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[OCGuy81]

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? I hated it when I lived in California and you’d have bikes weaving between cars at a red light.

[kphoger]

Cue video by HB...

[renegade]

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? I hated it when I lived in California and you’d have bikes weaving between cars at a red light.

Let's not confuse lane sharing with lane splitting.  There's a huge difference.

Peace.

[Plutonic Panda]

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? I hated it when I lived in California and you’d have bikes weaving between cars at a red light.

Share what lanes? Lanes with other motorcylces or lane split? Use bike lanes? Not to be rude but a link would be nice.

Here is a result from a quick Google search:

SB574 is currently located in the Oregon state Senate’s Joint Committee on Transportation as of January 21, 2021. It’s co-sponsored by a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislators, including Senator Michael Dembrow, Senator Bill Hansell, Representative Bill Post, Senator Sara Gelser, and Representative Karin A. Power. As for what it contains, it’s pretty much identical to the 2019 House Bill 2314. Under SB574, lane sharing would only be allowed under certain conditions:

Only allowed on roads with posted speed limits of 50 mph or higher (highways, basically)
Traffic on the road must either be stopped or moving at 10 mph or less
Only two-wheeled motorcycles and scooters would be able to lane share; trikes or sidecars would not be included
Two-wheeled motorcycle and scooter riders could only travel up to 10 mph faster than traffic, must not impede normal, reasonable traffic flow, must safely merge with traffic if traffic speed exceeds 10mph, and must only pass traffic that is traveling in the same direction. 

https://www.rideapart.com/news/477936/oregon-lane-splitting-senate-bill-2021/

My opinions, just legalize lane splitting entirely. I don't think it's even fully legal in CA just not illegal but I don't remember the exact wording. Why do you care if you a motorcycle cuts in front of you? 99% of the time that means they aren't going to obstruct you. The ones that go slower don't tend to lane split as much. It's safer for the motorcylist at lights and there's no point for a motorcycle to sit behind cars when it can pass through with no issue. I think lane splitting just formally be made legal everywhere.

[Alps]

I have almost killed a lane splitter in California. It violates driver expectation completely. I don't care about the environmental benefits or whatever, it's not worth the safety risk.

[triplemultiplex]

I wonder how autonomous braking and lane departure systems handle motorbikes splitting lanes. Would it detect that close proximity as a potential collision because it assumes it's another full size automobile?  Those are on their way to become standard features so worth thinking about.

[SectorZ]

I wonder how autonomous braking and lane departure systems handle motorbikes splitting lanes. Would it detect that close proximity as a potential collision because it assumes it's another full size automobile?  Those are on their way to become standard features so worth thinking about.

I fear it's likelier to cause an accident avoiding the motorcycle. Probably not a huge concern, but I bet it'll happen at least once, if it hasn't already.

[GaryV]

Isn't OR the state that thinks its populace is too stupid to operate a gas pump?  Yet they'll allow this for motorcyclists? 

[HighwayStar]

I have almost killed a lane splitter in California. It violates driver expectation completely. I don't care about the environmental benefits or whatever, it's not worth the safety risk.

Agreed. I would go as far as to say motorcycles really don't belong on congested urban freeways in the first place.

[1]

I have almost killed a lane splitter in California. It violates driver expectation completely. I don't care about the environmental benefits or whatever, it's not worth the safety risk.

Agreed. I would go as far as to say motorcycles really don't belong on congested urban freeways in the first place.

Unlike most bicycles, motorcycles can keep up with the flow of traffic. Noise seems to be more of an issue on surface roads, since motorcycle engines are much louder than car engines on surface roads, and if you're not driving (walking, inside a building, etc.), you're much more likely to be close to a surface road than a freeway. I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed.

[HighwayStar]

I have almost killed a lane splitter in California. It violates driver expectation completely. I don't care about the environmental benefits or whatever, it's not worth the safety risk.

Agreed. I would go as far as to say motorcycles really don't belong on congested urban freeways in the first place.

Unlike most bicycles, motorcycles can keep up with the flow of traffic. Noise seems to be more of an issue on surface roads, since motorcycle engines are much louder than car engines on surface roads, and if you're not driving (walking, inside a building, etc.), you're much more likely to be close to a surface road than a freeway. I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed.

Keeping up with the flow of traffic is not the end all be all. They are harder for drivers to see when merging, changing lanes, etc. Many have air cooled engines and cannot idle without overheating and becoming immobilized, they are FREQUENTLY driven in between cars, through narrow gaps, etc. that drivers do not expect and cannot account for. And frankly they just don't move enough goods, people, etc. to allow them on a road that is congested and needs to remain open to commuter traffic.
If they want to go play around in the country with them, fine, but keep them off I-95.

[renegade]

Let me try to explain this again.

Lane sharing is defined as motorcycles riding two-abreast (side-by-side).  Nothing wrong with that.

Lane splitting is the suicidal act of traveling between cars, in between the lanes.  Only a dumbass with a death wish would do that.

Once again, a huge difference.

One more thing:  Motorcycle riders pay for license plates and insurance.  Having said that, they are permitted to be on any highway they choose to be on. 

[kphoger]

Lane splitting is the suicidal act of traveling between cars, in between the lanes.  Only a dumbass with a death wish would do that.

And also people all over the world, all day, every day.

[Alps]

Lane splitting is the suicidal act of traveling between cars, in between the lanes.  Only a dumbass with a death wish would do that.

And also people all over the world, all day, every day.

It's really not safe unless your entire country practices that culture. It's safe in CA until some dumbass from NJ changes lanes in traffic looking at other cars going 5 mph and not expecting a cyclist going 20+ mph between lanes.

[jakeroot]

I've long maintained that driving is a 50-50 split between (a) not hitting other drivers, and (b) not allowing yourself to get hit. Motorcyclists, not having any sort of crash protection, spend almost their entire life in (b), constantly protecting themselves from regular drivers and their significantly-heavier vehicles. The way I see it, lane splitting would allow motorcyclists to practice more of (a), as the onus would be on the motorcyclist to avoid hitting other cars when they choose to ride between traffic. Drivers would still have to practice (a) when driving in traffic, but rest assured regular motorists: that motorcycle is already watching traffic and can tell when you're about to change lanes. Just occasionally watch your mirrors and things will be fine.

[jakeroot]

Unrelated to above:

I currently stop a good 1.5 car lengths behind any motorcyclist to allow for a crumple zone in the event that I am rear-ended and am pushed forward. This is a constant threat for motorcyclists that I don't think regular motorists appreciate when they consider the safety of motorcyclists (something they are supposedly super concerned about anytime lane splitting is brought up).

[rarnold]

Lane splitting is the suicidal act of traveling between cars, in between the lanes.  Only a dumbass with a death wish would do that.

And also people all over the world, all day, every day.

Leave it to Oregon, the Cousin Eddie of states, to come up with this hairbrained idea. They can't even figure out how speed limits work. If motorcycles are to be treated as vehicles just like others then they don't need to lane split.

[renegade]

Lane splitting is the suicidal act of traveling between cars, in between the lanes.  Only a dumbass with a death wish would do that.

And also people all over the world, all day, every day.

Leave it to Oregon, the Cousin Eddie of states, to come up with this hairbrained idea. They can't even figure out how speed limits work. If motorcycles are to be treated as vehicles just like others then they don't need to lane split.

You left out the first part of my quote,  specifically the part about lane sharing.

 

Reading is fundamental.

[Bickendan]

When I last drove in LA, I had forgotten lane splitting was a thing. I was caught in a long traffic jam on the Foothill just west of Pasadena, when a bike rode by to my left unexpectedly. Once I got that wake up call, it wasn't an issue anymore because I could expect it and account for lane splitters when changing lanes. It also wasn't an issue in free flowing situations.

If Oregon were to allow lane splitting (beyond lane sharing as proposed), it wouldn't really matter, because fundamentally it's a driver's responsibility to ensure collisions don't occur. If a biker gets wiped while lane splitting, most likely it's because the car driver failed to check mirrors and blind spots before shifting over the line. Also note, this would really only apply to the Portland Metro area, and possibly I-5 between Tualatin and Salem when something snarls the freeway.

[jakeroot]

You left out the first part of my quote,  specifically the part about lane sharing.

 

Reading is fundamental.

But the bill is to allow lane splitting (or filtering). Lane sharing, I believe, is already legal. I see it all the time in Washington. The OP's thread subject is incorrect.

[kphoger]

SB 574 STAFF MEASURE SUMMARY

WHAT THE MEASURE DOES:
Allows persons operating a motorcycle to travel between lanes of traffic under certain conditions.

BACKGROUND:
[...]  Senate Bill 574 creates a conditional exemption to the violation of motorcycle or moped unlawful passing in a lane
with a vehicle. In situations where traffic is either stopped or has slowed to a speed of 10 miles per hour or less, a
person operating a two-wheeled motorcycle may pass the stopped or slowed vehicle under the following
conditions: they travel no more than 10 miles per hour above the speed of traffic; they do not impede normal
movement of traffic; and they merge with regular traffic flow once the speed of traffic exceeds 10 miles per hour.
The exemption applies only on interstate highways or roads with designated speed of 50 miles per hour or higher
with two or more lanes in a single direction, and does not apply in certain school zones. The measure also does
not permit operating a motorcycle on the road shoulder (to the right of the far right lane), or on the center line (to
the left of the left-most lane).