California Studies Highlight Advantages Of Responsible Lane Splitting
Riding a motorcycle between two lanes
of stopped or slowly moving traffic -- a tactic known as lane
splitting -- is a relatively safe maneuver when both the
motorcyclist and nearby drivers know the law and adhere to "safe
and prudent" practices, according to two California studies
released this week.
One report is a crash study that examined nearly 8,000
motorcyclists who were involved in crashes while lane splitting
between June 2012 and August 2013. The second report examined
lane-splitting habits among various groups in 2012 and 2013.
California has more than 800,000 registered motorcycles.
"We compared the proportion of collision-involved, lane-splitting
motorcyclists with injury across several body regions by whether
the lane-splitting was done only in traffic flowing at 30 mph or
less and that the motorcycle speed should exceed the traffic speed
by no more than 10 mph," the crash study stated. "We found that the
proportion with each injury type was high when the lane-splitting
was consistent with neither speed component, was lower when it was
consistent with one speed component, and was lower still when it
was consistent with both speed components."
The speed components mentioned in the report closely align with the
lane-splitting guidelines posted on the California Highway Patrol
website in 2013 and
removed this summer after a complaint from one Sacramento
resident.
"These findings bolster the position of
motorcyclists and traffic-safety officials that responsible lane
splitting is a safe and effective tactic for riders, particularly
in heavily congested areas," said Wayne Allard, vice president of
government relations for the American Motorcyclist Association.
"The AMA endorses these practices and will assist groups and
individuals working to bring legal lane splitting or filtering to
their states."
California is the only U.S. state where lane splitting is
permitted. State law neither prohibits nor specifically allows the
maneuver.
In many countries, lane splitting and filtering are normal
practices for motorcyclists, Allard said. Particularly in the
highly urbanized areas of Europe and Asia, motorcycle and scooter
operators are expected to pass between conventional vehicles and
advance to the front of the group.
Among the findings in the California studies
- Lane-splitting riders (2.7 percent of crashes) were less likely
to be rear-ended by another vehicle than were other motorcyclists
(4.6 percent)
- Lane-splitting motorcyclists involved in crashes were notably
less likely than other motorcyclists in crashes to suffer head
injury (9.1 percent vs. 16.5 percent), torso injury (18.6 percent
vs. 27.3 percent), or fatal injury (1.4 percent vs. 3.1 percent)
than other motorcyclists.
- The proportion of motorcyclists with a head injury was 6.3
percent for those lane-splitting consistent with the "safe and
prudent" traffic speed guidelines, 10.7 percent for those
lane-splitting in traffic flowing at 30 mph or less but exceeding
the traffic speed by more than 10 mph, 9 percent for those
lane-splitting in traffic flowing faster than 30 mph but exceeding
traffic speed by less than 10 mph, and 20.5 percent for those who
were lane-splitting in traffic flowing at more than 30 mph and who
were exceeding traffic speed by more than 10 mph.
"Motorcyclists who oppose lane splitting should
remember that it is optional in California," Allard said.
"Permitting lane splitting is not the same as requiring it. So
those opposed to the practice should consider the desires of other
motorcyclists who believe they would benefit from it. Lane
splitting is an issue of choice."
The California studies are Safety Implications Of
Lane-Splitting Among California Motorcyclists Involved In
Collisions by Thomas Rice and Lara Troszak of the Safe
Transportation Research & Education Center (SafeTREC) at the
University of California Berkeley, and the Motorcycle
Lane-Share Study Among California Motorcyclists And Drivers 2014
And Comparison To 2012 And 2013 Data conducted by Ewald &
Wasserman Research Consultants, LLC, on behalf of the California
Office of Traffic Safety and SafeTREC.
The goal of the project was to obtain information not usually
collected during law enforcement investigations of motorcycle
traffic collisions in California. The reports are the result of a
two-year collaboration between SafeTREC and the California Highway
Patrol. The California Office of Traffic Safety provided
funding.
The data came from collision investigations by CHP officers and by
officers at more than 80 allied law enforcement agencies in the
state.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
