Lane splitting (sharing) interview

[LARIDER_imp]

There's a very cool Youtube channel by an LAPD bike officer. The officer makes videos to show what his job is like and sometimes does Q & A videos.

He did an interesting one on lane splitting. (he gets into the lane splitting about 3 mins into the video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2zc1zHM4Lg

[the Ferret]

See, for me that was freaky to watch. I gasped several times thinking he was getting pinched off, and was going to hit a car.

Understand that the principal of this is so foreign to me because I am NEVER in traffic like that. Most of the time I ride (unless I go to the freeway and even then we rarely see traffic like that) I barely see other cars coming towards me, much less in front or behind me.

He made an excellent point about a smaller vehicle in front of a bigger vehicle not being able to see a motorcycle coming even in his mirrors because he can't see around the bigger vehicle. Makes sense.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

See, for me that was freaky to watch. I gasped several times thinking he was getting pinched off, and was going to hit a car.

Understand that the principal of this is so foreign to me because I am NEVER in traffic like that. Most of the time I ride (unless I go to the freeway and even then we rarely see traffic like that) I barely see other cars coming towards me, much less in front or behind me.

He made an excellent point about a smaller vehicle in front of a bigger vehicle not being able to see a motorcycle coming even in his mirrors because he can't see around the bigger vehicle. Makes sense.

Good to have different riding experiences presented here. What the officer is doing is exactly what I do several times a week.

[Rolls_imp]

Good link to Officer Rob's moto vlog. I subscribed.

One area where he takes more risk than I do, is when there's a a few open spaces on either side in a row of stopped or slowed cars. I always assume that someone's gonna jump lanes to grab that space in hopes of moving along a bit faster. I'll favor the open lane more giving me a bit more reaction time and the car a bit better view of me coming up.

Otherwise, remarkably similar splitting style and philosophy. Good stuff.

[Cormanus]

Good video, although I wondered about the chances of lane splitting safely increasing when you're on a police bike.

[Randy B]

Good video, although I wondered about the chances of lane splitting safely increasing when you're on a police bike.

Nope. There have been at least 2 police MOTO accidents just in this area in the last two weeks. 1 fatality that I know of. The fatal was a left turner on surface streets.

[Cormanus]

My view, for what it's worth, is that he was often splitting at too high a speed. Maybe that simply reflects my cowardice about it.

[Blockhead_imp]

It appears that people see a cop in their mirror on a bike lane-splitting and they give him room. Now put a kid on a crotch rocket in the same scenario and you'll see some idiots (not all) try to squeeze him. A lot of folks resent lane splitters....

[Randy B]

It appears that people see a cop in their mirror on a bike lane-splitting and they give him room. Now put a kid on a crotch rocket in the same scenario and you'll see some idiots (not all) try to squeeze him. A lot of folks resent lane splitters....

It's not really like that out here where people actually expect it. I have people move out of the way for me all the time and they have no way to know what kind of bike it is until I pass them most of the time.

[Inhouse Bob]

I think the video makes his speed look faster than it is. I've noticed other posted ride videos are like that. Maybe it's the wide-angle lens effect. Anyhow, it made me nervous, too!