Understanding Lane Splitting Laws and Safety Guidelines

Lane splitting laws and safety guidelines vary from state to state. Understanding your state’s rules and regulations can protect you from accidents and safeguard your rights if you suffer injuries in a crash.

A motorcycle accident lawyer with our law firm can answer any question you have about your local laws. If a negligent driver hurts you or your loved one, we can assist you with a claim for compensation.

Understanding the Lane Splitting Laws in Your State

Splitting lanes, sometimes referred to as lane filtering, is the practice of weaving your motorcycle between lanes of heavy traffic traveling in the same direction, sometimes along the centerline. Some states permit lane splitting, and some outlaw it. It is important to understand the laws where you live:

California Laws

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), lane splitting is legal. There is also no law that prevents motorcycle riders from riding two abreast in the same lane, a practice known as lane sharing.

Idaho Laws

According to the Idaho Motorcycle Rider’s Handbook, lane splitting is illegal. In addition, the handbook explicitly states that motorcyclists cannot ride two abreast.

Safety Guidelines for Lane Splitting

Lane splitting is permitted in California, but the CHP cautions that the practice can be dangerous. The agency offers the following safety tips:

• Consider the environment, including the current road conditions, traffic flow, weather, lighting conditions, lane widths, and the size of the surrounding vehicles
• Avoid lane splitting next to large vehicles like 18-wheelers, RVs, and buses
• Ensure you are visible to other drivers and not lingering between cars or in blind spots
• Wear brightly colored clothing and reflective gear to make yourself more visible to drivers
• Consider using high-beam headlights during the daytime
• Understand that higher speeds and higher speed differentials can make lane splitting more dangerous
• Be aware that it is usually safer to split between the far left lanes versus other lanes of traffic
• Riding on the shoulder is illegal and is not lane splitting

CHP also advises motor vehicle drivers that:

• It is illegal to open a car door to impede a motorcyclist
• It is illegal to purposefully block or impede a motorcycle in a manner that could cause harm to the rider
• Drivers in the far left lane should move to the left to give motorcyclists room to pass

Who Is at Fault for a Motorcycle Accident Involving Lane Splitting?

If you are in a motorcycle accident while lane splitting, the fault will depend on the laws of your state, your actions, and those of the other involved party:

Fault in a California Motorcycle Collision

California follows a “pure” comparative negligence system for determining liability for personal injury. This system allows injured parties to seek compensation from those at fault, even if their own negligent actions make them 99 percent responsible for an accident.

However, any fault assigned to you will reduce your compensation by an equal percentage. Therefore, if the court determines you are 60 percent at fault and you have $100,000 in damages, you would receive $40,000. Insurance companies will also apply this to your settlement, so negligence laws will affect your claim even if you do not take legal action.

Negligent actions include violations of the law and any behaviors most others would not find reasonable or necessary. Because lane splitting is legal in California, it is not necessarily negligent, though it could be if you ignore safety guidelines. Other examples of negligent driving that could make a vehicle operator liable include:

• Drunk driving
• Distracted driving
• Reckless or aggressive driving
• Exceeding the speed limit
• Illegal passing
• Tailgating
• Making an improper turn
• Failure to stop at a traffic signal or stop sign
• Failure to yield the right of way

Fault in an Idaho Motorcycle Crash

Idaho follows a modified comparative negligence system. Under its state laws, you can seek compensation from an at-fault party if you are not more than 50 percent responsible for your personal injury. Any fault assigned below 50 percent reduces your awards by that amount. Fault above 50 percent bars you from financial recovery.

Since lane splitting is illegal in Idaho, doing so could make you partially liable for a motorcycle accident.

Recoverable Motorcycle Accident Damages

If a negligent party is liable for your motorcycle accident damages, in general, you can seek fair compensation for the following:

• Current medical bills and future necessary medical treatment
• Lost wages and earnings from missed work
• Loss of your future earning capacity if you cannot return to your job
• Motorcycle damages
• Household services
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life
• Wrongful death damages on behalf of a fatally injured loved one

Should You Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

Working with a motorcycle accident lawyer can protect your rights if you suffer injuries in a crash. A personal injury attorney with our law firm can help you prove another party is liable and owes you compensation. We can also defend you from allegations that blame you for the collision in an attempt to reduce your damages or negate your right to pursue your losses.

Statutes of Limitations

There are time limits for taking legal action. According to CCP § 335.1, you have two years to file most personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in California. The statute of limitations for these cases in Idaho is also two years, according to Idaho Statutes § 5-219.

If you miss your window, the court will likely bar your case. You lose your leverage over the insurance company if you cannot sue.

Contact Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers to Learn More

Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers serves clients in California and Idaho. We make working with our personal injury lawyers easy. If you or someone you love suffered injuries in a collision, our motorcycle accident lawyers can help you seek maximum compensation. We can explain lane splitting laws and other rules and regulations that may affect your personal injury claim.

Contact us online or call our offices today. We take cases on contingency and offer free initial consultations, so working with us will cost you nothing up front or out of pocket.