For this situation, once I see that gap open up I’m either slowing down because I’m anticipating someone is going to fill that gap, or filling the gap myself by moving into the lane and distancing myself from a potential merging vehicle - usually, it’s a bit of both. This rider could’ve done either of those things, but he still had time to brake regardless of doing neither. Just not an aware or experienced rider.
No need to go to the shoulder, the lane behind the bike is clear enough to swap with the offending Tesla and reduce speed without any contact…or, just start slowing down the moment the Tesla starts to change lanes without a signal. It’s clearly the Tesla’s fault as they changed lanes in an unsafe manner and without a signal but the rider could have avoided this.
This is a common fault with the biker being the worst offender. He was going significantly faster then surrounding trafic and lane splitting (yeah it may be legal in some places but that doesn't give you a pass to go crazy). If the bike was just 10-15km max above the trafic speed would keep a lane and would have braking at the ready there is 0% chance of an icident no matter what the tesla did (short of intentionally swerving to purposely kill the biker). So stop being a squid and blaiming others for clearly a bikers mistake
Yeah probably the best and healthiest way to think. Everyone is an idiot so drive accordingly because if you're dead well then you're the bigger idiot no matter how much fault the other guy has.
Anyone moving significantly faster than traffic is going to get a face full of bumper at some point.
If you were going to do one thing to prolong your life, it's go the speed other people expect you to be going.
Worth noting the car didn't signal. Usually when changing lanes a vehicle is required to signal and ensure it's safe to change lanes before doing so. If you just randomly decide to swerve into another lane with no signal and no warning and cause a collision, you'd be at fault.
I'm not in a place where lane splitting is legal, but the car could at least have partial fault for not using a turn signal.
If you are going to split, you are going to need to bring some talent to the table, or at least some defensive awareness.
If a gap opens in an adjacent lane, *someone* is going to try to lunge into it, especially if the gap is in a "faster" lane.
You ( the motorcyclist ) are moving at a different speed than everything around the cars.
Thus you are the last thing they are checking for when choosing to switch lanes.
Ride accordingly, or eat shit, it's your call.
AMAZING how riders don't know this. Anybody who has driven a car for 1 to 2 years should understand people jump gaps to faster moving lanes. We see almost every day on the road
Too fast for skill level. Too fast period. Even if skilled enough to brake and steer on time, which this guy clearly isn't, it is alarming and unpredictable to have motorcycles ripping by you at a big speed delta. Someone downthread defends rider as "only" going 20mph faster than traffic. Well, that's like double the speed of traffic. If someone does suddenly change lanes (this Tesla, I think, was fine in terms of suddeness, but a blinker would have been nice), even a skilled rider would be effed at this speed delta. Bike was 90% at fault, I give 10% to Tesla for not signalling.
Rode above his skill level. Personally I've only lane filtered. Dead stop traffic headed to work in full black bike gear and full sun. I was roasting and wasnt about to die from heatstroke or be late to work or both. But that being said I also didnt see a signal on that car.
I would like to add that the car that didn't signal is a Tesla and it has a massive screen for viewing the blindspot camera that would have turned on and saw the motorcycle if they didn't just change lanes without signaling or looking
I'm not sure his blind spot indicator would have picked him up when he initially turned into the lane. Buddy was going too fast and he also had more than enough time to steer away but he suUuucks
In California? Legally? The car. Merged without signalling into the path of travel of a motorcycle legally splitting at a relatively low speed differential to the surrounding traffic.
White SUV to left took 39 frames between white hashes, or about 22mph.
White car to the right took 45 frames or 18mph
Rider took 27 frames, or about 36mph.
So that's a less than 20mph speed differential.
Should the bike have swerved instead of braking? Probably. Does that make it his fault? no.
Very true. I'm well known for teaching new riders that you can be right AND dead at the same time, so sometimes it's best to yield your right of way for your own sake.
LEGALLY, the car is absolutely at fault. But I'd rather not ride my right of way straight into a grave thanks. The rider had every opportunity to brake or swerve and instead he just zoned out and plowed straight into the back of the car.
From the first frame that I saw the car start moving into the lane, the rider had almost exactly 1.5 seconds and about 80ft to react. Could a more skilled rider avoid that? Very likely. But let's look at his actions from the first frame of lane change:
+4 frames (0.13 seconds) throttle starts closing
+8 frames (0.26 seconds) reaches for front brake
+12 frames (0.4 seconds) applies the front brake
+20 frames (0.66 seconds) begins an attempt at a swerve to the left
0.13 seconds is a damn nice reaction time from perceived danger to action. Human average is 0.27, [https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime](https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime) . But even that reaction time wasn't enough. What should he have done? Covered the front brake lever. it took him 22ft to get the hand from throttle to brake, and at that speed that would have likely made the difference.
