Motorcycle Lane Splitting on California Freeways

Lane splitting is the practice of passing slower moving traffic by riding a motorcycle in the gap between two adjacent lanes of traffic heading in the same direction. California is the only state in the U.S. that does not ban it. In order to address the lack of empirical data about lane splitting, this study examines contemporary data collected by monitoring freeway video cameras and simultaneous speed data at the camera location. It also examines data from 900 on-scene, in-depth motorcycle accident investigations in Los Angeles in 1976-77 – the most complete and recent U.S. in-depth motorcycle accident data available. It compares the frequency of lane splitting motorcycles observed in moderate or heavy traffic to the frequency of motorcycles that crashed while splitting lanes. The results show 1) the frequency of lane splitting on the freeway declines as speeds increase, and the decrease is particularly sharp when average traffic speeds exceed 40 mph (65 km/hr), 2) lane splitting occurred in less than 1% of all motorcycle accidents and 7% of freeway crashes; 3) lane-splitting crashes occurred almost exclusively in heavily congested traffic, usually on freeways and 4) lane-splitting motorcycles were under-represented in the 1976-77 crashes: they were 63% of motorcycles observed in heavily congested freeway traffic lanes but only 29% of the crashes – a difference that was statistically significant. The absolute numbers of lane splitting crashes are small and therefore need confirmation. However, if this finding remains valid, then lane-splitting may reduce crash risks for motorcyclists.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANF30 Motorcycles and Mopeds
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Ouellet, James V
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
• Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freeways; Highway safety; Lane occupancy; Motorcycle crashes; Motorcycle driving
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lane splitting; Motorcycle safety
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I90: Vehicles;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01374433
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-1469
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 29 2012 3:01PM