lane Archives — Bikernet Blog - Online Biker Magazine

Motorcycle Awareness Month 2023

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and warmer weather means more motorcycles on the roads. We want to Remind Motorists to Share the Road and Be Alert. Always check your blind spots. Motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles and can be even more difficult to spot while merging or changing lanes. Be extra cautious when passing. Make sure to signal your intention to pass a motorcyclist. Remember that motorcycles react more quickly than cars. Make sure that you maintain an adequate following distance behind motorcycles. Be aware of the weather. Inclement weather has more drastic effects on motorcycle riders than on automobile drivers. Help riders stay safe after dark by increasing your following distance, ensuring that your high beams are turned off when you notice an approaching motorcycle, and refraining from passing. Stay in your lane. Motorcycles are legally entitled to their own lane of traffic. In no situation are you allowed to drive your automobile in the same lane and in close proximity to a motorcycle. Inform motorcyclists of your intention to turn. Initiate your turn signal sooner for motorcycles. Many vehicle accidents that involve both automobiles and motorcycles occur at intersections. Always follow the safety protocol for intersections every time that you approach one. Watch for turning motorcycles. If you notice that a motorcycle is driving with an activated turn signal for an abnormal distance, increase your following distance so you have time to react whenever the rider decides to turn. Take a second look at left turns. Before you cross a lane or lanes of traffic to turn left, take a second look for approaching motorcycles. Motorcyclists should always wear protective gear and be sure to use a DOT-compliant motorcycle helmet. For more information on motorcycle safety, visit nhtsa.gov. * * * * * * * * […]

Motorcycle Awareness Month 2023 Read More »

Utah Legalizes Lane Splitting

from rideapart.com Governor Gary Herbert signed H.B. 149 into law Thursday, making Utah the second state to permit the practice. Update: Imprecise language to discuss the contents of this bill was used. The Utah bill clearly states that “lane filtering” is now legal, however, we referred to it as “lane splitting”, which is often colloquially used to describe both. We have clarified the information and changed the article to reflect the subtleties between both terminologies, and we apologize for the mistake. – SG On Thursday, the number of states to take motorcycle safety measures doubled to two, as Governor Gary Herbert signed H.B. 149, legalizing lane filtering in the great state of Utah. Only 48 U.S. states, Canada, and a few other countries prohibit motorcycles from traveling between lanes of cars in slow or stopped traffic. It’s common and expected practice throughout Europe and Asia. As long as cars are expecting it and everyone involved does it safely, it’s not only faster for bikes to cut through traffic, but safer, too. Bikes can safely make their way to the front of the line, rather than be stuck in the back where an inattentive driver could crash into them from behind. Of course, since this is a motorcycle safety bill, it’s not about doing a wheelie between cars at 100 mph. The law stipulates certain conditions under which lane filtering is allowed. The road must have two or more lanes with a speed limit no greater than 45 mph, which unfortunately rules out interstates. Additionally, traffic must be completely stopped, and the motorcycle may not exceed 15 mph while navigating between lanes (unlike lane splitting that allows motorcycles to cruise in-between lanes while traffic is in motion). It’s not exactly the Wild West of California’s lane splitting laws (or lack of