Lane splitting article from Examiner.com

Lane-splitting in the Bay Area

While it is true that California is the only place in the United States where splitting lanes is actually legal doesn’t mean that it is supported by everyone in the state. There has been a great deal of controversy regarding its safety for motorcycle riders and car drivers as well as arguments about whether there are any real benefits to lane splitting. As you will see, legality and rules regarding lane splitting fall into a not so well defined grey area which leaves motorists at an disadvantage.

Actually, the preferred terminology for the sake of correctness is "lane sharing" (a term probably coined by motorcycle activists in order to make this activity sound a bit less intimidating, thanks Roger.) If you weren’t aware, lane sharing can be described as when motorcycles maneuver between cars (usually on the highway) in order to get ahead of traffic. I wish I could say that there were rules regarding lane sharing but it does seem that no such specific rules exist. Refer to this to see just how much of a grey area lane sharing can be. http://law.californiapersonalinjuryattorneys.us/index.php?m=06&y=07&entry=entry070609-151458

Nevertheless, lane sharing is a daily occurrence on the major highways through Oakland and the surrounding communities. For those riders that rely on air cooled systems for their motorcycle, sitting in traffic is not an option and constant movement is necessary for the well being of their vehicle. Also, there is an argument that allowing motorcycles to pass quickly through traffic will help to alleviate some of the traffic congestion. On the other hand, there is a level of frustration shown by car drivers who see motorcyclists getting where they need to be in a much more efficient and timely manner. This causes them to block lanes, open doors, throw objects and otherwise drive erratically. Stories also have been told of car drivers being "spooked" by quickly passing motorcycles which in turn causes them to overcompensate and cause accidents or near accidents. Interestingly enough, a high number of accidents are caused by cars that fail to check to see if the road is clear before changing lanes (without using blinkers as is the annoying custom in the Bay Area..) After the lane sharing motorcyclist has been run over, the common car drivers defense is, "well, he just came out of nowhere!"

Finally, where do we stand in the legal system? If a motorcyclist is pulled over for something done while lane sharing, what defense is available to the rider since the rule book hasnt really been written yet? Has the punishment been left to the whim of a police officer or are we finally going to get someone to propose some well defined guidelines