Lane splitting introduced in Washington State.

Everybody needs to get behind this effort. This could save your life.

 

Here's what I sent:

Please support HB1157, "Modifying the operation of motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic." The State of California has had a such a good record with permitting lane splitting and filtering by motorcycles that they have codified the practice into law. Thanks for your consideration of HB 1157, and please support motorcyclists in Washington.

 

Yes, it's definitely time to make this happen although it seems that support is tough to come by as many states have proposed such legislation only for it to go no where. I'll support it though!

 

Thanks for posting. I'm not sure how often I would exercise the option, but it sure would be nice to have as an option. Message sent.

 

Now is the time to connect with your representative both house and Senate in support of this bill. Made it to the Transportation Committee for hearing in executive session on Monday. If it makes it out of committee it may be on its way. On a bike trip to CA in November got to split in gridlock traffic for 50 miles north of San Francisco, little tight with bagged Sportster, but it works. Was in a line of don't know how many other bikes, I couldn't see from one end to other was so many. No doors opened, folks actually smiled and waved...

 

This has been on again off again for well over ten years. Ain't gonna happen.
We are a majority seasonal riding region, lane splitting will never pass. And is truly unnecessary.

 

Not when I am stuck in traffic under the sun.

 

I split anyways because there are zero cops in the area and not like any Washingtonians are getting out of their car, it'd mean they have to put their phone down! I've split right past police here in Puyallup and given them the 'wuddup' nod, especially on 167. What are they gonna do, split traffic like the red sea? LOL. When it's a dead stop as long as you aren't pinning it on the line most people don't care.

People here are the worst drivers I've ever encountered in my life, though, so I don't stick around waiting for one of them to 'not see' me. I ride this town like it's my own personal playground because if you don't own the road you'll get plowed. I tried to follow the rules when I moved up here but realized there's no point. People too focused on their phones and not enough police presence mean I ride how I want.

 

Bill passing or not, I still do it. Being a cali native where it is VERY common practice, not "being able to" split lanes here freaks me the eff out. As someone humorously stated above- even if you pass a cop, what is he honestly going to do?? if you aren't being a jerk about it/blasting pipes at people/only going fast enough to get yourself out of danger, I honestly don't see a cop actually enforcing much let alone having the desire/ability to pull you over for such a silly and trivial thing. If it comes down to my safety where I'm in a spot that I could get nailed vs a traffic violation? I'll chance it. Give me the ticket- when I get home safely to my wife and dogs after a good day of riding- $124 is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. I say we all revolt and just start doing it.. bills/laws be damned. Show the legislature that it's something that can be done responsibly and safely. Let's be the shining examples of WHY this bill needs to go through. Let's drop our annual death rate to the lowest (preferably 0) rider death rate possible. This a damn good place to start.

 

Great news! It passed the Senate and is now on its way to the House of Reps!

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/washington-lane-splitting-bill-sb-5378/

If you are in support of it, please do what you can to spread the word and let your representatives know of your support!

 

Apparently Judy Clibborn (House transportation committee head) is going to let this bill die in committee without a vote in the house.

She claims it isn't urgent.

We need people to contact her and your other representatives (especially if they are on the house transportation committee.)

http://leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/TR/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx

Please take the 3-4 minutes to write your representatives and get a vote on SB5378.

 

I sent emails to Clibborn et. al. She is a real jerk.

 

I called her office. Here's the deal.

The study from California isn't going to fly. Washington state wants a Washington state study done to see if it's worth it, but nobody on her panel seems to think it is. It's a cash grab tactic. We have to either fund or petition for funding and then wait the 4-5 years for them to gather data before splitting can even be introduced.

It's a lost cause unless the idiots in this state stop letting some smug assholes in Seattle run their entire fucking life. This state is literally pathetic.

 

Baloney! The State of Washington is a monkey see, monkey do from anything California does. We don't need another stinking study to tell us what California already knows. I don't want to die being hit from behind by a texter. Ms. Clibborn is a pompous jerk.

 

I had a 30 minute conversation with the lady on the other line. That's exactly what they want. They want a "pre-splitting" study period to be done over like 4 or 5 years so they can gather base numbers on motorcycles + car accidents or incidents. Washington state doesn't log how many cars hit riders, where / how, etc. Also they don't log single vehicle incidents ie: someone cuts you off and you eat shit and die while they ride away like it never happened... Until they get their base numbers and show a need for splitting they won't do it. Nobody serving under or above her feels the need to bring that issue to the front of discussion. She allegedly would like to see it in place but the way that this state works is that even IF that bill could pass, it's not passing where it needs to be passing.

The fact of the matter is that until Washington drops the mad lib mentality, traffic and the roads up here will never get better. I've seen the same section of road up here under construction for 2 years now. The state needs to stop funding Sound Transit (cash grab, collusion, they are stealing our money) and stop funding homeless people and proposing useless shit like a SAFE NEEDLEHOUSE. PISSING OUR MONEY AWAY. It will NEVER happen here.

Just do it anyway. I'm not going to let a moving violation stop me from keeping my bike rubber side down or my heart beating. You can get plenty of those and still ride, only takes 1 cager to end your life.

 

I recently moved to Seattle area from San Diego, CA where I rode for 6 years splitting lanes for the majority of that period. What I have to say is this, splitting lanes can be very dangerous. There's no question about that. But I trust my own judgement and reaction speed more than I do the average distracted driver on the road. As long as you stay within a safe speed limit while filtering I don't think it puts you in any MORE harm than staying in a lane. That being said I don't know how comfortable I'd be splitting lanes in a state where drivers aren't used to motorcyclists doing it. I think that during the onset of a bill like this being passed, there will probably be an increase in motorcycle-car related incidents. Commuters in Seattle have almost no hesitation when it comes to lane changing. Not like San Diego at least. Here when I see a blinker, they are usually already coming over. Something like that happening right as I'm passing down the middle of two lanes is my main fear. Just my two cents. I want it to be allowed but it will take time for drivers' mindsets to include lane splitting as a potential road condition.

 

Impossible to get drivers used to lane splitting if lane splitting is not occurring on a daily bases.

 

My thoughts as well. I've watched as cars make a lane change directly into the side of a semi. If they can't or won't see a semi in the next lane, they definitely wing look for a motorcycle in between the lanes. The semi gets a scratch, the motorcyclist goes for an ambulance ride.