 inches and just plain ran you over? Then the driver of the car would have to deal with hurting you, getting his car jacked up and possibly some legal issues depending if anyone would sue and all this so you can get to your destination a minute earlier? Seems worth it doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong I'm glad you're ok, it could have been a lot worse but I just don't have any sympathy for riders like you.

You guys that don't lane split have NO idea how SAFE it is & speak out of total ignorance, if you don't know how to get really close to moving cars you basically have 60% less riding skills.

I would never consider riding with a buddy that doesn't know how to split lanes, following the car in front of you does not sharpen riding skills, we are constantly exercising our fast reaction skills every time we ride.

to none lane splitters the road is lanes but to lane splitters its an open space that can be used SAFELY to cut hours not minutes in heavy traffic. to us California riders we can spot an out of state rider from a mile away & laugh in our helmets at their fear of the road.

splitting lanes RARELY result is serious accidents,If you see how police motorcycle officers here split lanes you'll stop riding.

We don't depend on car drivers seeing us but if they do its a +, they see us after we pass, before they even think we are far out of their way.

a none splitter question: what if the car suddenly move in your lane? the answer is it never happens suddenly for a rider paying intense attention, we can spot a twitchy driver very easily. what if someone opens the door? very easy paying attention will let you safely react "no big deal"

what if a car driver gets mad & want to squeeze you, just use an alternative route/ lane/space, we just make them understand their space is not important, we have other ways to snake our way through traffic.

 

[gamorg02]

I'm sorry but in my opinion you're an idiot. Yes you got lucky but if that was my car you hit I would pull over and beat the crap out of you or at the very least report you for a hit and run. What if that car moved over 6 inches and just plain ran you over? Then the driver of the car would have to deal with hurting you, getting his car jacked up and possibly some legal issues depending if anyone would sue and all this so you can get to your destination a minute earlier? Seems worth it doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong I'm glad you're ok, it could have been a lot worse but I just don't have any sympathy for riders like you.

wow thats kinda harsh. you do realize lane splitting is legal there? it sounds like he was doing it safely.

 

[misiek93]

I don't think it was harsh at all. If he was doing it safely he wouldn't have hit or got hit by a car. I do lane splitting myself (not legal here) and I also tailgate (which I think is way worse) so I'm just as guilty of this as anyone here. I still do think this is pretty dumb idea. I wouldn't expect any kind words or any sympathy if I got into an accident. It doesn't matter if you can spot crappy drivers or if you think you know what a cager might do, the point is you are inches away from a car that can potentially crush you, why would you want to put yourself in that situation? Wouldn't it be safer for you to get into the right line and ride the shoulder so you at least have some room to get out of the way?

From my experience around Chicago, car drivers get pissed off at bikes lane splitting and some go out of their way to block you from being able to pass. I used to take 290 into the city and then back home every day for about 6 months and theres not a day when numerous drivers went out of their way to make sure I can't go pass them, I didn't really care and just went around them on the other side, maybe my view changed after I had my daughter recently or after I've seen some pretty stupid riders while out on the road with my dad (he drives a semi and I go with him sometime for extra cash). I don't care how much time you save to me it's not worth knowingly putting yourself at risk.

origianal poster said he was "going maybe 10-15mph moves over to his left while I'm just coming up on him!" which tells me he was probably riding in the car's blindspot. And honestly at that speed and with how quiet the vmax is you can't really hear it with the windows up.


@ firefly: riding ability has nothing to do with common sense. It's not a matter of not knowing how to get clsose to a moving car it's a matter of not wanting to. You can lane split all you want but to me it's not worth the risk. This time he got a sore ankle and some damage to his bike, next time he may end up in a wheel chair or worse, again risks far outweigh the benefits in my mind.

And if someone opens a door and you're going to fast to stop in time you can react all you want, you'll still end up inside their car. Also, you can't tell me you see everything 100% of the time, this is just plain simple impossible.

