Stay alert, stay alive, and avoid a nastygram from the cops. Doesn’t matter if you’re a lane-splitting motorcyclist or a driver.
Lane-splitting is a divisive subject. For many motorcycle riders, it’s an effective way to negotiate dense traffic without overheating, suffering from fatigue, or slowing down other motorists. However, other drivers get irritated at the practice and respond with poor driving behaviors. Fortunately, a RAM pickup truck driver got some instant karma for their highway tantrum.
In California, many motorcycle riders use lane-splitting to slip between columns of slow-moving traffic. When a rider does it correctly, lane-splitting doesn’t impact highway-bound cars, trucks, SUVs, or minivans. Unfortunately for some riders, drivers will block a splitter’s path or change lanes without checking their mirrors.
A rider on a crowded highway experienced that sort of dangerous behavior when a white RAM pickup truck nearly flattened them against another vehicle. The rider was lane-splitting on the inside of the second lane. Granted, it’s not an ideal lane for splitting, as motorists are less likely to expect riders there.
However, it’s no excuse for an angry or distracted driver to nearly harm another motorist. Fortunately, a motorcycle-bound police officer witnessed the move. He turned on his emergency lighting and pulled the pickup truck over on the inside shoulder. A satisfying ending to a potentially dangerous situation.
So, what can you do to avoid an issue with lane-splitting in the first place? If you’re a California rider, don’t speed while you ride between vehicles. Keep your within 10 mph of the flow of traffic. That doesn’t mean traveling between lanes at 75 mph if traffic is moving freely, either. Stay alert and anticipate the actions of drivers. Also, avoid splitting in inside lanes. Motorists are less likely to expect you to ride between the travel lanes.
However, if you’re a driver, check your mirrors. You should never make a lane change without first checking if there is another vehicle in your path. Finally, avoid becoming jealous or resentful of riders while driving in traffic.
Check out the short video of the police intervention below!
