The lane splitting debate
Lane splitting… Boy oh boy, what a divisive topic. Drivers hate us when we do this. That’s real. Although it’s understandable, it’s really misguided. Splitting lanes reduces congestion. A bike doesn’t take up an entire car’s length of space when we split, so we’re actually doing them a favor. I know they’re gonna hate that but it’s TRUE!
In another post I’ll get into some great tips and tricks I’ve learned to split safely and keep it moving. But let’s break down what lane splitting is before some of you lose your minds.
Lane splitting and lane filtering are two different things. Lane filtering is when you filter up to the front of a lane at a red light and the cars are generally stopped. Lane splitting is when you ride between two lanes and the cars may or may not be moving. However, splitting is not a free pass to weave in and out of traffic and it takes a lot of practice!
Although lane splitting isn’t legal everywhere, it’s very commonplace in New York City. As of about two years ago, New York City took the throne as officially having the worst traffic in the entire country. Sorry, Los Angeles.
Here’s the thing – I’m not conflating perfectly reasonable lane splitting with bikers who rip past weaving in and out of traffic breaking the sound barrier. The key to splitting is to remain in a 15mph differential to the traffic that you’re moving between, and split under 50mph overall. That is the comfy spot that’s been studied to be safer for riders.
The reason splitting can be a safer move is that it keeps the bike moving and so you are less likely to get rear ended by drivers who are just not paying attention in slow-moving or stopped traffic. I see you! You’re playing on your phone. Splitting reduces certain types of crashes (rear ending) by more than half!
That being said, you always have to take into consideration the circumstances and the conditions in which you’re riding. Splitting is not appropriate everytime, everywhere. But if it is, one thing about me is I’m going to split. You definitely dont have to. That’s the beauty of “Ride your own ride.”
Around the world, lane splitting is very commonplace and legalized in many countries. Some states in the U.S. have made strides in legalizing splitting altogether or allowing some type of splitting and filtering.