 

[PDWeyand]

You guys that don't lane split have NO idea how SAFE it is & speak out of total ignorance, if you don't know how to get really close to moving cars you basically have 60% less riding skills.

I would never consider riding with a buddy that doesn't know how to split lanes, following the car in front of you does not sharpen riding skills, we are constantly exercising our fast reaction skills every time we ride.

California riders we can spot an out of state rider from a mile away & laugh in our helmets at their fear of the road.

splitting lanes RARELY result is serious accidents,If you see how police motorcycle officers here split lanes you'll stop riding.

Once you have committed to passing a car and the door swings open or that vehicle moves in on you. You will not have time to stop or speed up. You will on the other hand will be able to play SUPER MAN as you go flying through the air. It is not a matter skill at that point it is a matter of how far you will fly.
I seen happen more than once. For me it is not fear of the road, it is the fear my ass sliding down the road due to someone doing something that could make your game over.

Crashing:
Remember riding isn't inherently dangerous...crashing is.
Your Brain:
Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't go five seconds earlier.
Other Objects:
In the ongoing battle between objects made of metal, rubber and plastic going dozens of miles per hour, and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose. Same holds for cars, trucks, walls and most animals. Draws don't count.
Judgment:
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, experience usually comes from bad judgment.
Rides:
A 'good' ride is one you can walk away from.
A 'great' ride is one you can walk away from and use the bike again.
Luck & Experience:
You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck

 

[firefly]

Guys you comment about splitting lanes without having experience with it, yes in other states car drivers get mad but here they open up the road or move in their lane to let us pass, car drivers here are very tolerant of bikes splitting lanes only the out of state drivers get bunched up.
the more attention I am paying the less likely I'll get in an accident, every day I ride cars cut me off without seeing me, open doors, veer in my lane, stop at green lights, people cross the street from any point, homeless people with a cardboard singe walking between cars, elderly with poor vision, drunk, stoned drivers, texting & looking at GPS's, drinking, eating, putting makeup. teenagers & on & on. you guys are lucky to have open roads and no traffic congestion, I have 77,000 miles on the bike all lane splitting on a daily bases & I am not a reckless rider or a squid.

 

[BorgBiker]

I'm sorry but in my opinion you're an idiot. Yes you got lucky but if that was my car you hit I would pull over and beat the crap out of you or at the very least report you for a hit and run. What if that car moved over 6 inches and just plain ran you over? Then the driver of the car would have to deal with hurting you, getting his car jacked up and possibly some legal issues depending if anyone would sue and all this so you can get to your destination a minute earlier? Seems worth it doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong I'm glad you're ok, it could have been a lot worse but I just don't have any sympathy for riders like you.

I don't think it was harsh at all. If he was doing it safely he wouldn't have hit or got hit by a car. I do lane splitting myself (not legal here) and I also tailgate (which I think is way worse) so I'm just as guilty of this as anyone here. I still do think this is pretty dumb idea. I wouldn't expect any kind words or any sympathy if I got into an accident. It doesn't matter if you can spot crappy drivers or if you think you know what a cager might do, the point is you are inches away from a car that can potentially crush you, why would you want to put yourself in that situation? Wouldn't it be safer for you to get into the right line and ride the shoulder so you at least have some room to get out of the way?

From my experience around Chicago, car drivers get pissed off at bikes lane splitting and some go out of their way to block you from being able to pass. I used to take 290 into the city and then back home every day for about 6 months and theres not a day when numerous drivers went out of their way to make sure I can't go pass them, I didn't really care and just went around them on the other side, maybe my view changed after I had my daughter recently or after I've seen some pretty stupid riders while out on the road with my dad (he drives a semi and I go with him sometime for extra cash). I don't care how much time you save to me it's not worth knowingly putting yourself at risk.

origianal poster said he was "going maybe 10-15mph moves over to his left while I'm just coming up on him!" which tells me he was probably riding in the car's blindspot. And honestly at that speed and with how quiet the vmax is you can't really hear it with the windows up.