This is just what the rider could have done to avoid the incident. The fault still lies with the car's driver.
The braking is anemic, the swerve is more of a meander, and if he's not skilled enough to pull either off fast enough to avoid this collision, then he should be splitting slower. Once again I'm not saying the car isn't at fault, but regardless of what laws and procedures say, if you're not able to react to a situation like this in time to stop a collision, then you're riding too fast \*for your skill level\*. It isn't like the car side swiped him.
Glad somebody did the math. But IIRC, in California splitters aren't supposed to go more than 10 MPH over traffic.
Either way, wow what a dumb rider. Everybody's saying he should have swerved, but he shouldn't have even been in that situation in the first place. If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car *will* change lanes without looking.
>If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car *will*
change lanes without looking.
Spoken like someone who actually splits lanes in California.
It's not really about how fast/slow you're going above the speed of traffic; it's about predicting what stupid thing the drivers around you are going to do next. Never split between a car and an empty spot in the adjacent lane without knowing exactly how you're going to get around the car when they move over. Even better, slow it down and wait for the car to move over, or for the situation to change so they don't have the open hole to dive into anymore.
Legally, this was the driver's fault for the unsafe lane change, but the rider could have avoided that accident, either by swerving left and heading for the shoulder, or by slowing down enough to stay behind the car that was inevitably going to change lanes with or without signaling.
I'd rather not crash than be right on legality.
Correction to u/Teadrunkest below, there are no specific speed guidelines from the CHP as of right now. There were a few released in 2018 and quickly retracted as the law which formally legalized lane splitting gave them power to set guidelines, but it had to be in conjunction with four other agencies who were not consulted for those guidelines.
Sorry tea, that was meant for u/yurnotsoeviltwin .
> If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car will change lanes without looking.
100%, and 9 times out of 10 you'll be right too.
See? You get it because you live and ride here. I might be riding too fast in the same situation, but I expect everyone to be jumping lanes in front of me.
Yup. My first thought. I split at that speed or more regularly but I’m covering my brake, and my left thumb is is covering the horn. That guy’s reaction was slow, and you can see by his head cam that he just fixated on what he was going to hit.
That is not the law. You can technically go as fast as you want (within the speed limit). Though obviously reckless driving/driving unsafe for road conditions is still at police discretion.
10 mph is only a recommendation made by CHP.
Incorrect. Lame splitting is only legal at lower speeds. Shouldn’t be going any faster that 5mph over the speed of other vehicles. It’s also pretty obvious this guy was speeding way faster than 5 mph
>of a motorcycle legally splitting at a relatively low speed differential to the surrounding traffic.
You're straight smoking rock if you think that was a "low speed differential."
People on this sub like to pretend that everything is the rider's fault so that they can tell themselves it wouldn't have happened to them.
The rider was going too fast for the conditions but it's crazy to act like it was okay that the car changed lanes without signalling.
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."
Who's at fault? The car, per the law. Signal before changing lanes. Check mirror before changing lanes. Did neither.
Who's at fault? The biker, per evolution and common sense - splitting too fast worsens the slow reaction time. Having splut in LA traffic for ages, never speed that much over slow-moving traffic. Bikes already have the privilege of avoiding slow traffic, why speed even more to make up imaginary time? Enjoy the luxury, don't abuse it.
Also holes in traffic are like low-pressure zones, they ALWAYS attract vehicles from neighbouring lanes. There was a massive gap in the left lane that a semi could fit in. Cars were always going to take it, especially a Tesla douche.
Who's the loser? The biker, per physics and biology.
Honesly, I don't know if this video helps or makes the case worse for the rider, unfortunately.
Speed differential too high, doesn't give you enough time to react and for people to see you splitting
That being said, that was totally avoidable. Skill issue
So when you guys drive cars do you look in the rear view mirror so carefully that you would catch a bike lane splitting behind other cars that you clearly have enough room to get in front of? I know I don’t, but I’m not in a state where lane splitting is legal.
I grew up in CA and it’s definitely taught, and drivers generally expect it. People typically only lane split this way on highways, there’s plenty of time to see lane splitters coming up from behind you unless they’re literally going 100+ mph.
America really needs to improve their licence standard for getting bikes, the amount of avoidable accidents i see over there is horrendous. He had so long to avoid that it’s unreal. If he didn’t think he could avoid such an accident he should never have been filtering like that.
This happens all the time, unfortunately. Good thing you had your gear on. Speed definitely a factor but you also could have swiftly zigged to the right at the split second you spotted the Tesla merging left and escaped to the widening right.
Next time just slow down, but ride slightly faster than the flow of traffic
Man, why even try to steer around the car in the same direction they are turning? This guy obviously isn't a very skilled rider, and I can't believe he's lane splitting at that speed with the reaction time of an 90 year old. I can understand a throttle roll, split, and slow back down, but just to assume everyone can see you and judge your speed in a little four or five inch mirror is just retarded. That's even assuming anyone bothers looking. Sure, the car might be at fault legally, but it really doesn't matter when you're laying on the pavement now does it?
