Lane filtering approved in Utah

[flynrider]

Our state Governor just signed the bill into law today:

Under these conditions you may now lane filter in Utah:
383 (5) An individual may engage in lane filtering only when the following conditions
384 exist:
385 (a) the individual is operating a motorcycle;
386 (b) the individual is on a roadway divided into two or more adjacent traffic lanes in the
387 same direction of travel;
388 © the individual is on a roadway with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less;
389 (d) the vehicle being overtaken in the same lane is stopped;
390 (e) the motorcycle is traveling at a speed of 15 miles per hour or less; and
391 (f) the movement may be made safely.

In general this won't do much for most of us in this state. The roads where I live, when they do back up all have speed limits above 45 MPH so it won't be legal to filter. Most 45mph roads around here are secondary roads between neighborhoods and main arteries and freeways where speed limits are usually 55mph or higher....that's where the real traffic problems develop when construction isn't involved.

Sounds like it would be most useful on big city surface streets. I can see where such a law would be beneficial here in Phoenix. Traffic tends to back up on the surface streets at rush hour. It's not unusual to come to a stop a good half mile from the next traffic light.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Certainly not GO. They are either in the cellar with the Cellarmaster or hunting with Sir Ferret.

lol - I am trying imagine the hunt.

Two images come to mind:

1) The "Disney" view where all are behaved when the prey has been located and everyone rejoices for all what life is.

2) The darker view when the RLETs get to the prey first and there is no discipline.

[the Ferret]

Buddy of mine on the ST forum from California recorded this yesterday. Check it out at 2:50 and 3: 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzEHj57MPM

[Randy B]

That could on the rider being way too focused on how fast he was going, and not the amount of room he had to proceed.
There is the possibility that the driver in #1 moved over to pinch him out and did it too late. Either way people need to pay attention when they are driving. This was 100% avoidable.

Splitting is a safe maneuver when people are paying attention and don't get the thought that "they are cutting in line!! I NEED to stop them!!!" stuck in their heads.

[pekingduck]

Buddy of mine on the ST forum from California recorded this yesterday. Check it out at 2:50 and 3: 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzEHj57MPM

Too bad the guy on the bagger (dirt-bagger?) following him couldn't be bothered to stop, either as a witness or to help the stuck rider. At least he didn't appear badly injured.

When I'm splitting lanes and a bike or two comes up behind me, I pull into a lane and let them pass (as the ST camera bike did). You need to focus entirely ahead of you - any distraction from behind eats up some of that precious forward focus.

[Django]

After standing for a while far behind in the line in the sun before Zion National Park, I passed the line of cars and pulled in before the gate in front of a RV. The driver of the RV was indeed a little mad about me. I guess filtering has not completely arrived in Utah yet. I raised my hand and waved to greet him and calm him down a bit.

[SportsterDoc]

Buddy of mine on the ST forum from California recorded this yesterday. Check it out at 2:50 and 3: 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzEHj57MPM

For those not famaliar with lane splitting in CA, notice how most vehicles in the number one lane are far left for the motorcyclist to easily pass.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Buddy of mine on the ST forum from California recorded this yesterday. Check it out at 2:50 and 3: 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZzEHj57MPM

The host seemed to handle the opportunity quite well and fairly. Too bad about the event at the end of the flick, but other than that, it looked reasonably productive.

[the Ferret]

Well if you look at the bottom of the video, Bob was running about 40-45 mph. He said the 3 came up behind him very quickly and were running he said double his speed but I think more like 20 mph faster than he was, so they were splitting at maybe 65 or so. Certainly no expert on lane splitting, but even 45 between cars seems fast to me, 65 seems absurd. At least Bob stopped to check on the rider, who was ok.

[egleaves_imp]

I split similar traffic every day to and from work and I've had plenty of other riders run up on my tail like that. 45 is my top splitting speed.....and only if the conditions are right. I prefer to top out at 35-40 and I aim for a max delta of 10-15.

65 is too fast no matter how you look at it, but I see people do it almost daily. It's not my skills keeping me from splitting faster, it's my sense of self preservation. If you're splitting 45mph traffic at 65+ your delta is way too high and there is simply no time to react to cars changing lanes. If you're splitting 65mph traffic at 65+ you're just riding like an a-hole. Outside of evasive maneuvers there just isn't any justifiable reason to split lanes at that speed. Well....unless you're an a-hole with a death wish.

It hasn't happened yet, but I'm waiting for the day that a rider blows past me, splitting way too fast, and I find them downed a couple of miles up the road.