Anyone know if lane splitting is legal in Texas.
The Sheriff will answer that as soon as he gets back in Dodge. His saddle bags are not big enuff to hold a lapTop,even if he had one.<g> (bjay)
: Anyone know if lane splitting is legal in Texas. Someone in here asked a number of law enforcement agencies that question. There is no rule specifically against it, but each agency said it would fall into improper passing, careless driving, or some other made-up offense. Do it at your own risk of a ticket.
I asked a couple of Harris County Sherriff Deputies and they assured me that they would find a way to give me a ticket for it.
Like the other places you might see it done, there's no law preventing it. It's only what's accepted. Now, as to "laws", why would we want a law to say something is "okay"? When you do have that, then you also add in restrictions to it. I'd rather just do it and take a chance on beating the ticket for "reckless driving" or some other bullshit ticket than get restrictions on what I can already do. The other day I was riding through the traffic and up to the signals. While I waited patiently for the light to change between the two cars, a cop was turning left at the intersection. The guy in the SUV to my left started blowing his horn trying to get the cop's attention...as if to say "this guy is next to me!". People are silly. Most of the people in the metroplex in Dallas are diverse enough that they've been other places where it's widely accepted to ride a motorcycle in this fashion. They'll be cool enough to wave at you as you go by, and even pull away from the line to give you more room. Then you have the very few dickheads who want to crowd the line and blow their horn. What I don't understand though, why are the only states where the motorcyclists are comfortable with lane splitting on the east and west coasts? Is this to say the motorcyclists in the middle of the country (Texas specifically) are a bunch of "no motorcycle riding pussies"?
Lanesplitting should be done only during certain traffic conditions and when the traffic is crawling bumper to bumper.. The rider assumes the risk to himself during the time he is on the "line".. The risk of being hit by a car changing lanes is minimal when consider- ing the bumper to bumper conditions.. Cars can't jump sideways.. Any lane change can be well anticipated by the rider, in time for him to switch sides or stop.. The possibility of an occupant of the car opening a door on him, is more the risk for the rider.. Exposure to a ticket is also a risk which is minimized.. The cop that is in the same traffic jam would be hard pressed to catch the experienced rider under those traffic conditions.. He's caught in the same "jam" as all the other vehicles.. The experienced lane splitting rider will keep lanes between him and the cop car as he steadily pulls away from him on that white line.. Personally, I don't believe we'll ever see Legislation to endorse lane split- ting in Texas.. Even in the states where it is permitted or recommended by Law Enforcement, I don't know of a law on the books that make it legal.. Educating the public and the motorcycle riders, themselves.. is the best we might hope for, in the near future.. Not every biker is qualified to employ the strategy and many don't have the skills and ability to execute lane split- ting safely.. Bill Walker Irving
The hardest thing I've found with it is not looking at the cars or the area between the motorcycle and the cars to see if there's enough distance. Very seldom, but it happens, when a car blows their horn it's enough to distract me for an instant. Then I have to remind myself where I'm at and look forward where I'm going. To me, cars sitting in the traffic are far more dangerous to me as a rider than going between the cars. Just the silly mentality of some of the drivers amazes me.... Then again, anytime I'm lane splitting through the stalled traffic I'll end up passing several motorcycles sitting in the traffic.