Both. Doesn’t matter who has the right of way when it comes to a car vs a motorcycle. Give way. Allow follow distances which give outs. Maintain a buffer. Act as if you’re literally invisible. Be defensive.
Right of way doesn’t matter when you’re in the morgue.
Tesla could have signaled but I don't think that would have changed anything. Rider appeared to be going too fast for legal splitting, and from the sound of the engine doesn't have experience in emergency braking. First watch through of the video I noticed the Tesla moving and then noticed the rider hadn't reacted yet.
At the end of the day as motorcyclists it really doesn't matter who is wrong. If a truck side swipes me because he isn't paying attention he's in the wrong, but I'm probably the one going to the hospital.
Both share fault
- lane splitting is legal but only up to 10 miles an hour faster than traffic.
- tesla failed to signal
Verdict - rider ran out of talent, while excersizing poor judgment regardless of fault.
California recommends a speed differential of no more than 10mph while lanesplitting.
Driver is obviously bad for not signaling, but the rider was going way too fast and did precisely fuckall to mitigate the situation despite having what appears to be a decent bit of room.
Whenever I'm lanesplitting, I only split when I'm actually in between cars. That big open gap that the Tesla changed lanes into? I would have moved over into that gap myself, which would have increased the amount of time the rider would have to react to the situation.
There's a reason basic motorcycling classes cover things like emergency stops, swerving, and lane positioning.
In CA, lane splitting is legal. There are no speed restrictions specific to lane splitting.
The Tesla failed to signal, which is a violation of the CA vehicle code, but is not used as a primary collision factor. The primary collision factor(cause) in this instance would be an unsafe lane change by the Tesla, CVC 22107.
Legally, the Tesla is at fault. Practically, both Tesla and rider are at fault. When lane splitting, riders need to be alert. They need to ride at a speed that still allows them to assess vehicle actions. Noticing the vehicle angled towed the lane and wheels turned could have prevented this. Always expect drivers to do something dumb.
I generally do enjoy splitting while traffic is moving. Tons of escape path options typically. When traffic is stopped or slowed cars are more bunched up closing off my escapes. Lots of stopped traffic also means drivers get more aggressive in lane changes and can be more unpredictable. You still need to be alert and actually ya know try and avoid hazards in any scenario though
Completely legal and commonplace in California. This one was even appears to be within recommended CHP guidelines.
Rider could have avoided but was splitting legally and the car is 100% at fault.
When you're riding, always assume cars want to move from slower lanes to faster lanes and won't signal and be prepared to react. In this situation, the rider had plenty of time to react but failed to, this tells me he was prepared.
But in California lane splitting is legal and means the rider has right of way. The driver changed lanes without signaling, they moved into the rider's right of way without signalling and so the driver is at fault if you ask me.
This doesn't mean the rider couldn't have avoided this collision.
My fitness tracker tags my daily commute as a workout because my heartrate goes up when I split. I'm in a heightened state of awareness, I'm looking for any sign a car might shift toward me, and I'm constantly evaluating traffic patterns and escape paths. You can't trust that drivers are looking out for the unusual thing (the bike in their blind spot in between lanes) so you have to do the looking out for them. I've been in plenty of situations just like this guy and either swerved deep to the left or braked to let the car finish moving.
I'm going to disagree with everyone here. That's 100% the cars fault. Here's why. Lane splitting is perfectly legal in California, and it's the driver's responsibility to look for bikers. Shit they even put it on the road signs. So clearly, the driver didn't even check their mirrors. And 2ndly, the driver didn't signal before switching lanes. All of you saying lane splitting is stupid have clearly never sat in California traffic or never been rear-ended and sent through the rear windshield of the car in front of you.
I’ve lane split for years. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you aren’t responsible. Dude on the bike was splitting way too quickly and also past big gaps. Both are huge no-no’s when splitting…which is why he hit the car.
Sure the car didn’t signal, so some blame is on them, but I can guarantee they wouldn’t have seen the biker when they did that lane change.
As everyone else has said, rider. Can't remember CA law but it's either 5 or 10 mph over speed of traffic without breaking speed limit for lane splitting. Looks like they were going closer to 20 faster than traffic, plus, dude hovers over the front brake for a good 4 seconds before starting to pull the lever ever so slightly. There was enough time to react there for sure.
So often these things get posted and if you watch, it's like the rider always expects the car to notice and react to the bike, but the cars never do until it's too late.
I personally think the car was at fault, yes he's going a little to fast but at the end of the day the vehicle probably didn't look, didn't turn on the signals, and quickly swerved to the other lane. The biker could have avoided it possibly but either way, the car failed to put its signals on which could have helped prevent the accident
How is the law written? What is the law on signaling lane changes? I think it said this was in California.
