Lane splitting refers to overtaking slow or stopped vehicles by traveling between the lanes, but the practice fell into a “gray zone”, as Californian legislation did not punish, nor encourage it.
However, the LA Times reports that the bill proposed by Assemblyman Bill Quirk that allowed motorcyclists to split lanes under certain guidelines has been signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, thus authorizing the California highway patrol to establish rules for the controversial practice.
California officially became the first U.S. state to formally legalize lane splitting, with Assemblyman Tom Lackey, a retired highway patrol sergeant who co-wrote the bill, calling it a “huge win for roadway safety”.
“We are now giving riders and motorists clear guidance on when it is safe”, he said.
The original bill proposed by Quirk said that riders are allowed to split lanes only if the motorcycles won’t move more than 15 mph (24 km/h) faster than the traffic around them while doing at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) is prohibited.
This was not well-received by several motorcycle groups, who said the limit was too slow, while other individuals objected by saying that lane splitting is dangerous at any speeds.
The revised bill provided a basic definition of the term, but will leave the details to the CHP.
Ducati XDiavel pictured
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