From: svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda)
Subject: Re: Lane Splitting (was Re: Cager penile size (was Re: %$*#^$! Tailgaters))
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 20:15:29 GMT

In article <BD.92Aug20092400@fluent.UUCP> bd%fluent@dartmouth.EDU writes:
|
|Am I the only one who thinks it rather hypocritical that riders on the one 
|hand bitch at cagers for encroaching on their lane space, and one the other 
|hand do it to cagers on a regular basis?

Well, the way I see it, a bike splitting between cars is somewhat different
than a car between bikes.  The reason for this lies in comparing risk.  First,
we have to take as given that less lanespace implies more likelyhood of a
collision.  Now, consider if a car initiates a lanesharing situation.  In the
now more likely collision, the bike *will* lose, and the rider likely will
sustain bodily injuries, while the car *might* sustain some property damage,
and the driver almost certainly will be unhurt.  In effect, the driver is 
taking some personal safety away from the biker, at little cost to himself.

In the case of the biker initiating a laneshare, he is again increasing the
likelyhood of an accident, an accident which he will again lose.  The driver 
will likely take very little if any damage from such a collision.  So it 
is mostly an issue of personal risk to the motorcyclist, a risk which only 
the motorcyclist has a right to present.  The risk to the driver, in either
case, is minimal.

Now, to address the first point; that a collision is more likely when lane
sharing.  This is not necessarily true.  It is evident to me, from the
experience of lane-splitting in California, and from my own highway
habits, that you are safest in stop-and-go traffic when you are not
directly in front of or behind a car (because rearenders are a common 
type of traffic accident).  Furthermore, a significant accident risk 
exists because you are not very visible, but the traffic "hole" that you 
are creating by sitting in traffic *is* visible.  Haven't you ever had 
someone change lanes into you becuase they didn't see you?  Would they have
done that if there was a car in the spot you were occupying?  Possibly, but
not likely.

So, for the motorcyclist, lane splitting (carefully, observing the unique
risks presented by the practice, of course) can be *safer* than riding in 
traffic.  What about the increased risk to cars, though?  Well, since we 
are talking about car vs bike accidents, anything that makes accidents 
less likely for motorcycles also makes them less likely for cars.  QED.

|Stop and go on the ramp, we were averaging about five miles an hour, and 
|two bikes go rushing past my left hand side (going minimum of forty).  My 
|impression was that they were total assholes, and pretty stupid as well.  
|I mean, the speed differential between them and the cars they were passing 
|was about 35 mph (IMHO much too great for riding a foot and a half away 
|from cars) and I suspect (bit do now know for sure) that they were pretty 
|aggressive when the lanes merged.

They were simply wasting the opportunity for decreased risk lane splitting
by speeding, thus reducing their reaction ability.  But you can't be too
mad at them, because they were only putting themselves as significant
risk, with minimal risk to you.

I ask you to compare risks, though.  Do you think they would have been
safer riding in an empty lane, next to a full lane, with a 35mph speed
differential?  I submit that that would have been even *less* safe than
what they were doing, although perfectly legal.  (Well, okay, perhaps
lane splitting WAS legal for them to be doing, but it is illegal in
every place that I regularly ride.)  Either choice is pretty stupid,
but the lane-sharing choice is less risky.

I don't think you picked a very good example.  Nearly anyone would agree
that those bikers were being pretty stupid.  But that isn't a reason to
condemn all lane splitting, or all bikers, for that matter.

Dave Svoboda (rubis@gagme.chi.il.us)        | "I just can't take
90 Concours 1000 (Mmmmmmmmmmmm)             |  this weird shit
No ratbike at the moment.  Suggestions?     |  before breakfast!"
AMA 583905      DoD #0330    COG 939        |   -- Evo Woman