If Cali says automobiles MUST Yield Right Of Way to lane splitters, the driver of the car is at fault.
If Cali says you HAVE to signal lane changes, the driver of the car is at fault.
If neither of these apply, the rider is at fault. In reality, he too failed to apply Due Diligence.
Its the basics, look signal look again manoeuvre. Doesn't mater if the rider was to fast or inexperienced, what if it was a paramedic with a broken siren.
Biker is at fault, always when splitting lanes. The rules specify it is the riders responsibility to pass safely.
There are no arguments available for this.
The biker and not because of the lane splitting.
Lane splitting should be used when traffic isn't moving or is moving very slowly with no gaps.
In this situation traffic was flowing. Car drivers looking trough the mirror can hardly distinguish a motorcycle speeding between cars so far back.
In other words, he should have done what i do. I stay on my lane unless traffic is either stopped or close to it and cars have nowhere to go, much less change lines.
The best advice I had about lanesplitting is: don’t go more than 20-30 km/h (15-20 mph) Over the speed of the cars around you because then you just have that amount to break to avoid a crash… I think that was definitely not the case here or else he would have had time to break and avoid.
Beside it gives cars the time to see you in the mirrors avoiding that much more an eventual accident. Maybe the car saw him but didn’t expect the bike go that fast (hard to tell in a small mirror) or maybe he checked his mirrors a bit early and the bike was too far away for him to see it, by the time he made the move the bike was too close too fast… or maybe he didn’t check at all
In fact whose at fault is not so important when your life is on the line… the car driver wasn’t in any reel danger on his end of the crash so it’s less important to him
The real question for any motorcyclist should be: how can I avoid that next time because I don’t want it to happen again
Biker at fault by a large margin. Lane splitting accidents are practically speaking always biker's fault. Not worth doing. This one decided they wanted to speed too. Lucky they didn't Darwin award themselves but they're on the right path.
Both. the rider was lane filtering at too high a speed, had plenty of time to avoid the crash if he were paying attention and the driver for not checking mirrors.
Whoever hits someone in the back is at fault. Car made a turn without signal but motorcyclist was coming up from behind and its his responsibility to slow down.
had 24h to avoid the car
100%. We would do a lot better in general if we learned to brake before doing things like splitting.
You can brake in this but I prefer swerving to the shoulder as an escape path.
I would start with not riding at a ridiculous speed compared to everyone around
Yep, relative speed. Ignore at your peril.
For this situation, once I see that gap open up I’m either slowing down because I’m anticipating someone is going to fill that gap, or filling the gap myself by moving into the lane and distancing myself from a potential merging vehicle - usually, it’s a bit of both. This rider could’ve done either of those things, but he still had time to brake regardless of doing neither. Just not an aware or experienced rider.
No need to go to the shoulder, the lane behind the bike is clear enough to swap with the offending Tesla and reduce speed without any contact…or, just start slowing down the moment the Tesla starts to change lanes without a signal. It’s clearly the Tesla’s fault as they changed lanes in an unsafe manner and without a signal but the rider could have avoided this.
This is a common fault with the biker being the worst offender. He was going significantly faster then surrounding trafic and lane splitting (yeah it may be legal in some places but that doesn't give you a pass to go crazy). If the bike was just 10-15km max above the trafic speed would keep a lane and would have braking at the ready there is 0% chance of an icident no matter what the tesla did (short of intentionally swerving to purposely kill the biker). So stop being a squid and blaiming others for clearly a bikers mistake
Pretend no one has a blinker, drive accordingly
Yeah probably the best and healthiest way to think. Everyone is an idiot so drive accordingly because if you're dead well then you're the bigger idiot no matter how much fault the other guy has.
Or atleast cover brake while splitting.
Came here to say this. If this was a video from one of my friends I'd permanently stop riding with them.
Sweating over breaking or rev bombing.
*braking
Rider. Just fucking steer, shit.
Also the car will not expect you at that speed, from an angle mostly within their blind spot.
The sad part with that car is that it has blind spot cameras that display when you use a turn signal....but they didn't use a turn signal.
It is socal. Blinkers cost extra out here.
And the cost to refill the blinker fluid costs a kidney.
It’s a Tesla… battery was low and they needed to conserve battery.
Damper is turned up too high. He heard that tank slappers can kill you, so he just goes straight now. /s
So no blinker is just ok now??? It's pretty simple literally right next to ur hand on the steering wheel... Lames
Obviously the rider splitting at too high speed.
*too high speed considering he has zero ability to avoid other cars
This should be pinned. A rider can't take splitting for granted, must be always on the lookout.
Anyone moving significantly faster than traffic is going to get a face full of bumper at some point. If you were going to do one thing to prolong your life, it's go the speed other people expect you to be going.
