One of the reasons I love living in California is If one Dallas senator gets his way, California won't be the only state to allow motorcycles to slip between traffic. The Kneeslider reports on a Houston Public Radio story about Senate Bill 506, which proposes that lane-splitting be legalized in the Lone Star State. Stephen Polunsky of the Texas Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security asserts that lane sharing "is going to help everybody get faster," and the bill stipulates that lane sharing be made legal only when the motorcyclist is traveling 5 mph faster than traffic, the flow of cars is no faster than 20 mph, and both operator and passenger must be wearing helmets, among other details.
I'm certainly spoiled by the law in California and think more states should legally adopt lane-splitting... what do you think? Comment here and check out the debate in our forum, and if you're a Texas resident seeking the right to lane split, contact your local senator via this site.
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If the states start passing more laws targeting certain types of motor vehicles in rider’s favor, we then should also except those passed which are not in our favor.
If you allow lane splitting, then you must also expect to be held to a different standard for exhaust pipe volume, helmet laws, allowed tire specifications, auxiliary lighting rules, and more.
If the laws of the road are, whenever possible, applicable for all vehicles, there are far fewer gray areas for people to fight about.
When I lived in Dallas I lived in Dallas proper and commuted just a couple of miles downtown on side streets because the highways were totally clustered.
I have never lived anywhere where the “my time is more valuable than your time” attitude prevails so strongly. So unless lane splitting is well explained and well publicized cagers will be throwing doors open and nudging to the center to prevent bikers from passing.
I live in California and am a relative new rider. I’ve never tried lane splitting on the freeway (I don’t even like the freeway). But where I do use it is at a stop lights. With the traffic stopped I’ll go to the front. This has two advantages, I don’t have to watch my mirrors for fools not seeing the traffic stopped and smashing into the back of me, and when we start off I’m on a road with no cars around me. Both keep me safer.
Lane sharing is not a good ideal. I have been riding for over thirty years and people cannot see me when I am in a lane by myself. If I am between two lane of traffic I have lost my escape route.The only time I can see this as being a good thing is when traffic has stopped. You could move forward through traffic so you dont overheat and wear you clutch out moving a few feet at a time. But I still think I would just rather pull over and let the crazys go by. Life is short enjoy it
I’ve commuted from OC to downtown LA for almost 10 years. Lane splitting saves me on average 30 minutes each way and when it rains, I save as much as 90 minutes each way.
Much of my riding in SoCal is down between lanes because traffic is always so bad. In 10 years and 350,000 miles, I’ve only crashed once – this was at 10 mph when a car saw a small opening and suddenly jerked the wheel right into me.
Without lane splitting, I would have been hit MANY more times. Lane splitting makes motorcycles visible to cars as far as 1/4 mile ahead. When sitting in line with cars, only the car in front and behind know you even exist.
Statistics, while inconclusive, have proven lane splitting to at least be equal in danger, but more likely to be safer. (The statistics prove lane splitting is not more dangerous.)
Also keep in mind that the U.S. and Canada are the only industralized countries in the world that do not allow lane splitting.
I’m considering moving to Texas but I refuse to endanger my life sitting in traffic hoping the other guy sees me. I will do whatever I can to help this Texas bill pass.
Lane sharing is a great idea. It’s safer for the rider, better than on the bike (most are air cooled) and helps everyone get to where they want to go faster since bikes can start to use the space that’s wasted. FYI, it’s legal in most of Europe and Asia. It’s like building extra lanes on the roads without spending any extra money!
Join the Facebook cause trying to legalize this everywhere else in the U.S. here http://apps.facebook.com/causes/113221?m=91e6b129
Legal or not – and it is not legal anywhere in Canada – It’s dangerous and just begging some jerk to get PO’d and move over to force you off, or, throw something out the window at you.
Easier and less painful to avoid the traffic jam.
“Easier and less painful to avoid the traffic jam. ”
Tell that to all the M/C that have been rearended… and try to explain to us why the hurt report & CHP says differently.
I think it should be legal everywhere.
It would save me 10 – 15 minutes each way to work. But with most of the bikes in central Indiana being enormous cruisers that take up almost as much room as a car, you wouldn’t see too many riders doing it here.
