Lane splitting in a safe and prudent manner is not illegal in the
state of California. The term lane splitting, sometimes known as lane
sharing, filtering or white-lining, refers to the process of a
motorcyclist riding between lanes of stopped or slower moving traffic
or moving between lanes to the front of traffic stopped at a traffic
light.
Lane Splitting Guidelines - Quick Guide
Lane Splitting General Guidelines - Expanded Version
In all cases, the CHP urges extreme caution when splitting lanes.
Lane Splitting - Getting home safely is everyone's responsibility.
The CHP presents Thrill or Buzz Kill?, a motorcycle safety video reminding
motorcyclists about the added responsibility and attention the road demands.
California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) - The CHP is statutorily
responsible for California's official motorcycle safety training
program. Pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 2930-2935, the
CHP administers the program through a primary contractor, currently
the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. As of March 2012, over 800,000
motorcycle riders have received training at one of the CMSP's 134
training sites since the program began in July 1987.
The program consists of a 15-hour classroom and on-cycle Basic
RiderCourse (BRC). The BRC is mandatory for those under the age of 21
but is also recommended to those 21 and older who are seeking to
obtain a motorcycle endorsement on their California driver license.
The CMSP also offers the Premier Program which is an extended BRC
consisting of 7.5 hours of classroom and 13.5 hours of on-cycle time.
While not part of the CMSP, the CHP and its partners encourage all
riders to be life long learners. Riders can refresh or enhance skills
at a Basic RiderCourse2. A website, www.ca-msp.org, serves as the
training course referral service. Find out more about the California
Motorcyclist Safety Program.
[A beginning motorcycle rider receives instruction from an instructor]
Data received from the California Office of Traffic Safety shows:
Motorcycle fatalities in California increased 175% in ten years, from
204 in 1998 to 560 in 2008. These increases in motorcyclist deaths
occurred at a time when significant gains were achieved in other areas
of traffic safety. Although we did experience reductions in motorcycle
fatalities in 2009 and 2010, preliminary 2011 data indicates a
possible increase and motorcyclists are over represented in overall
numbers of traffic deaths.
[Beginning motorcycle riders in a training class] [A line of
beginning motorcycle riders in a training class]
A class of beginning motorcycle riders receive instruction.
California Motorcycle-Involved Statistics - Between 1986 and 1999,
California enjoyed a 13-year decline in motorcycle-involved fatal and
severe injury collisions. However, starting in 1999, these numbers
steadily increased over a 10-year period peaking in 2008. It is
important to note, however, that according to 2009 and 2010 data,
motorcycle-involved fatal and injury collisions are down
significantly.
Despite the strides in reducing motorcyclist fatality and injury
collisions over the past couple of years, statistics on motorcyclists
show a disproportionate rate of collisions compared to numbers of
riders and to other traffic. A National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration report shows that for the same per-mile exposure,
motorcyclists are roughly 28 times more likely to die than occupants
of other vehicles.
Another conspicuous trend involves the number of motorcyclist
fatalities and age. Several groups of riders are over represented,
compared to their presence within the motorcycle riding population.
For example, a small percentage of the motorcycle operators are riders
aged 15-19 (4 percent) and 20-24 (6 percent), yet represent nearly
twice that percentage of fatalities (11-13 percent). A second group of
riders over represented according to their presence in the population
is riders aged 25-54. It should also be noted that 90 percent of the
fatal victims are male.
The primary cause for 59 percent of the motorcycle collisions were
attributed to three factors: unsafe speed, improper turning, and
driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Lastly, 65 percent of the fatal and 56 percent of the injury
motorcycle-involved collisions were the fault of the motorcyclist.
View Sections 7H - 7L (Motorcycle Data) of the Statewide Integrated
Traffic Records System
Motorcycle Helmets - Repeated attempts to repeal California's
motorcycle helmet law and substitute it with a lesser version
requiring those under 18 to wear a United States Department of
Transportation compliant helmet have failed in the state legislature.
Statistical information continue to support the helmet law, but some
adult riders have been advocating its repeal from the moment the law
went into effect on January 1, 1992. Advocates of repeal contend it is
a matter of individual choice whether to wear a helmet or not, and a
personal right to decide whether to take the risk. The idea that
motorcyclists over 21 should be exempt from the requirement for
helmets completely ignores some other facts that prompted passage of
the helmet law. In 1987, before the law was passed, 77 percent of
motorcyclist fatalities involved victims over the age of 21, with 69
percent of those injured over the age of 21.
Motorcycle Safety Grants: The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will
implement a 12-month traffic safety grant to reduce
motorcycle-involved collisions on popular roadways and mountain range
areas throughout California. To maximize enforcement efforts, each CHP
Division will identify and concentrate on problematic locations on
routes within their respective Areas, where motorcycle-involved
collisions are the highest. Grant activities will include enhanced
enforcement, a public awareness and educational campaign, and paid
media campaign will be launched to show a "share the road" Public
Service Announcement. The project ends September 30, 2012 . The grant
will be disseminated throughout CHP field Divisions between October 1,
2011, and September 30, 2012.
Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Challenge Area 12, Improve Motorcycle
Safety - The MSP Unit is responsible for co-leading and participating
on this dedicated challenge area. A most recent accomplishment was the
internal development and distribution of a 12-minute DVD, 700 Gs, It's
a Killer, which provides education about proper and legal motorcycle
safety helmets. The MSP Unit is in the process of developing
additional action items in collaboration with its partners including
the Department of Motor Vehicles, California Department of
Transportation, and Office of Traffic Safety. Action items are
expected to commence in October 2011 with a target date of completion
for most items to be October 2013.