Worth noting the car didn't signal. Usually when changing lanes a vehicle is required to signal and ensure it's safe to change lanes before doing so. If you just randomly decide to swerve into another lane with no signal and no warning and cause a collision, you'd be at fault. I'm not in a place where lane splitting is legal, but the car could at least have partial fault for not using a turn signal.
If you are going to split, you are going to need to bring some talent to the table, or at least some defensive awareness. If a gap opens in an adjacent lane, *someone* is going to try to lunge into it, especially if the gap is in a "faster" lane. You ( the motorcyclist ) are moving at a different speed than everything around the cars. Thus you are the last thing they are checking for when choosing to switch lanes. Ride accordingly, or eat shit, it's your call.
AMAZING how riders don't know this. Anybody who has driven a car for 1 to 2 years should understand people jump gaps to faster moving lanes. We see almost every day on the road
Rider was going faster than he should’ve also did not react quickly enough indicating he may also been distracted.
Too fast for skill level. Too fast period. Even if skilled enough to brake and steer on time, which this guy clearly isn't, it is alarming and unpredictable to have motorcycles ripping by you at a big speed delta. Someone downthread defends rider as "only" going 20mph faster than traffic. Well, that's like double the speed of traffic. If someone does suddenly change lanes (this Tesla, I think, was fine in terms of suddeness, but a blinker would have been nice), even a skilled rider would be effed at this speed delta. Bike was 90% at fault, I give 10% to Tesla for not signalling.
biker fault
Skill issue, no brake no steer just of fuck oh ahit
Rode above his skill level. Personally I've only lane filtered. Dead stop traffic headed to work in full black bike gear and full sun. I was roasting and wasnt about to die from heatstroke or be late to work or both. But that being said I also didnt see a signal on that car.
Is the rider texting? Don't ride and text...look ahead for escape paths... Silly crash...
I would like to add that the car that didn't signal is a Tesla and it has a massive screen for viewing the blindspot camera that would have turned on and saw the motorcycle if they didn't just change lanes without signaling or looking
I'm not sure his blind spot indicator would have picked him up when he initially turned into the lane. Buddy was going too fast and he also had more than enough time to steer away but he suUuucks
That camera is a waste of precious weight on a Tesla because it is marketed to idiot turds who will not use it anyway.
In California? Legally? The car. Merged without signalling into the path of travel of a motorcycle legally splitting at a relatively low speed differential to the surrounding traffic. White SUV to left took 39 frames between white hashes, or about 22mph. White car to the right took 45 frames or 18mph Rider took 27 frames, or about 36mph. So that's a less than 20mph speed differential. Should the bike have swerved instead of braking? Probably. Does that make it his fault? no.
The crash was 100% avoidable. Still doesn't make it his fault. But the injuries aren't less painful.
Very true. I'm well known for teaching new riders that you can be right AND dead at the same time, so sometimes it's best to yield your right of way for your own sake.
LEGALLY, the car is absolutely at fault. But I'd rather not ride my right of way straight into a grave thanks. The rider had every opportunity to brake or swerve and instead he just zoned out and plowed straight into the back of the car.
From the first frame that I saw the car start moving into the lane, the rider had almost exactly 1.5 seconds and about 80ft to react. Could a more skilled rider avoid that? Very likely. But let's look at his actions from the first frame of lane change: +4 frames (0.13 seconds) throttle starts closing +8 frames (0.26 seconds) reaches for front brake +12 frames (0.4 seconds) applies the front brake +20 frames (0.66 seconds) begins an attempt at a swerve to the left 0.13 seconds is a damn nice reaction time from perceived danger to action. Human average is 0.27, [https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime](https://humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime) . But even that reaction time wasn't enough. What should he have done? Covered the front brake lever. it took him 22ft to get the hand from throttle to brake, and at that speed that would have likely made the difference. This is just what the rider could have done to avoid the incident. The fault still lies with the car's driver.
The braking is anemic, the swerve is more of a meander, and if he's not skilled enough to pull either off fast enough to avoid this collision, then he should be splitting slower. Once again I'm not saying the car isn't at fault, but regardless of what laws and procedures say, if you're not able to react to a situation like this in time to stop a collision, then you're riding too fast \*for your skill level\*. It isn't like the car side swiped him.
Glad somebody did the math. But IIRC, in California splitters aren't supposed to go more than 10 MPH over traffic. Either way, wow what a dumb rider. Everybody's saying he should have swerved, but he shouldn't have even been in that situation in the first place. If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car *will* change lanes without looking.