@ firefly: riding ability has nothing to do with common sense. It's not a matter of not knowing how to get clsose to a moving car it's a matter of not wanting to. You can lane split all you want but to me it's not worth the risk. This time he got a sore ankle and some damage to his bike, next time he may end up in a wheel chair or worse, again risks far outweigh the benefits in my mind.

And if someone opens a door and you're going to fast to stop in time you can react all you want, you'll still end up inside their car. Also, you can't tell me you see everything 100% of the time, this is just plain simple impossible.

I understand your opinion but find it shallow, shortsighted, and ignorant.

Riders like me? You know next to nothing about me. I have over 100,000 miles of riding under my ever expanding beltline. I guess I'm just a no-skill rookie though, because even though I am doing what is legal and ENCOURAGED here in this state, I couldn't avoid my vehicular skirmish?

You want to talk about playing it safe? Cars are safer than bikes when in an accident. So why do you ride? I ride for the freedom, the way it makes me feel. I don't take random chances, and everything I do on a bike is very painstakingly thought about. See, I wrecked before when I was half my age now. A rod going through my femur, screws in my knee, and 37 staples in my left buttock always remind me to be careful. I learned how to lane split in part by following CHP officers. Even with their wide boxer engines, those guys leave me behind fast. I'm not in their league, nor do I try to be.

Riding in LA, I can take off 30 minutes off my ride to and from work by lane splitting. It is legal to do so, and I was following the guidelines set forth for lane splitting (or lane sharing, as some call it) in the California DMV Motorcyclist handbook. I have avoided many close calls that were much like this one because I could pick up signs of the person's desire to move before they started to move. This car gave no outward signs of impending movement, and the truth is everybody does drift right to left and vice versa within their lane. My only fault is not being precognitive enough to know what he would do before he did.

Honestly, you can have whatever opinion of me you want... in my opinion, your emotion clouds your judgement, and shows a lack of clear thinking in your statement.

I know that I was most certainly not thinking clearly after being nearly knocked of my bike - my main concern was not running into more cars, falling off, being run over, and possibly being killed. My next concern was my right foot, as it had been knocked off the peg, felt incredibly heavy, and was essentially numb except for a throbbing pain at my heel. Initially, I thought it was broken. While trying to survive this sudden turn of events, I admit I was not thinking of the scratch I might have put into his car AFTER HE MOVED IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT LOOKING. I wasn't even thinking of the possible damage to my own V-Max, which I've had for only 2 months! I was, however, thinking of the thousands of other drivers that would be stopped for an hour or more if I stopped in the fast lane. There would most certainly be thousands of people who would be stuck up on the freeway for hours (this is LA) if I were to do so. I hate it, and everybody else does too. Since I was more concerned about my own safety and health than the car of the guy who caused it, I guess I should be called an idiot :ummm:.

So I gather that if you were the car driver, after nearly killing an innocent rider - you'd be angry at him for not falling off his bike and causing major east - west freeway in an area that's home to over 9 million to be slowed to a crawl for hours (during Friday rush hours) so you can confront him? If the roles were reversed, I would feel absolutely terrible. I would hope that the rider was ok, and be happy that he was uninjured enough to continue on. I can tell you that the car probably has some minor damage from my footpeg (it's got a scratch on the tip) and my muffler (again, scratched). Although I didn't see the scars, they probably aren't severe, and his vehicle was operational afterwards as was mine.

It sure seems easy for you to armchair quarterback this, but as you stated you illegally lane split where you live and tailgate, so you don't sound like you have much right to call me an idiot.

Your statement about how you'd "beat the crap out of" me is preposterous, and sounds like a bit of self ego-boosting. You'd honestly beat the crap out of a guy whom you just knocked silly with a 2 ton car? Nice.

Let's think this through: you are in your car, and a motorcycle bounces off your right side as you are drifting to the left of your lane. He wobbles, recovers with his right foot still hanging off the bike. You follow him and attack him since he didn't stop. He's wearing full gear: armored jacket, gloved and boots, and a full face helmet. He's about 6'6 in boots and helmet, and you're gonna attack him? Yeah right! He wouldn't even feel your attack after what your car just did to him, but it's likely that you'd feel his adrenaline induced retaliation. Talk about compounding your problems!

