Lane Splitting in CA

[EMS]

There is another factor that contributes to this. In Europe, drivers' ed is much more elaborate. Getting a driver's license is not that easy. It costs a lot of money and many hours of driving school.
In addition, many people start driving on two wheels. The only license you can get at the age of 16 is for a 125cc "motorcycle". The preferred method of individual transport in inner cities is a scooter.
A motorcyclist over there doesn't have the "biker" image of someone on the fringe of society.

[wyly]

Z

[whatscooking]

My son has his helmet on his bike set up so that he can make phone calls to me from over there, very clear until he hits 100 plus. Old dad got on him about doing that and he tells me to settle down it's how it's done, then he will say they are blowing by him. He keeps wanting me to come over there and get on a bike, scares me.

[Mello]

There is another factor that contributes to this. In Europe, drivers' ed is much more elaborate. Getting a driver's license is not that easy. It costs a lot of money and many hours of driving school.
In addition, many people start driving on two wheels. The only license you can get at the age of 16 is for a 125cc "motorcycle". The preferred method of individual transport in inner cities is a scooter.
A motorcyclist over there doesn't have the "biker" image of someone on the fringe of society.

In South Africa at 16 you can get a license for a 125cc motorbike, only at 18 can you get a car license. We currently have no laws like Europe where you are limited in motorcycle engine capacity once you turn 18. At 18 on a learners license you buy the baddest supebike with zero experience.

We lane split here. It is not specifically written into law but is not against the law either. Lane splitting is generally accepted but our drivers are poorly skilled, often ignorant of laws and flout them regularly. Never mind the driving and texting, talking on hand held phones etc. While lane splitting you need to ride with the frame of mind that they are out to get you. Having said that, I comute by bike year round and would much rather do this than sit in my cage in traffic. Despite the poor driving, I rarely find that I get into a situation where things could have got really bad. I would rather be between two vehicles than wondering if the bugger behind me will squash me into the vehicle in front.

Not being able to lane split would take away all the advantages of riding a motorcycle in traffic (both for the rider and for those stuck in less traffic).

[Gearheadgregg]

1974 in So California if you had a Learners drivers permit you could legally operate a motorcycle @ 15 years old "so i did"..we had 6 months of drivers training in HS with Simulators, and school Cars with a Extra brake in the passenger floor for the teacher on road training, fast forward today the schools now don't have any School cars or much for drivers training, What was obvious in California was the Mass of different cultures and over population that created Gridlock on all the Under-masterminded engineering from government to have better prepared the hwy network, Yes i did lane split but at slow speeds of maybe 10-15 mph through the non-moving parking lots called Interstate 5 and the miserable 91 fwy,,,never knew it was not legal, thought the reason was because of Air cooled motorcycles would over heat ? well anyway now i live in New England for the last 21 years and we are proud to be the worst drivers in the US lol http://www.abc6.com/story/23264096/ri-d ... the-nation