Topic: Allstate Insurance Co. and Lane Splitting. WTH?

[Fuzzball]

Reference the current installment of the Allstate Car Insurance commercials featuring famous actor Dennis Haysbert soberly lecturing us about our driving habits.
Scene two of this commercial shows stock footage of a busy freeway. And then guess what!!....a guy on a two wheeler just blitzing through the gridlocked cages riding the white lane divider. Wahoo! Did I just see what I thought I saw?

How can this be? A prank by the stock footage gofer? A not-to-subliminal plug on the part of a guerilla lane splitting activist? Allstate Insurance company actively condoning a pretty dangerous and mostly illegal cycling practice? (okay, probably not, but embarassing? yes!)

What is going on here?
I am SO CURIOUS how it came to be. I do think we can be sure that it wasn't completely accidental.

Check it out.

[jdigga]

it's legal in California.  I never rode a bike when I lived there but with LA drivers, I wouldn't want to either.

I wish it were allowed here.

[dusterdude]

as many times ive seen that commercial,i have never noticed the guy on the bike.

[Bob Wessner]

Though it is legal in some places, you would think and insurance company would be a bit more prudent about what they included in their commercials. Next thing you know they will include cell phone users and texters in the scenes. As far as I know, only one state is getting ready to ban texting while driving. One would think such a ban wouldn't even be necessary.

[jdigga]

Is that the changing-pants-while-driving-guy commercial?  Surely if one can manage to do that, texting is merely child's play!

[BobbyR]

I have done a lot of things while driving. Changing my pants does not seem possible even with cruise control. I am sure some yahoo has done it, or used it as an excuse.

[Fuzzball]

I know this is off topic, but I think I'm in love with your Avatar

[BobbyR]

I know this is off topic, but I think I'm in love with your Avatar

She is very pretty. Last week I had a close up of her face. PM me. 

[Fuzzball]

Though it is legal in some places, you would think and insurance company would be a bit more prudent about what they included in their commercials..

Exactly my point.
Lane-splitting: right or wrong?
Who knows? ---- but how did it get through the Allstate Television Advertising Approval Process?

[kslrr]

A friend and I changed drivers once in his car while in cruise going 70 south on the I-5 in Calif. late at night.

[calorchard]

http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/motorcycle-traffic.php#tz_CA

[jdigga]

From the website above, emphasis mine:

"Although lane splitting (the act of moving between cars to the front of traffic) sparks all types of ire from motorists, it is legal in many states."

I thought CA is the only state where it's allowed.  Here in Ohio it's not explicitly prohibited, but nor is it explicitly permitted, so nobody does it.

Anyway in a recent issue of one of the bike magazines (Cycle World, I think) they drew some flack from some readers because they had published a picture of a rider's eye view of a bike clearly splitting lanes.  A letter written in response to that questioned why a national magazine like that would publish a photo of an illegal maneuver.  Their response was that it's perfectly legal in California and is a good tactic.

[Bob Wessner]

..and is a good tactic.

Not to be critical of anyone who does it, legally or not, but what makes it a good tactic?

[nickjtc]

This is interesting stuff. To riders who cannot/will not/have not used lane splitting as a riding strategy the whole idea is probably quite unsettling or frightening. In reality if everyone is aware and on board with the practice it can be a very efficient way of keeping the flow of traffic moving.

When I started my riding career in and around London (England) one of the first things I learned was that you needed to filter in heavy traffic. The vast majority of 4 wheelers were aware of this and the whole process was quite routine and safe. The exceptions are when the rider is moving too quickly between the traffic, thereby not giving the surrounding vehicles a chance to be aware of them. And the (very, very) rare car driver who deliberately sets out to become an obstacle.

When I was in California a couple of years ago I found myself driving through Santa Rosa during rush hour. I couldn't remember the laws about lane splitting, and was a bit rusty since the last time I had done it was 20+ years ago in England. Anyhoo all of a sudden the cars in adjacent lanes started moving over to the side of their lanes in front of me. I felt like Moses parting the waters..!!! They were doing the polite thing and the next thing I knew I was moving forwards through traffic at a constant pace. Very nice.

