Question for you lane splitters | GTAMotorcycle.com

Question for you lane splitters

Venom01

Venom01

Well-known member
Forum Sponsor
I was stuck coming into Toronto yesterday. Even the HOV was plugged up. I sat in my lane while watching groups of people on their bikes running between the lanes.

I have to admit it looked very nice to move through stopped traffic like that. I just don't have the balls. I'm afraid more then anything of getting caught.

So to the people who do that often I have questions. Have you ever been caught? If so how often? Do the cops drop the hammer on you or is it more often then not a real stern warning? If you did get fined how bad did it effect you insurance rate? Points taken?

I'm really just curious. This isn't a finger wag or a dig at anyone who does it.
 
Hyperion said:
Steps to lane splitting.
1. Don't get caught.
2. Don't hit a car

That's about it.
Click to expand...
How do you not get caught when you get caught? When it's bumper to bumper you really have nowhere to go. If you make this a practice your going to get caught eventually right?

What if a driver boxes you in and hits you when traffic is super backed up? There's no way they are going to get the short end of that one.
 
I used to split. An undercover or off-duty (not sure, he put on a police vest when I pulled into my garage) told me he could charge me with careless or dangerous. I nodded and went inside after he finished ranting.

Another time, a person claiming to a police officer threatened to give me a ticket (I slowly filtered to the front during a red light). His daughter was in his vehicle and he was using some rather unpleasant words; I gave him the finger and went about my way.

Another...filtering to a red light, someone intentionally opened their door on me. Caught this on camera too.

Ever since the above incident, I tend not to filter through stopped traffic because if somebody manages to knock me off intentionally and I'm not hurt, I'll be ****** off enough to get myself into trouble after.

Mind you I have no problem splitting in Taiwan where the traffic is much worse and I'm more likely to get hit by accident lol but here people get angry because you're getting to somewhere faster than them.
 
Last edited:
the biggest problem other than getting a ticket for HTA172, would be that the drivers in this city would most likely cut you off either intentionally or not.. factor that into your risk assessment of is it worth doing it.
 
Canadian drivers are one of the worst... Dont risk saving a few minutes or just sweat it out. I wish they could legalize it just like in the US.
 
Venom01 said:
How do you not get caught when you get caught? When it's bumper to bumper you really have nowhere to go. If you make this a practice your going to get caught eventually right?

What if a driver boxes you in and hits you when traffic is super backed up? There's no way they are going to get the short end of that one.
Click to expand...

This is what I'd be most worried about. That and hitting someone else.

油井緋色;2331990 said:
I used to split. An undercover or off-duty (not sure, he put on a police vest when I pulled into my garage) told me he could charge me with careless or dangerous. I nodded and went inside after he finished ranting.


Another time, a person claiming to a police officer threatened to give me a ticket (I slowly filtered to the front during a red light). His daughter was in his vehicle and he was using some rather unpleasant words; I gave him the finger and went about my way.


Another...filtering to a red light, someone intentionally opened their door on me. Caught this on camera too.


Ever since the incident on Steeles, I tend not to filter through stopped traffic because if somebody manages to knock me off intentionally and I'm not hurt, I'll be ****** off enough to get myself into trouble after.


Mind you I have no problem splitting in Taiwan where the traffic is much worse and I'm more likely to get hit by accident lol but here people get angry because you're getting to somewhere faster than them.
Click to expand...


I didn't realize that lane splitting was illegal in Taiwan.
 
Baggsy said:
I didn't realize that lane splitting was illegal in Taiwan.
Click to expand...

There's no law specifying if it is legal or not.

...kinda like here. Except the cops here will charge you and people get mad when you do =P

kiwi said:
the biggest problem other than getting a ticket for HTA172, would be that the drivers in this city would most likely cut you off either intentionally or not.. factor that into your risk assessment of is it worth doing it.
Click to expand...

When I first started riding, I had a friend tell me he wants to run lane splitters over. I asked him would he rather them be in the lane and slow everyone down, his response was "yes, because if I have to wait, they have to as well". Then I asked is it worth maiming someone because they're getting somewhere faster than you. After an extended conversation, I realized most drivers don't realize hitting a bike = rider probably getting hurt.
 
Last edited:
While I've never split lanes ( been tempted to from time to time )
I know how agressive Ontario drivers can be and have heard some horror stories of them pulling out to block the rider from getting ahead.
The way I see it, even if they passed it as a "law" these overly agressive drivers would ruin it quick.

I don't think it is worth the time it could save..
 
