The California Highway Patrol has taken an unusual step of issuing a set of guidelines that affirm the legality of lane-splitting, a controversial practice among motorcyclists, but point out the circumstances when it is safe to split lanes. According to a news report in The Sacramento Bee, California is the only state in the country where lane-splitting is legal. Lane-splitting is when motorcyclists pass vehicles in adjacent lanes by driving between them. CHP officials are posting the first-ever written guidelines on the website as part of a broader highway safety initiative.
Increase in Motorcycle Collisions
CHP officials say this is a good time to release these guidelines because the number of motorcyclists is on the rise in California as is the number of motorcycle collisions. According to CHP’s statistics, 9,600 people were injured in 2010 motorcycle crashes, up 25 percent since 2000. According to the California’s Office of Traffic Safety 87 percent of California motorcycle riders reported that they split lanes. So far, it has been common knowledge that it is a legal practice, but no guidelines have been issued with regard to its safety.
Studies over the years have consistently shown that older motorcycle riders are more prone to injuries and fatalities regardless how experienced or healthy they may be. According to an NBC news report, recently, researchers used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and found that there were 1.4 million injuries between 2001 and 2008 involved people over 20 years of age.
Police have now located the dog and owner involved in a frightening dog bite injury attack at an elementary school in an upscale Virginia neighborhood, according to Falls Church News.