"What if that car moved over 6 inches and just plain ran you over?" -Well, he DID move over somewhere near 6 inches while I was right next to him. I was traveling through the traffic (overtaking cars), not holding his speed stuck in his blind spot. The object of lane splitting is to get through traffic, not create hazards for yourself. If he moved over any more I'd be in a hospital or mortuary, and likely not partaking of this discussion. As to the idea of hit and run, well as I stated in the original post, I called in to the non-emergency 911 number when I got home after I hobbled off the Max. I let them know that I didn't leave to avoid problems, but to avoid creating more problems. I gave my all information to the operator, and she said I wasn't the first to call from home. If the driver had called in, they would have been able to get my information, and we could arbitrate, go to court, whatever was ultimately called for.

I did not ask for sympathy, nor did I ask for anger, insults or any of the like. I simply wanted to let other riders know of my situation so that maybe someone could gain something from it.

 

[PDWeyand]

Guys you comment about splitting lanes without having experience with it, yes in other states car drivers get mad but here they open up the road or move in their lane to let us pass, car drivers here are very tolerant of bikes splitting lanes only the out of state drivers get bunched up.
the more attention I am paying the less likely I'll get in an accident, every day I ride cars cut me off without seeing me, open doors, veer in my lane, stop at green lights, people cross the street from any point, homeless people with a cardboard singe walking between cars, elderly with poor vision, drunk, stoned drivers, texting & looking at GPS's, drinking, eating, putting makeup. teenagers & on & on. you guys are lucky to have open roads and no traffic congestion, I have 77,000 miles on the bike all lane splitting on a daily bases & I am not a reckless rider or a squid.

I have over 1 million miles driven with out a ticket or accident. I was a class A CDL semi trucker over the road until 2010. I have driven in all 48 states and on every 'I' interstate from top to bottom side to side. I do not think your a reckless driver and you are probably very good at spiting lanes. But I was coming out of L.A. heading north on I-5 traffic was slow but moving. I see a few bikers running up the the lanes spiting them. I was like that cool not to have to sit in traffic but we all came to a halt. It seems that one of the 4 wheelers ended up moving over to tighten the lane up and the biker that was going by at the time played SUPERMAN for 150 feet or so till he hit his head into the back of a pick-up and died there on the road. It was the car's fault, but did really matter. So do not tell me everyone is happy to let you spilt the lane with them. And like the this poor biker it only took one time. So If choose split a lane I do it at my own risk. Now being you do this daily you are more than likely better at it then me at splitting lanes. But my point is simple, it only takes one time to get hurt or die. I do not wish harm on you. I hope you live to be a very old person and enjoy your life to the fullest.


You guys that don't lane split have NO idea how SAFE it is & speak out of total ignorance, if you don't know how to get really close to moving cars you basically have 60% less riding skills. splitting lanes RARELY result is serious accidents

But it only takes one time to have serious accident. We are not talking about play Pac-Man either you only have one life.
I ride all year round cold weather does not bother me. I know for a fact that the 4 wheelers do not think about bikes being out during the colder temps and do not always see me, but I see them and make changes according to them, but that is the risk I take. And as far getting close to a car, I have at times been more close enough to reach in the window and touch the driver or others in the car. I do not want anyone to get hurt, or killed while they are going from here to there.

 

[deekjx]

Personally the only thing that I felt the OP should have done was stop after hitting someone. It's common courtesy, common sense, and the law. Just my 2 cents.

I'm all for lane splitting. Glad it wasn't a serious injury.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Rand-5107]

In Europe it's all about moving the traffic. You are expected to lane split, especially at stoplights. Drivers are much better trained and pay more attention to bicycles and motorcycles. I always felt a lot safer riding there , than I did riding in the S.F. Bay area traffic. You just have to ride like everybody else is trying to run you over, Because they are!