Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
How to Split Lanes While Riding Your Motorcycle (Part A)
No one likes traffic. Sitting in a congested mess for hours at a time is one of the more irritating parts of navigating the Interstate system, especially for bikers. In fact, flying down the open road is one of the main reasons bikers love the freedom that comes with riding motorcycles. This is also why many motorcyclists often avoid traffic by "splitting lanes".
Splitting lanes involves riding down the corridor between the two lanes of traffic. Splitting lanes is somewhat controversial, even within the biking community, and it’s often blamed for a significant portion of motorcycle accidents. If a rider does choose to engage in lane splitting, it’s very important that they adhere to the following motorcycle safety tips.
Understand The Drivers You Are Sharing the Road With
A motorcycle rider can’t really know exactly what the drivers in the lanes ahead are planning, but pays to understand the mentality of the other cars on the road. Most of the drivers sitting in traffic are fiddling with their radio, using cell phones or daydreaming, so bikers need to be on alert. The remaining portion is split between those who are eager to help, and others who feel that riders aren’t waiting their proper turn in line.
The two latter categories present their own problems for splitting lanes:
- A small percentage of car drivers will move aside to give you additional space to pass. An unintended consequence is the dirt and rocks occasionally kicked up by their tires. The added space simply isn’t needed.
- Drivers are easily angered after sitting in traffic, and road rage situations can quickly escalate into a dangerous situation.
A rider never knows what kind of drivers are in the nearby cars, so they should always be prepared to take action. This can be the difference between a safe, sudden stop and a motorcycle accident.
Keeping your Fingers on the Brake
Conventional motorcycle wisdom tells riders never to place a hand over the brake. When splitting lanes, however, this advice is counterproductive. The moment saved by being able to apply immediate pressure to the brake could prevent a motorcycle accident.
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