I take exception to this, however:

Lane Location
A single lane is divided into three riding areas: right side, center, and left side. Obviously a road can have all sorts of lanes and a rider's positioning will essentially depend on that. For example, if there is only one lane in your direction (i.e., two-lane road) and you are in traffic, odds are you will not want to be in the left portion of the lane, especially if there is a curb.

This is because you have just reduced your options almost to nil if a situation arises. Not that you necessarily want to be hovering over in the right side of the lane, either, with oncoming vehicles barreling toward you. Here is a good instance where riding in the center, with distance applied, can be your best bet.

In most urban riding situations (with the exception of some intersections) the best lane position is just to left of centre. Unless you are about to make a right turn, that is.

[TwoTired]

..and is a good tactic.

Not to be critical of anyone who does it, legally or not, but what makes it a good tactic?

1- It helps relieve traffic congestion, by increasing throughput of the same width road.
2- It saves gasoline.
3- An air cooled bike is only cooled while it is moving through an air mass.
4- It is an escape route from careless cage drivers.
5- It is an escape route from malicious cage drivers.
6- It saves a good deal of time and frustration to the betterment of personal health.
7- Police use this tactic to access assigned areas, as well as to improve general mobility.

In the 1989 Loma Prietta earthquake, I was at work when it occurred.  (I was sitting on the throne in the men's room actually.  Did you know that the stall doors automatically open during a shaker?  What a thoughtfull design!)
Anyway, power went off, and when it became clear that it wasn't coming back on any time soon, I and most other people decided to go home.  NO traffic lights were operational.  And, of course, the streets were filled with vehicles trying to get home to assess damage.  On an average day, I would save 10-15 minutes during my one way commute home if I used the Cb550 and employed occasional lane splitting.  On this day, the entire distance was to be done in lane split mode, nearly door to door, and it took an extra 10-15 minutes for the standard route.  (About the same as if I'd used the car on a normal commute day.) By contrast, other co-workers in cars who lived nearby to me, took an extra 2 hours for a nearly identical travel path, 7.5 miles.

Cheers,

[edbikerii]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/10/30/MN87097.DTL

"A study conducted four years ago by a University of Southern California researcher supports that claim.

The study, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation, concluded that lane splitting is safer than sitting in stop-and-go traffic, where bikers are far more likely to be ``sandwiched'' between two cars.

``For a motorcyclist, that's the safest place to be,'' Professor Harry Hurt said shortly after releasing his study. ``A lot of people think it's a hazard, but the cold, hard facts are that it's not.''

[Bob Wessner]

I guess it makes sense in areas with chronic, twice per day congestion and after earthquakes. Not sure that #7 is much justification for civilians. The police, and other emergency vehicles, can make U-turns on divided highways here, at specific points, that would get anyone else a nice ticket. I guess I just don't have enough faith in car drivers.

[twisting_edge]

In most urban riding situations (with the exception of some intersections) the best lane position is just to left of centre. Unless you are about to make a right turn, that is.

I agree, except I perfer to be further to the left (assuming we are talking US roads, where your lane is on the right).

It's called "asserting your lane", and it's vital on two-lane roads, esp. when there's a double yellow line down the middle (i.e., no passing). It stops the morons behind you from trying to pass you. They often seem to regard motorcycles, even those reasonably exceeding the speed limit, more as bicycles than motor vehicles. You are an obstruction to be passed as quickly as possible, even if they subsequently realize they are seriously speeding to accomplish that and then immediately slow down.

[Bob Wessner]

I agree on the two-lane road tactic with one exception. When I see an oncoming string of traffic in the apposing lane, I generally move to the right of center in my lane. One, it gives the second or third car in the oncoming string a better chance of seeing you (you know they want to pass that guy in front ) and it leaves them and you some escape room if they do it anyway.

[twisting_edge]

"A study conducted four years ago by a University of Southern California researcher supports that claim.

That's a fair quote (i.e., not taken out of context or otherwise misleading), but I find it nearly impossible to believe. They offer no guidelines (just a "rough rule of thumb" of no more than 10-15 mph faster than traffic), nor do they discuss where they got the data from.