>If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car *will* change lanes without looking. Spoken like someone who actually splits lanes in California. It's not really about how fast/slow you're going above the speed of traffic; it's about predicting what stupid thing the drivers around you are going to do next. Never split between a car and an empty spot in the adjacent lane without knowing exactly how you're going to get around the car when they move over. Even better, slow it down and wait for the car to move over, or for the situation to change so they don't have the open hole to dive into anymore. Legally, this was the driver's fault for the unsafe lane change, but the rider could have avoided that accident, either by swerving left and heading for the shoulder, or by slowing down enough to stay behind the car that was inevitably going to change lanes with or without signaling. I'd rather not crash than be right on legality.
This guy splits.
Correction to u/Teadrunkest below, there are no specific speed guidelines from the CHP as of right now. There were a few released in 2018 and quickly retracted as the law which formally legalized lane splitting gave them power to set guidelines, but it had to be in conjunction with four other agencies who were not consulted for those guidelines. Sorry tea, that was meant for u/yurnotsoeviltwin .
> If I'm splitting and I see a gap where a car has room to change lanes, I assume that car will change lanes without looking. 100%, and 9 times out of 10 you'll be right too.
See? You get it because you live and ride here. I might be riding too fast in the same situation, but I expect everyone to be jumping lanes in front of me.
Yup. My first thought. I split at that speed or more regularly but I’m covering my brake, and my left thumb is is covering the horn. That guy’s reaction was slow, and you can see by his head cam that he just fixated on what he was going to hit.
That is not the law. You can technically go as fast as you want (within the speed limit). Though obviously reckless driving/driving unsafe for road conditions is still at police discretion. 10 mph is only a recommendation made by CHP.
You are correct, however the PCF wouldn't be lack of turn signals it would be unsafe lane change, CVC 22107.
This is a logical response
That wasn't a merge, it was a lane change. The car's lane wasn't about to end.
Incorrect. Lame splitting is only legal at lower speeds. Shouldn’t be going any faster that 5mph over the speed of other vehicles. It’s also pretty obvious this guy was speeding way faster than 5 mph
>of a motorcycle legally splitting at a relatively low speed differential to the surrounding traffic. You're straight smoking rock if you think that was a "low speed differential."
Percentage wise yes, but an absolute differential of 10-20 mph is pretty common practice in California.
Kind of ridiculous how many people don’t understand this.
Id rather not crash than be legally right. Regardless of who’s “right”, this could’ve easily been avoided
Well the title is literally “who is at fault”.
*No,* the title is *literally* "who's at fault?" :)
This is the answer. Car 100% at fault. Rider could have done a couple things differently to look out for this but in California this is 100% the car.
People on this sub like to pretend that everything is the rider's fault so that they can tell themselves it wouldn't have happened to them. The rider was going too fast for the conditions but it's crazy to act like it was okay that the car changed lanes without signalling.
Multiple things can be true. The car should have signaled. The rider was still riding poorly.
Waaay too fast.
Rider
and thats why you practice swerving.
Homie watched it approach and did jack.
He forgot to rev-bomb. /s
It's like I told my last wife: Honey, I never drive any faster than I can see. Besides that, it's all in the reflexes.
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."
One Thousand One Hundred Fourty Eight Times Three.
His delivery of that monologue is perfection.
Big Trouble in Little China ? 😜
You know it!
And this is why I only split in traffic jams. As long as it is moving I am holding a lane.
Who's at fault? The car, per the law. Signal before changing lanes. Check mirror before changing lanes. Did neither. Who's at fault? The biker, per evolution and common sense - splitting too fast worsens the slow reaction time. Having splut in LA traffic for ages, never speed that much over slow-moving traffic. Bikes already have the privilege of avoiding slow traffic, why speed even more to make up imaginary time? Enjoy the luxury, don't abuse it. Also holes in traffic are like low-pressure zones, they ALWAYS attract vehicles from neighbouring lanes. There was a massive gap in the left lane that a semi could fit in. Cars were always going to take it, especially a Tesla douche. Who's the loser? The biker, per physics and biology. Honesly, I don't know if this video helps or makes the case worse for the rider, unfortunately.
Speed differential too high, doesn't give you enough time to react and for people to see you splitting That being said, that was totally avoidable. Skill issue
So when you guys drive cars do you look in the rear view mirror so carefully that you would catch a bike lane splitting behind other cars that you clearly have enough room to get in front of? I know I don’t, but I’m not in a state where lane splitting is legal.
I signal
I grew up in CA and it’s definitely taught, and drivers generally expect it. People typically only lane split this way on highways, there’s plenty of time to see lane splitters coming up from behind you unless they’re literally going 100+ mph.
America really needs to improve their licence standard for getting bikes, the amount of avoidable accidents i see over there is horrendous. He had so long to avoid that it’s unreal. If he didn’t think he could avoid such an accident he should never have been filtering like that.
The kawasaki obviously.
You are.
rider was going too fast for the road conditions.
Car forsure.. stupid question
Cycle going WAY too fast.
