05-25-2019, 03:33 AM
Like many, I have mixed emotions about the lane splitting thing. It is not as yet specifically legal here in Texas, but I have never seen anyone ticketed for it either. Shortly after I got my CB1100EX, I was sitting stopped at a red light, and was first in line. All of a sudden I felt a bump from behind. A woman in a mini van ( probably texting because she had phone in hand when I looked back ) had rolled into me. Rear fender was bent, and tail light mount was cracked. I was without my bike for several months dealing with insurance and the snails pace of the Honda shop I had the misfortune of taking my bike to for repair. Fortunately the woman had insurance, and I was not injured. Now EVERY time I ride I wear a bright orange Hi Viz vest, in hopes more visibility will make this scenario less likely to happen again.
The incident did make me acutely aware of how vulnerable a motorcyclist is to being hit from behind at a stoplight, stop sign, or in bumper to bumper traffic. Even if I had seen the woman coming in one of my mirrors, I dont really know where I would have been able to go safely to get out of the way. I have never done the lane splitting thing, and probably never will because I only ride in low traffic areas. If I were to be in a situation where it was absolutely necessary to lane split for some reason, I would be doing it very slowly and carefully. Absent some urgent reason to lane split, I think I would be tempted to pull off to the shoulder in the shade under an overpass, shut the bike off, get off the bike, and play games on my cell phone until the traffic jam was over. Being retired, I am just not in any big hurry to get anywhere 98% of the time, and the times I am in a hurry, I want to get where I am going in one piece.
The incident did make me acutely aware of how vulnerable a motorcyclist is to being hit from behind at a stoplight, stop sign, or in bumper to bumper traffic. Even if I had seen the woman coming in one of my mirrors, I dont really know where I would have been able to go safely to get out of the way. I have never done the lane splitting thing, and probably never will because I only ride in low traffic areas. If I were to be in a situation where it was absolutely necessary to lane split for some reason, I would be doing it very slowly and carefully. Absent some urgent reason to lane split, I think I would be tempted to pull off to the shoulder in the shade under an overpass, shut the bike off, get off the bike, and play games on my cell phone until the traffic jam was over. Being retired, I am just not in any big hurry to get anywhere 98% of the time, and the times I am in a hurry, I want to get where I am going in one piece.