Lane splitting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lane splitting, lane sharing, or lane filtering is the controversial practice of operating a vehicle, most commonly a motorcycle, in the unused space between vehicles.
Lane splitting prevents overheating by allowing an air cooled motorcycle to continue moving even when traffic is stopped. Opponents criticize the maneuver, questioning the danger it poses to other vehicles and the motorcyclist. Proponents state that the practice relives congestion by removing commuters from cars and gets them to utilize the unused lanes between that cars. The Hurt Report[1] concluded that lane splitting reduces rear end crashes and improves motorcycle safety. FARS data from the Department of Transportation shows that rear end collisions with motorcycles are 30% lower in California than in Florida or Texas, states with similar riding seasons and populations.[2]
[edit] List of places that allow lane splitting
- Australia
- Austria
- France
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States (only the states listed below)
[edit] External Links
[edit] Notes
- ^ Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R.: "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report", University of Southern California, 1981.
- ^ WhyBike? (2007-02-27). Is sharing lanes more or less dangerous than sitting in traffic?.