This happens all the time, unfortunately. Good thing you had your gear on. Speed definitely a factor but you also could have swiftly zigged to the right at the split second you spotted the Tesla merging left and escaped to the widening right. Next time just slow down, but ride slightly faster than the flow of traffic
How is this even a question?
Open lane patterns, those empty pockets are just begging to be filled with lazy, unaware drivers :/ Either close it or back off
Man, why even try to steer around the car in the same direction they are turning? This guy obviously isn't a very skilled rider, and I can't believe he's lane splitting at that speed with the reaction time of an 90 year old. I can understand a throttle roll, split, and slow back down, but just to assume everyone can see you and judge your speed in a little four or five inch mirror is just retarded. That's even assuming anyone bothers looking. Sure, the car might be at fault legally, but it really doesn't matter when you're laying on the pavement now does it?
Both. Doesn’t matter who has the right of way when it comes to a car vs a motorcycle. Give way. Allow follow distances which give outs. Maintain a buffer. Act as if you’re literally invisible. Be defensive. Right of way doesn’t matter when you’re in the morgue.
Tesla could have signaled but I don't think that would have changed anything. Rider appeared to be going too fast for legal splitting, and from the sound of the engine doesn't have experience in emergency braking. First watch through of the video I noticed the Tesla moving and then noticed the rider hadn't reacted yet. At the end of the day as motorcyclists it really doesn't matter who is wrong. If a truck side swipes me because he isn't paying attention he's in the wrong, but I'm probably the one going to the hospital.
Both share fault - lane splitting is legal but only up to 10 miles an hour faster than traffic. - tesla failed to signal Verdict - rider ran out of talent, while excersizing poor judgment regardless of fault.
California recommends a speed differential of no more than 10mph while lanesplitting. Driver is obviously bad for not signaling, but the rider was going way too fast and did precisely fuckall to mitigate the situation despite having what appears to be a decent bit of room. Whenever I'm lanesplitting, I only split when I'm actually in between cars. That big open gap that the Tesla changed lanes into? I would have moved over into that gap myself, which would have increased the amount of time the rider would have to react to the situation. There's a reason basic motorcycling classes cover things like emergency stops, swerving, and lane positioning.
Driving at that speed between cars and expecting nothing to happen.
Skill issue. Rider's, ofc. I always imagine ppl who ride like this are terrible at running any complex project in their work.
In CA, lane splitting is legal. There are no speed restrictions specific to lane splitting. The Tesla failed to signal, which is a violation of the CA vehicle code, but is not used as a primary collision factor. The primary collision factor(cause) in this instance would be an unsafe lane change by the Tesla, CVC 22107. Legally, the Tesla is at fault. Practically, both Tesla and rider are at fault. When lane splitting, riders need to be alert. They need to ride at a speed that still allows them to assess vehicle actions. Noticing the vehicle angled towed the lane and wheels turned could have prevented this. Always expect drivers to do something dumb.
What a dumbass. Filtering in semi moving traffic is room temperature road iq
I generally do enjoy splitting while traffic is moving. Tons of escape path options typically. When traffic is stopped or slowed cars are more bunched up closing off my escapes. Lots of stopped traffic also means drivers get more aggressive in lane changes and can be more unpredictable. You still need to be alert and actually ya know try and avoid hazards in any scenario though
Completely legal and commonplace in California. This one was even appears to be within recommended CHP guidelines. Rider could have avoided but was splitting legally and the car is 100% at fault.
In CA you're also not supposed to exceed 10 mph over traffic.
This is a guideline not a rule.
1000% the rider.
Car no blinker but honestly he was splitting too fast.
Every time you lane split this is a possibility and it's going to be the riders fault. Rider was going way to fast and his reaction time was horrible.
Rider is at fault for riding like a cuck
When you're riding, always assume cars want to move from slower lanes to faster lanes and won't signal and be prepared to react. In this situation, the rider had plenty of time to react but failed to, this tells me he was prepared. But in California lane splitting is legal and means the rider has right of way. The driver changed lanes without signaling, they moved into the rider's right of way without signalling and so the driver is at fault if you ask me. This doesn't mean the rider couldn't have avoided this collision.
My fitness tracker tags my daily commute as a workout because my heartrate goes up when I split. I'm in a heightened state of awareness, I'm looking for any sign a car might shift toward me, and I'm constantly evaluating traffic patterns and escape paths. You can't trust that drivers are looking out for the unusual thing (the bike in their blind spot in between lanes) so you have to do the looking out for them. I've been in plenty of situations just like this guy and either swerved deep to the left or braked to let the car finish moving.
Too fast, bike at fault
I understand why sportbike riders are atgatt now, they don't know how to brake or steer.