If you allow lane splitting…
——- i’ve only been splitting lanes for fifty years, so i’m not as experienced as some, but fwiw, CA does not “allow” lane-splitting. it’s just not illegal. a cop can stop you any time for reckless driving, though . . .
unless lane splitting is well explained and well publicized cagers will be throwing doors open and nudging to the center to prevent bikers from passing.
——— in fifty years this has never happened to me. on the contrary, car-drivers almost NEVER are paying attention, so i split only when two cars are side-by-side. when did you last see a car turn into the side of a neighboring car ? filtering to the front at a red light is a slam-dunk. all the cars are stopped. they CAN’T drive sideways ! and, they’re still not paying attention . . .
bikes can use space that’s wasted. It’s like building extra lanes on the roads without spending any extra money!
——— every motorcycle that’s splitting lanes isn’t contributing to the jam that you’re sitting in. he’s one less car/suv on the road . . .
begging some jerk to get PO’d and move over to force you off, or, throw something out the window at you.
———- not in fifty years . . .
avoid the traffic jam.
—— motorcycles can always get through or around . . .
enormous cruisers that take up almost as much room as a car…
———– there’s usually more than six feet between cars. no motorcycle is that wide – even with saddlebags . if there’s less than that, don’t split . . .
Big
Great idea, lousy bill. Splitting lanes (shareing) is a choice we have out here on the left coast. Every man or women on a bike is one less auto adding to the everyday gridlock of L.A. As the bill is written with the five and twenty MPH seems like the only place you would be able to take advantage of the law would be around schools where such a low speed limit is posted. An in the wording of the bill they throw in the chinese headgear (helmet) in a state where riders do have a choice. Best of luck….
“As the bill is written with the five and twenty MPH seems like the only place you would be able to take advantage of the law would be around schools where such a low speed limit is posted.”
Any stoplight, any traffic jam where the traffic is barely moving.
” An in the wording of the bill they throw in the chinese headgear (helmet) in a state where riders do have a choice. Best of luck…. ”
Hmmm.. novel concept, no helmet..no split. If you’ve got a helmet, split. Not real hard to strap one on the bike and put it on when you want to split.
Nothing wrong with the bill, concise and logical.
“Any stoplight, any traffic jam where the traffic is barely moving.”
Got me there didn’t ya… but in the 20-30 mph after work traffic on a 65-70 mph freeway has you caught in its web…
”Hmmm.. novel concept, no helmet..no split. If you’ve got a helmet, split. Not real hard to strap one on the bike and put it on when you want to split.”
I guess your version of “novel” is a whole heck of a lot different than mine.. takeing the chinese headgear off an on in traffic dosen’t sound like a real safe practice to get involved in…
“Nothing wrong with the bill, concise and logical.”
I’ll add your version of “logical” right next to your version of “novel”, and ignore both…
“Got me there didn’t ya… but in the 20-30 mph after work traffic on a 65-70 mph freeway has you caught in its web… ”
That should be 21mph plus…there’s nothing preventing that limit from being raised later down the road too, is there?
Let’s figure in the possibility of the +/- variation in speedometers while we’re at it. Your now at an effective 25-30.
Now, while your complaining about speed…
start considering stopping distances into all this too.
“I guess your version of “novel” is a whole heck of a lot different than mine.. takeing the chinese headgear off an on in traffic dosen’t sound like a real safe practice to get involved in…”
IF traffic isn’t ‘moving’ then what are you worried about trying to put on a helmet? If it’s clear, heaven forbid you pull over somewhere safe… and if you consider those goofball 1/2 helmets that seem so popular with the two-wheel tank crowd, should be no problem at all, moving or not.
“I’ll add your version of “logical” right next to your version of “novel”, and ignore both…”
because actually refuting something might hurt?
“chinese headgear”? Get a grip, ever considered where the majority of your parts for that scoot are mfg?
I’m all for it. I did it for years all over Europe and one of the main reasons I commuted with a motorcycle. It saved me hours in commuting and the traffic expected motorcycles coming between them.
