At the very least, Inland motorcyclists hope a new state bill helps get them noticed.googleoff: all
California is poised to be the first state to sanction lane splitting. The Assembly on Thursday, May 28, approved a bill to permit motorcycles to drive between cars at speeds up to 15 mph faster than surrounding traffic, up to 50 mph. A state Senate committee is expected to take up the measure by July.googleoff: all
The bill’s authors cite research suggesting lane splitting is safer than wedging motorcyclists behind cars, where they’re more likely to suffer serious injury or death should they be rear-ended.googleoff: all
Andrew Wunderlich, who spent 21 years as a patrol officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, said the measure brings important safeguards and allows officers to cite motorcyclists who split lanes unsafely.googleoff: all
“It’s better for the rider to split lanes at a safe speed,” he said.googleoff: all
If nothing else, Lake Elsinore resident Dylin Martin, who works at Temecula motorsports dealer Team Rebel Racing, said the legislation would make drivers more aware of riders sharing the lane.googleoff: all
“If it was actually in the laws that you would have to allow motorcycles by, you would always have to keep that in the back of your mind,” Martin said.googleoff: all
Critics argue the legislation is flawed, even dangerous.googleoff: all
The American Motorcyclist Association opposes AB51 in favor of less strict rules.googleoff: all
One Inland motorcyclist says the bill isn’t necessary.googleoff: all
Christian Motorcyclists Association representative “Ratchet” Ron Morris of Yucaipa said lane splitting can be done safely or dangerously. A law or set of guidelines won’t change that.googleoff: all
“I feel it should be up to the discretion of the cop,” Morris said. “If it’s done in a safe manner, we don’t need (the guidelines). We haven’t needed them.”googleoff: all
Maxine Macha, 60, of Costa Mesa, who said she’s had a few near-misses with motorcycles weaving between slow-moving cars, wants lane splitting to be forbidden.googleoff: all
“Motorcycles are invisible,” said Macha, who witnesses good and bad driving firsthand as the office manager at Safety 1st Driving School in Irvine. “They think we see them but we don’t. By the time you hear them, it’s too late.”googleoff: all
Lane splitting has been a legal gray area in California. Law enforcement doesn’t ticket the practice; other states have outlawed it.