Lane splitting is riding a motorcycle in the narrow space available between two lanes of traffic. It is also called lane sharing, but rarely. It's illegal in most states in the US, but is allowed most notably in California, a state with many motorcyclists and a climate amenable to year-round riding.
Although not expressly banned, motorcyclists who lane split in a manner considered unsafe by a law enforcement officer can be ticketed for other traffic offenses, ranging from unsafe lane changing to reckless driving.
High-speed lane splitting, though inherently dangerous, can be done intelligently if not altogether safely. The greatest danger to the motorcyclist is unsignaled, rapid lane changing by careless drivers. Experienced lane splitters will therefore be especially alert when the lanes they are riding between are not moving at a similar speed. Another dangerous circumstance is when there is a large car-free space in one of the lanes. That space acts as a magnet for twitchy drivers.
Smart lane splitters always limit their overtaking speed while lane splitting. No amount of skill can save a motorcyclist who consistently overtakes, in a very limited space, at a very high speed.
Another tactic used by motorcyclists is "filtering". This is low-speed lane splitting at a stoplight. There are two reasons motorcyclists do this. One is to pass many cars at once, and although it can infuriate drivers to see a motorcyclist "get ahead" like this, it should be kept in mind that usually the motorcyclist, using the inherent acceleration advantage of a bike, will zoom away from all the stopped traffic when the light changes. So the motorcyclist has not actually "cut in front" in any meaningful way. The second reason to filter at stoplights is to avoid being rear-ended. Every motorcyclist has heard (true) horror stories of bikes being crashed into by drivers at stoplights. Filtering up to the front of the stopped traffic limits this possibility.
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