It is your decision as a rider to figure out if it is right for you. If you are not comfortable doing it, stay in your lane.
This is a very stupid law and a very dangerous way to ride as well as unsafe. Besides the fact there is no one to enforce the Texas proposal as stated. Lanes were made for one vehicle wide at a time whether it be a car, semi or motorcycle. You think the insurance rates are high now for motorcycles wait till it passes in your state. A Florida biker.
It is absurd that lane splitting is “illigal” in US & CAN. As stated by others pretty much every industrialized country in the World does not prevent lane splitting.
I hope the TX bill goes through, maybe then some other states might pull their heads out of their butts and join the 21st Century.
I can only see it being viable if the traffic is slowed to a gridlock or is creeping along. What scared me once, was caging down through California at 65 mph or whatever the flow was, and suddenly at my right side came two choppers flying by between us and the right side car. I was just passing the other car and contemplating a lane change to the right. I don’t know where these bikes came from, but if I had done my change and those guys where a few seconds later, they’d have been in deep doo doo.
I think if the law is passed it can’t hurt anyone that doesnt want it, just DON”T do it if you dont want to, no one will force you I guess. It could be dangerous for reckless riders like the above mentioned
(suddenly at my right side came two choppers flying by between us and the right side car.)
but then again that’s up to them…
I live in Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in all of the Americas, I don’t really know about the exact law around here but averybody splits lanes (bet nobody knows what the law says just like me, even better I bet there’s no law about it)specially cuz our streets are small enough to always have traffic jams but not too small to not let pass the 250cc(800US$) CHinesse bikes that seem to have taken over the country. I ride a Kawasaki VUlcan Classic 400cc., SOme times I can;t pass or i dont htink its safe so i just dont do it and let the space between lanes open for smaller motorcycles.
No highways around here so cant say much about that but i think the key here is to take the advantage of lane splitting when the traffic is stopped, it’ll save the riders lots of precious minutes and it’ll help the traffic have less cars.
You should see the lane splitting in brasil, tons of kamikaze delivery boys with huge delivery boxes as BACPACKS, wearing shorts t shirts and helmets speeding like crazy in the middle of very fast going traffic.
PASS THE LAW!!! ride safe!!!
Lane splitting as you folks call in in North America is well a peculiar/curious North American law that often defies reason by itself.
Elsewhere in the world the reason for bikes to pass cars on the inside, outside and if ever possible “over the top” of cars is to get out in front!
In Europe & around the world in every city of the Euro zone the bikes gather at all traffic lights/intersections at the front of the queue–That’s why motorcycles are so popular.Indeed if bikes were not allowed to cut through traffic jams I really don’t know how documents would ever get delivered in Caracas–they rely on traffic cutting motorizados to deliver urgent packages.
I have concluded the law in the US is supported by two maxims.
The general population is very queue conscious and are offended by what is called “line cutting” and will do what it takes to cut off/maintain the pecking order.Hence for motorcyclists in North America it can be hazardous to two wheel transport as drivers seek to subtly cut bikes off as they attempt to pass. (Saw that last Sunday in Colorado)
The second is the authorities (police) who would have a task on their hands to stop motorcyclists in dense traffic–In short they can’t with a lane splitting tolerance.
To emphasize that I remember a long time ago as a student in France, a group of us undertook a competition to be the first to Istanbul. Leaving Paris on large capacity motorcycles we had a tussle with the German Volkspolizi outside Nuremberg in a 5 series BMW, doing about 115mph. Unfortunately the traffic was so heavy that the cop couldn’t keep up with the pack so within a few minutes of a chase the poor fellow decided that “aufveirdezen” was probably the best policy.
Safe riding!
Dennis
Lane splitting should be allowed in all states only at stop lights. The best and safest reason is what Ian says in a previous comment
Basem,
Sometimes you write things without doing the research, e.g., “Snell is better than DOT”. Not true, according to actual tests. I emailed you about that, but you never responded.
Now you say that lane splitting is legal in California. Again, not true. The absence of a law forbidding it does not automatically make it legal. It merely means it is not illegal. It is a gray area, meaning you do it at your own risk. Courts commonly lay blame on a collision in such cases on the motorcyclist, even when the car driver changed lanes illegally (e.g., not signaling, not making sure it is reasonably safe before changing lanes).