Always lane split and never seen or heard of anyone getting booked for it(that I know of) it is a risk worth taking but I always look behind my first and as far head as I can .. I'm not waiting in traffic while I'm on a bike that's a joke


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
As others have said, splitting is neither legal nor safe here in Ontario at least. Don't do it unless you are willing to live with the possible outcome(s).
 
油井緋色;2331990 said:
I used to split. An undercover or off-duty (not sure, he put on a police vest when I pulled into my garage) told me he could charge me with careless or dangerous. I nodded and went inside after he finished ranting.

Another time, a person claiming to a police officer threatened to give me a ticket (I slowly filtered to the front during a red light). His daughter was in his vehicle and he was using some rather unpleasant words; I gave him the finger and went about my way.

Another...filtering to a red light, someone intentionally opened their door on me. Caught this on camera too.

Ever since the above incident, I tend not to filter through stopped traffic because if somebody manages to knock me off intentionally and I'm not hurt, I'll be ****** off enough to get myself into trouble after.

Mind you I have no problem splitting in Taiwan where the traffic is much worse and I'm more likely to get hit by accident lol but here people get angry because you're getting to somewhere faster than them.
Click to expand...

Let's put all these selfish f***ers in a full riding gear with helmet on and let them drive their car without AC/fan through 401 during rush hour in these recent hot days, we'll see how that pans out. I just don't understand how some people got mad/jealous over riders doing lane split, I'm fine with it as long as they do it sensibly (e.g. not passing standing still cars at 80 kph or so).

Just like you, I grew up in a country where lane split is a common thing to do and I had been riding like that until I got here. I personally prefer not to do lane split here unless I know I'll be dead from the heat if I don't do it. At the traffic light I always try not to occupy the right lane so that I don't block right turning traffic and if I get stuck on the right lane I always leave plenty of space for cars that want to make a right turn.

My dad taught me to always think about other people first before myself. The problem is that the rest of the world don't give ****** about it so I often get screwed.
 
I really felt like the only person not doing it yesterday I generally don't ride or drive to Toronto but things lined up a weird way the past month. So splitting is something I've never really had to think about.

I litteraly mean I was the only bike not doing it.
 
Edit - removed. Sorry for wasting your time if you're reading this. Enjoy the thread!
 
Last edited:
I try to avoid it as I had people try to block me with their car, come and and try to fight, swear at me from their window.. etc. Sometimes though if I am in a hurry or its very hot and I am wearing gear... lanes start to blur
 
samuray said:
Canadian drivers are one of the worst... Dont risk saving a few minutes or just sweat it out. I wish they could legalize it just like in the US.
Click to expand...

It's only legal in California, and if you witness it first hand, you wouldn't do it.

Too many people open car doors to throw out trash, ciggie butts, vomit, etc. In CA, you are not supposed to go more than 10 mph over traffic, but they go far faster. ~200 people a year die in CA alone on bikes.
 
CafeRay said:
. ~200 people a year die in CA alone on bikes.
Click to expand...

I read this article last week,
http://www.thestar.com/autos/2015/07/17/a-motorcycle-rider-comes-home--to-a-big-shock.html
interesting read
California has the highestnumber of motorcycles registered anywhere in North America with 787,521 in2012. According to Statistics Canada, Canada has a total of 672,428 bikesregistered. There are 211,294 bikes registered in Ontario or 31.4 per cent of allCanadian motorcycles.
In Ontario, we havea population of about 13 million. L.A. County, where about 10 million peoplelive, would be a fair comparison in terms of population.
There were 2,657motorcycles involved in accidents in Ontario in 2012, according to thetransportation ministry. L.A. County had more motorcycle accidents thanOntario, with 3,112 in 2012. So there were more insurance claims in L.A. Countythan in Ontario.

 
Last edited:
Lane-splitting isn't legal in California, it's merely not illegal at the moment. The CHP motorcycle officers encourage sensible filtering. Not sure how it works when accidents or insurance is involved. I'd guess the recent introduction of bill AB 51 is an attempt to clarify things. The problem is car-bound Californians hate it more than Ontarians, for whatever reasons. Probably thanks to a handful of riders who don't filter but screech between traffic at higher speeds.

It's a shame our governments take so long to enact sensible legislation. Table the regulation, get everyone to agree, instruct the police, take out a summer's worth of advertising for the general pubic and done, like HTA 172. They didn't take decades to make us "safer" in that case. Sweeten the pot by adding a high dollar ticket for aggressive lane blocking.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom