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pass every car at a red light?

6K views 106 replies 40 participants last post by  rgbeard 
#1 ·
I've seen videos of people passing in between cars at red lights, just to get to the front of the line. In one of the videos, the guy said it was legal. He was in the US. Anyone know how I can find out if this is legal in my state? Because this would be awesome.
 
#9 ·
Well, you'd be surprise at the amount of cagers who get upset when we split lanes here in Cali. Many of them still think it's illegal and will sometime retaliate (sp?) by opening doors or veering over to block you from splitting. I'm like, hell, don't get mad at us bikers because you decided to bring a big azz car to a traffic jam. :banana
 
#10 ·
Must be a norcal thing, cause I've never had an issue down here in the land of traffic jams. I've had people try to close up the gap between lanes to keep me from passing in traffic, but that's about the worst of it. I go to the front at every light, and split anytime traffic drops below 40 on the freeway.

As for legality, there are a bunch of states where it isn't mentioned in the codes, which basically means it's not illegal. However there are other things that cops can cite you for if they feel like it. Same goes here, just because splitting lanes is legal doesn't mean they cant give you a ticket for riding like a jackass.
 
#12 ·
I've done a few times, even though it's "illegal" here in my state. No cop has given me a ticket for it and all motorcycle cops do it as well. I do keep it to a minimum though, I only split if I feel like conditions are unsafe for me (ie after the first rain, don't feel like getting rear ended cause someone forgot how slick the roads get) or if there is a bad traffic jam. Otherwise I notice drivers tend to get irritated towards me.
 
#16 ·
This is one of the biggest things I miss about riding in So Cal. It isn't legal in TN, where I am now, and I always feel very vulnerable when I have to stop behind a car at a light. Being able to position yourself between cars is much safer than hoping that whoever is coming up behind you actually sees you instead of focusing on the car in front of you.

We all know that motorcycles are invisible to cagers.
 
#19 ·
Yeah, I rarely deal with traffic here, so it isn't bad. In LA, splitting was a MUST. Here, I turn left from my house and within 3 miles I am on country roads in the hills. ...and my sport bike hasn't even seen a freeway in 6 years!
 
#24 ·
That is the cager talking. Embrace the advantage.

Lane splitting, unlike cars driving on the shoulder who eventually have to get back in, harms no one. You're gaining, and they are not losing.

It is a petty person indeed who wants you to suffer alongside of them for no good reason.

I have people honk at me for it all the time, and I'd gladly stop and educate them, if I weren't so busy gaining hours of my life back from the time-suck that is the highway system around here.
 
#31 ·
This issue caused a huge rift at work. One of the bosses secretarys (not mine) feels its unfair for bikes to lane splits and made it clear she is one of the "door opening" types. And she said it in such a way and time and place it made me cease to communicate with her AT ALL. I honestly can't believe people are so petty ignorant and childish that they would cause bodily harm to another human being just because they thought jimmy had more toys than bobby and it wasn't fair.

Fucking insane. Yeah. I get it. You don't like it but you aren't the traffic police... The police are and we take our chances for getting ticketed on our own. Stay out because what we are doing DOESN'T IMPACT YOU IN THE LEAST. Bitch. Hate that woman.
 
#37 ·
The cages ,buses,trucks etc all move over when they see a bike ot bike snake coming up the middle or round the outside or up the inside or doing the in and out weave .. We have taken lane splitting to a whole new level in europe . It becomes quite an art form at times . Often its a good snakey line of a dozen or so bikes . When we reach lights we all filter through to the front and line up across the cars , usually jump slightly over the stop line so we can all get to the front .Sometimes there is a bike cop or 2 in about the commuter rabble ,they are really good to follow as they flash the blues if a cager is taking up room that a bike could squeeze through . Not being able to lane spilt or weave would make having a bike pointless in a citys like London, Rome ,Amsterdam or Paris ... you would be better walking .
 
#38 ·
Yeah, I can imagine having to sit in traffic would suck in those places. MOST cities in the US aren't so jammed, but some of them are, and there is the inevitable crush of rush hour traffic or just the crashes that backup traffic for miles.
 
#44 ·
Since April, 3 times I pulled up next to a cop car in traffic and asked if they permit me to split. All 3 had no problem with it. One even said "Go have fun, its not like we would be able to catch you anyway!".

As long as you do it safely and don't bother other drivers, no one cars. In traffic, cops know they can't do shit.
 
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