What motorcyclists need to realize is that since there is no law in CA giving motorcyclists the right to split lanes, the car driver does not have to move out of the way. The CVC gives every motor vehicle the right to use the entire width of a lane. If a motorcyclist invades the space already occupied by another vehicle, the rider is asking for trouble. If you are so close you can kick a door, shatter a window or tear off a mirror, you are TOO CLOSE to that car! One second of inattention is all it takes. In the end, it doesn’t matter who was right or wrong. What good will winning a multi-million-dollar lawsuit do you if you end up a paraplegic? So why even take the chance?
The only time I split lanes here in sunny SoCal is when traffic is stopped.
Never think that because you are so close, or because you have loud pipes, or are wearing neon colors, or have your high beams on during the day, or because the driver is actually looking at you, that that car won’t pull out in front of you. It will.
Select a good speed for conditions, give yourself some room and PAY ATTENTION! According to crash studies, 70% of all motorcycle crashes are the motorcyclist’s own fault.
Everybody ride safely.
Dennis Williams:
Lane Splitting is illegal in several European countries (I lived in Europe for over 30 years). In several countries, especially in Southern Europe, people have a more relaxed attitude toward life and laws are not necessarily enforced. When I left a few years ago, however, the Polizei in Germany and Austria were still rigorously giving tickets to lane splitters. Austria was thinking about legalizing it.
Hi ZZRBiker,
I don’t recall receiving an email about Snell vs. DOT, and a search through my inbox couldn’t find it… maybe it was caught by my spam filter? In any case, my apologies that it went unanswered. I receive hundreds of emails a day, and try– but don’t always succeed– at answering every one. Try resending?
You’re correct that lane splitting is not illegal in California, and I’ve changed the wording on the post to reflect that.
Thanks,
Basem
I have been riding in Texas now for 17 years. The traffic can get very conjested when I am heading to and from work. I am all for this law to pass. It would benefit me along with other fellow riders throughout this state in many ways.
I realize that there are people that get very tired of sitting in those conjested areas. I too am one of those people. I have a car and I have a motorcycle. Riding my motorcycle is a choice that not only I have, but everyone that drives legally has. Think about it, if you have a motorcycle this law would benefit you too. If you don’t agree then don’t do it. Pretty simple.
I support the idea and the bill. As long as I’ve been riding I never go anywhere on my motorcycle without a helmet. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is the equivalent to sitting on a chair in the middle of traffic…not very smart… Too many times do motorists get stuck on freeways or rush hour traffic. When I drive my truck and get stuck behind a biker, I hate it. If theres several bikers on the road but everyone is stuck because of traffic, then it would help if all the bikers went up ahead providing more flow to traffic. So many times do I see traffic held up further than it should because of bikers stuck in traffic.
Who do I have to vote for to support this bill?
I have riden the Cali. highway system. I find that lane splitting works. If everybody knows that motorcycles are allowed to do it then you expect while sitting in your cage. In South Texas in the summer it can be a safety hazard for heat injuries. Sitting in traffic with the engine heat added to the heat from the pavement and ambiant air temp over 100 degrees and lane splitting becomes a logical option. But if you only allow it in the summer then people will forget that they can do it. I am very much pro lane splitting. I think that to make motorcycle riding safer you need to train the person in the car to look for motorcycles. You don’t see many people on the phone or texting on a motorcycle.
Lane sharing has been introduced in Texas again. HB 1571. Those of you in favor, please do what you can to get this passed.
This is definitely a law that should be passed all over. I myself am from Texas and I could tell you that I have been in too many situations where this law would have helped. Whenever I sit in traffic at a red light, and upon the light turning green and traffic moving forward, I have been cut off by big vehicles and trailers. Why was I cut off, because I was never seen by them. Luckily, all my situations have ended with me honking and them swerving back into their lanes. With lane splitting/sharing, I would be allowed to move to the front of traffic and be removed from blind spots.
Also, stop and go traffic, horrible in Houston. it would be nice to be able to pass stopped vehicles.