REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

jimkim · 10-23-2009, 10:52 AM

from another forum:

"Highway lines
155 (1)
(c) one single line, broken or solid, the driver of a vehicle must drive the vehicle to the right of the line, except only when passing an overtaken vehicle.

couldnt you argue that point?

Yes. I have, with varying degrees of success. I always state this to the officer in question when he 'catches' me doing this. I just ask for a simple clarification: if "allowed to pass on a single solid yellow", then why, is the left hand line yellow on the trans canada hwy?

Usually the resort back to 'no, it's a shoulder, and you can't ride there, it's for emergency pull-offs only'. I've gone back and forth with them, usually they doubt it but I challenge them to look up the law then and there. They usually end up just issuing a verbal warning, and leave looking rather confused...."

what are your thoughts, and would you pull someone over if you see a rider split lanes at a very low speed? ie) 10 - 20kms

zulutango · 10-23-2009, 11:29 AM

If you mean the rider was driving between vehicles that were going straight straight ahead and not turning...yes. That is driving w/o consideration/due care or unsafe passing. If it was on the right hand shoulder over a solid white line, then it is pass on right off roadway and a VT. Both techniques are very dangerous and I don't even teach them in the Police MC course. All it takes is a car movement of a few inches and the bike is in trouble. Car drivers should not have to expect to be illegally and unsafely passed by splitting or shoulder passing bikes.

skidmark · 10-23-2009, 11:31 AM

My guess is that you are driving on multiple laned, divided highway when you are describing the single solid yellow line. It is not a roadway marked with only a single solid yellow line, there is also a single broken white line and a single solid white line there. The yellow on the left is a clue that you are driving in the correct direction.

The officer was right, in that case you are driving on the shoulder and it is illegal.

CA_FTW · 11-02-2009, 05:19 PM

Its really stupid that Lane Splitting isnt allowed..

Having spent a lot of Time in California where it is legal..

its awesome to see the cars part for bikes as they come up.. and when you dont you get the Finger from the Biker.. because your legaly oblicated to let the bike lane split..

One might argue that its more danagerous.. however California has many more Riders then the lower mainland, and they can ride year round with virtualy no bad weather.. If they were getting killed all the time would they not have changed that law.

So i ask.. is it really more dangerous..

stevo911_ · 11-02-2009, 05:57 PM

it is more dangerouns when very few of the users of the road are aware of their surroundings (like the lower mainland and vancouver island).
Its the law that slower traffic keeps right, but you dont see that happen very often do you?
Lane filtering I dont see as much of a problem with though (when traffic is stopped)

jlenko · 11-03-2009, 08:39 AM

Vancouverites can't drive in cars, period. In bike vs car, bike will always lose.

And from my experience... the guy on the bike is far exceeding the speed limit to begin with. If you can pass a car without breaking the speed limit... I'd like to see that.

Boardercross · 11-12-2009, 05:36 AM

A lot of it depends on how well you pass the attitude test. I've used the same argument in the past on the side of the road and gotten off with a warning, but I didn't give the LEO any grief and mentioned I was used to splitting in Europe and California.

I'd much rather be able to split down the middle though, there's a lot less crap on the road than on the shoulders.

FS1992EG · 11-12-2009, 10:20 AM

I lane split all the time, purely because I see how all people drive in vancouver in general. When are on a cell phone while driving, having a passager its distracting, and that causes accidents.

You have to look out for Number 1, yourself. That's what they teach you in Riding school. Do whatever it takes to be safe, honestly most riders out here are safer and more aware of their surroundings than anyone who drives a car.

I remember seeing a bike had to lane split to save his own life, that car behind was coming to fast, the riding saw this and pulled in between two cars to avoid a accident.

Only a biker cop would understand lane splitting.

zulutango · 11-12-2009, 11:30 AM

As a "Biker Cop" and Biker Cop Instructor...we do not teach Police MC riders to lane split OR ride the shoulders. Just too dangerous...and we have lights & sirens and guns and things...but the cages still do not see us. One of my buddies was heading to a horrible crash in heavy traffic & he chose to ride the shoulder. Car in front of him decided he was going to pull to the shoulder and hit the bike. The idiot BC drivers here have huge trouble seeing us when we are actually out in front of them...trying to filter past them on either side, or specially between them, is just suicide. I do teach my riders to keep scanning behind them when stopped for cars coming up behind them that are NOT stopping in time. If it's their only out then they should try to split as a worst case scenario...and make sure you move ahead as far as you can, because the cars behind you getting rammed may also try to move out of the way...or get moved by the impact.

6793026 · 11-12-2009, 12:35 PM

jimkim: the traffic officer or the cop is there to pull you over, and he/she will give you the warning or ticket. Your statemen is great if you challenge the traffic court upon all the evidence you provide on the day of.

I never line split; not only do i not trust drivers in GVRD, I ain't going to give them one up on not seeing me.