I can see the point about not being sandwiched. In truly stopped traffic, (or stop and go), I can see the advantage. But even in completely stopped traffic, you'll still have that odd man out that decides to try to nudge over into the next lane.

I won't lane split, but I will ride on the shoulder when traffic is completely stopped. I can stop and squeeze over if emergency vehicles need it. The 10-15 mph is about right for that situation. On the shoulder (assuming there is one), I've got unoccupied space off to the side I can pull into if someone gets cute, although I've never seen that particular risk. I think most people feel they are already stopped, so there's no need to pull onto the shoulder.

[twisting_edge]

I generally move to the right of center in my lane. One, it gives the second or third car in the oncoming string a better chance of seeing you (you know they want to pass that guy in front ) and it leaves them and you some escape room if they do it anyway.

I do that too. Not only do I prefer to be further from the oncoming traffic (give me more room to deal with the unexpected), but there's a much reduced risk of anyone behind me trying to pass when there's oncoming traffic.

I'll also sometimes get over to the right on a truly blind turn just because the oncoming traffic can get real sloppy. They either cut the corner or oversteer often enough. I've never had a problem on a bike, but I've nearly traded headlights a few times that way in a car. There's some very sparsely driven roads in northern westchester. The locals know the roads are actually used by other cars. People up from the city think they're in virgin territory. Once again, in a truly blind corner, the folks behind you generally won't try to pass.

[TwoTired]

I won't lane split, but I will ride on the shoulder when traffic is completely stopped.

This is a verifiiable moving violation in California.  I received a ticket for doing just that for about 50 feet before making a right hand turn and in an open area.
If I had lane spilt and turned right in front of stopped traffic?  No foul!

Passing on the right or on the shoulder is not illegal where you live?

Cheers,

[edbikerii]

I didn't highlight it, but the last sentence of my quote mentioned Professor Harry Hurt as the author of the study.  His motorcycle safety studies are THE definitive works on motorcycle safety to date.  I studied his early work long and hard when I first decided to ride a motorcycle.  His studies are readily available on the web, including all of the relevant statistics:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Harry+Hurt%22+motorcycle+safety

I highly recommend reading those studies.  There is a lot of eye opening information there.  He goes into which accidents are the most common statistically, so you'll know what to avoid, etc.  Some of it is surprising.

Ride Safe!!!

"A study conducted four years ago by a University of Southern California researcher supports that claim.

That's a fair quote (i.e., not taken out of context or otherwise misleading), but I find it nearly impossible to believe. They offer no guidelines (just a "rough rule of thumb" of no more than 10-15 mph faster than traffic), nor do they discuss where they got the data from.

[twisting_edge]

Passing on the right or on the shoulder is not illegal where you live?

It sho 'nuff is. But then, so is lane splitting.

I think passing on the shoulder is illegal everywhere, but I would have said the same about lane splitting, so it might not be. It's definitely illegal here, though. But if the traffic is truly stopped dead (not stop and go), I'll do it at low speed in any case. I'd certainly rather be on the shoulder and have one side clear than between lanes of cars with no room to maneuver at all.

I might point out that I don't ride in urban areas. The roads tend to have shoulders, and the jams tend to be at most one or two exits long. I also don't get stuck in jams very often. If it were something that happened regularly, I'd find another route, travel at a different time of day, or drive a car.

I also noticed that other bikes here will do the same thing: they'll take the shoulder in a jam, but they won't lane-split. The only ones that DO lane split are the idiots on crotch rockets that cut through moving traffic at very high speed. That's just suicidally stupid. I also saw a full dresser pass between two cars that were moving at the same speed (about 50 mph, bike might've been doing 65) once, but that was very much the exception, not the rule.

[fastdadd]

passing on the right is legal in oregon but lane splitting os not....i have done lane splitting from time to time and always on the same stretch of road...the first time was when two cages were driving side by side going up hill with a nother behind the one in the right side lane i found myself following to close to the front pack so i backed off to put room between us when the truck next to me (thinking that the car in front of me was going faster) pulled into my lane almost running over me so in a pissed off fit of rage i gave full throtle and drove between all three of them and then put some distance between us and slowed back down for the rest of the ride home.  so now when i find myself in the same situation i do the same thing