Talk:Lane splitting

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The list of places where lane splitting is allowed is not complete, but it is all I have time to confirm right now. I will make a more comprehensive list when I have time. Monkeythumpa 06:11, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Good article. A state-by-state list for the USA would be useful. (Mike - who can lane split at home in the UK!) --Cheesy Mike 09:19, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

As Far as I know and have been able to find, lane splitting is only legal in California. Texas put the law up for a vote in their senate and it failed. I am going to remove Texas from the list. Feel free to restate it if you find contrary evidence. I ahve heard it is not illegal in Puerto Rico, but I have also been unable to verify this. Monkeythumpa 22:40, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the correction about Texas.--Cheesy Mike 23:01, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

It is also legal in The Netherlands. Although there is no specific law that allows it, the law that forbids it has been removed in 1991. There is even a running goverment-campaign for it to "educate" car and motorcycle drivers about the rules. See here for details (site in Dutch). Chakothee 09:21, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Please source your references when adding countries where lane splitting is legal. Also is this really a Civil engineering article? Monkeythumpa 21:12, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lane splitting is not legal in Australia

From http://www.ntc.gov.au/DocView.aspx?page=A02312403400450020

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has referred the proposed new Australian Road Rule (ARR) 151A back to the Australian Road Rules Maintenance Group to fully address issues raised by stakeholders during the public consultation process. The NTC emphasises that this does indicate any change in policy direction.

Rule 151A attempted to clarify the intent of several existing road rules, which prohibit the practice of motorcycle lane-splitting or lane-filtering. The proposed rule would more explicitly require motorcycles to move into an adjacent lane or line of traffic when overtaking other vehicles and pass at a safe distance.

In excess of 800 submissions (excluding duplicated submissions) were received, which primarily oppose the recommendation. The NTC notes that there is a wide misperception among the motorcycling community that lane-splitting and/or lane-filtering is legal. Motorcycle riders still have a responsibility to comply with existing road rules (outlined below).

� drivers/riders on a multi-lane road must travel entirely within a single lane (ARR 146)

� drivers/riders must travel within a single line of traffic on a road without marked lanes (ARR 146)

� drivers/riders are required to pass at a safe distance (ARR 144)

� drivers/riders are prohibited from overtaking on the left on a multi-lane road, unless the vehicle can be safely overtaken by moving into a marked lane (ARR 141)

� drivers/riders on a multi-lane road must not move from one marked lane into another marked lane by crossing a continuous line separating the lanes (ARR 147)

� drivers/riders approaching or at traffic lights showing a red traffic light must stop, if there is a stop line at or near the lights - as near as practicable to, but before reaching the stop line (ARR 56)

� drivers/riders at an intersection or marked foot crossing with a red traffic light must not enter the intersection or marked foot crossing. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 220.245.213.176 (talk) 20:36, 4 April 2007 (UTC).

This poster is wrong. Rule 151A was withdrawn in May 2006 and lane splitting remains legal in Australia. [1][2] I am reinstating the Australia entry.

--Cheesy Mike 22:25, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

That poster was correct.

151A never actually entered legislation. It was proposed, but it was not enacted at any point in time.

In any case, please note this quote from that article:

The NTC notes that there is a wide misperception among the motorcycling community that lane-splitting and/or lane-filtering is legal. Cheesy Mike, you have displayed this same misconception. The fact is, unfortunately, lane splitting and lane filtering are illegal per the Australian Road Rules.

Regardless of whether 151A is in force, the other rules mentioned in the aforementioned article still apply, and they still forbid lane splitting.

May I ask which Australian Commonwealth or State legislation specifically permits lane splitting while traffic is stationary? Nothing to this effect appears in law from New South Wales, or the Australian Road Rules. Australian Road Rules (ARRs) apply nationwide, and they overrule state and territory specific legislation.

A further reference, from http://www.ipe.nt.gov.au/haveyoursay/roadrules/RIS_ARR20060502.pdf, page 72:

The majority of submissions oppose the amendment proposed, albeit most submissions oppose lane splitting (faster moving) but favour lane filtering (slower moving or stationary). Having considered the comments, there is a considerable lack of knowledge that lane splitting and lane filtering is already illegal under normal circumstances. In undertaking these manoeuvres most motorbike riders commit offences such as failing to signal (Rule 46), overtaking on the left (rule 141), failing to keep a safe distance (rule 144), failing to drive within a single marked lane (rule 146) and crossing continuous lane lines (rule 147). In addition, many motorbike riders who ‘filter’ through stopped traffic on the approach to intersections to be ahead of other vehicles, cross stop lines and enter onto marked foot crossings in breach of rules 56 and 59. While these are separate offences they tend to be related to lane filtering.

We have the same laws mentioned above in California and while it can be difficult, it is possible to follow those laws and still be able to laneshare legally. Generally a behavior is legal until a law specifically names it as prohibited. Monkeythumpa 17:51, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Definitions

Here is the current first line of the article:

Lane splitting (also called lane sharing, whitelining, or filtering) is the practice of operating a vehicle, most commonly a motorcycle, in the unused space to the left or right of moving or stationary vehicles. It may be legal or illegal, depending on local laws.

I have some questions and comments about this.

1) Is passing on the outside of the outside lane lane splitting? I thought lane splitting always refers to riding BETWEEN two lines of same direction traffic. In other words, I don't think lane splitting and lane sharing mean the same thing (though they are related): lane splitting is a form of lane sharing. If you're lane sharing between two lines of same-direction traffic, then you're lane splitting. If you're lane sharing on the outside of a line of traffic, then you're just lane sharing.

There are many lane sharing practices that do not involve lane splitting, including two motorcyclists riding side-by-side in a lane, a right turning motorist moving over towards the curb in a wide lane to make room in the same lane, sharing it with through motorists overtaking him on his left, a tractor driver pulling partially over into the shoulder to allow faster traffic to pass, within the shared lane, etc. Again, while lane splitting is a form of lane sharing, they are not one and the same.

2) I don't think filtering has the same meaning as lane splitting either. Filtering usually if not alway implies filtering forward - using lane sharing (not necessarily lane splitting) specifically in order to pass lines of slow or stopped congested traffic. But a bicyclist, in particular, could be lane splitting while he is being passed by traffic on both sides. I think it's fair to say that filtering always means lane sharing in order to pass slow or stopped traffic, but lane splitting does not necessarily mean that. Lane splitting is one way to accomplish filtering, but not the only way.

3) whitelining is a form of lane splitting, but, again, not exactly the same thing. Whitelining means, literally, riding on the white stripe dividing two adjacent lanes. Now, that is lane splitting, but you can also be lane-splitting without whitelining (imagine two lanes with traffic biased in both lanes to the right side - the lane splitter would be using the unused space to the right of the stripe, and not actually riding on the stripe - he might not be encroaching into the adjacent lane at all). These distinctions should be clarified.

4) Does lane-splitting refer to splitting one lane into two, or does it mean splitting two lanes, usually but not always along the dividing lane stripe? I think it's the latter. In any case, the article should clarify this one way or the other.

5) "Most commonly by a motorcycle" is arguable. It's commonly done by bicyclists too. How about... replacing "most commonly by a motorcycle", with "by a motorcyclist or bicyclist" to produce:

Lane splitting is the practice of operating a motorcycle or bicycle in the unused space ...

I'll see what discussion results from this. Hopefully we can come to a consensus about how best to address these issues and answer these questions in the article. --Unflappable (talk) 18:31, 5 February 2008 (UTC)