Twelve Safety Myths

Myth 10: It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes

In most parts of the world, motorcycles split lanes all the time, everywhere traffic is heavy. Here in the U.S., people often act as if lane-splitting is insane. But when someone actually studied it in the only place in the U.S. where it's legal (California), they discovered it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, slow-moving traffic. Still many motorcyclists berate others who do it, when they should in fact be endorsing it.

Click to expand...

Alpha Male said:

Excellent article!

However, I still like my louder-than-stock pipes, and I detest wearing a helmet. Then again, I still smoke cigarettes too.

As for #12 regarding ABS...I've never been on a scoot with ABS. I'm hoping that the manufacturers have improved things. I've had a few vehicles with ABS, and the performance of the systems varies like mad. My 1994 Saturn had an awesome system. Worked like a charm. My 1996 Intrepid was mediocre, but not horrible. My 2001 Bonneville, on the other hand, has proven to me that ABS isn't always what it's cracked up to be. I know for a fact that I could operate that vehicle far better than the car's computer does. I can't get a manufacturer to disable the ABS and "traction control" systems for any reason. (Traction control = POWER ELIMINATION)

If any motorcycle manufacturer miscalculates things and has engineers who are inept crackheads like Pontiac seems to have used, that manufacturer's ABS system is going to cause trouble. I pray that my situation is unique!!

Click to expand...

Alpha Male said:

Personally, I think the author lives in CA. IMHO, splitting lanes is a gamble at best. Hmmmm...slow traffic, stuck moving 15 MPH looking at the back of a Lincoln with a Peterbilt in the rear view mirror...unsafe?? OR, zipping in between rows of slow moving cars, hoping to avoid oversized side mirrors and praying to God Almighty that nobody decides to do a sudden lane change in front of you?

I'll wait in traffic, thank you very much.

Click to expand...

Uesque said:

Personally, I'd rather be moving that stuck in stop and go traffic, because inevitably, in the rear view mirror is the minivan or SUV driver with the phone stuck to their ear driving 3.7" from my taillight and not paying attention to anything but the movie on the dashboard entertainment center. I'd bet there are fewer accidents to lane splitters than there are rear endings in traffic, I suspect that's the source of their data.

Click to expand...