Lane Splitting Is Safe Unless It Involves High Speed

The practice of motorcyclists sharing lanes, or riding between lanes to pass slower traffic, has been controversial for years now. Recently, a team of researchers at the University Of California Berkeley released a study that provides some answers to the safety of these practices. In California, motorcyclists are legally allowed to split lanes. This is the practice in which motorcyclists ride between marked lanes in an effort to pass stalled vehicles. California is currently the only state that allows such practices by motorcyclists. The practice is not without its critics who complain that it is difficult to spot such motorcyclists, especially when they ride at high speeds between cars that are stopped for traffic or are moving slowly. The University Of California Berkeley team reviewed thousands of accidents involving motorcyclists around the state, and found that lane splitting is not necessarily more dangerous than riding a marked lane. However, the danger did seem to increase when lane splitters rode streets at a speed that was 10 mph fast higher than the cars that they were passing. In such cases, the researchers found that the motorcyclists did have a higher risk of being involved in an accident. Additionally, lane splitters also seem to be at a higher risk of certain types of accidents. For instance, they are much more likely to be in a rear ender accident in which they hit another vehicle, compared to accidents in which another vehicle hits them. The early morning and late afternoon rush hours are the deadliest times for lane splitters, with most accidents involving reported during these times. The bottom line is that motorcycle lane splitting can be safe provided you are riding at a safe speed. If you have suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, you can recover compensation for your losses. Speak to a Burbank motorcycle accident lawyer about filing a claim for compensation.