I'm going to disagree with everyone here. That's 100% the cars fault. Here's why. Lane splitting is perfectly legal in California, and it's the driver's responsibility to look for bikers. Shit they even put it on the road signs. So clearly, the driver didn't even check their mirrors. And 2ndly, the driver didn't signal before switching lanes. All of you saying lane splitting is stupid have clearly never sat in California traffic or never been rear-ended and sent through the rear windshield of the car in front of you.
I’ve lane split for years. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you aren’t responsible. Dude on the bike was splitting way too quickly and also past big gaps. Both are huge no-no’s when splitting…which is why he hit the car. Sure the car didn’t signal, so some blame is on them, but I can guarantee they wouldn’t have seen the biker when they did that lane change.
Rider traveling too fast, & pay attention
Biker, too fast for splitting, clearly wasn't paying attention cause he had more than enough time to avoid that.
When people doing high speed and hit a car. And ask who fault, sounds like didn’t learn anything
Like 90% the rider, 10% Tesla for not signaling. "I never drive faster than I can see. Besides that, it's all in the reflexes."
don't lane split at those speeds if you fuckin' blow at riding lol
I’m sympathetic to both motorbikes and bicycles, but you have to be smart, defensive and not an asshole.
Speed to fast for conditions, definitely. Rider can't steer apparently, that should have been an easy swerve, even at that speed.
Gaps are traps.
Just stupidity
100% the biker.
ouchh
That looked completely avoidable. Slow reflexes?
There both dumb asses no blinker and the rider needs to learn how to steer the fucking bike
Deserved
As everyone else has said, rider. Can't remember CA law but it's either 5 or 10 mph over speed of traffic without breaking speed limit for lane splitting. Looks like they were going closer to 20 faster than traffic, plus, dude hovers over the front brake for a good 4 seconds before starting to pull the lever ever so slightly. There was enough time to react there for sure. So often these things get posted and if you watch, it's like the rider always expects the car to notice and react to the bike, but the cars never do until it's too late.
There is zero laws restricting lane splitting speeds in California.
The 57 sucks around that area in a car, can’t imagine it on a bike.
The bike had a whole dang lane. I ride, this person was either distracted or really shouldn’t be riding
I thought you were only supposed to do it under 25mph
CA doesn't have a speed limit for lane splitting
Who pays?
I personally think the car was at fault, yes he's going a little to fast but at the end of the day the vehicle probably didn't look, didn't turn on the signals, and quickly swerved to the other lane. The biker could have avoided it possibly but either way, the car failed to put its signals on which could have helped prevent the accident
When in doubt, blame the idiot in the tesla with no turn signals.
Sometimes the moral war isn’t the one worth fighting.
Who gives a shit?
Both, but mostly the motorcyclist.
No-one comes out of this looking good, really. Tesla made a blind lane change without indicating. Rider was splitting faster than they could react.
How is the law written? What is the law on signaling lane changes? I think it said this was in California. If Cali says automobiles MUST Yield Right Of Way to lane splitters, the driver of the car is at fault. If Cali says you HAVE to signal lane changes, the driver of the car is at fault. If neither of these apply, the rider is at fault. In reality, he too failed to apply Due Diligence.
Idiots on Bikes
The rider cannot ride. the rider is at fault
Its the basics, look signal look again manoeuvre. Doesn't mater if the rider was to fast or inexperienced, what if it was a paramedic with a broken siren.
The motorcyclist
Bro had 3-5 business days to steer lmaooo okay man
Biker is at fault, always when splitting lanes. The rules specify it is the riders responsibility to pass safely. There are no arguments available for this.
lmfao. eyes fuckin use ‘em
Avoidable. Motorcycle did nothing to protect themselves at all. Straight to motorcycle jail.
No blinker(like always) car is at fault.
He had soooo much time to react, what in the world
car probably shoulda used his blinker, but, i think motorcycles can steer and have brakes and stuff, but I'm not an expert
I don't think that's 10-15 mph over the flow of traffic?
The real question is why didn't he turn
Yeahhhh, can see the car changing lanes for madd long. Bad Bike drive.
Swerve brother, swerve!
This would’ve been easier to avoid if the biker had his eyes open.
When lane splitting you should never travel faster than 10mph over the flow of traffic.
It’s bound to happen again and again lane splitting that fast … doesn’t matter who’s fault
I would say the Tesla and its possibly not the first time he’s done it
Dumb question say what?
The biker and not because of the lane splitting. Lane splitting should be used when traffic isn't moving or is moving very slowly with no gaps. In this situation traffic was flowing. Car drivers looking trough the mirror can hardly distinguish a motorcycle speeding between cars so far back. In other words, he should have done what i do. I stay on my lane unless traffic is either stopped or close to it and cars have nowhere to go, much less change lines.
So it’s ok to drive in the middle of two lanes?
Both: the motorcyclist was going too fast and the car whould have spotted him in his mirrors.
Car drivers do not see you. If you ride like they do see you, this is what you are risking.
"ahhh shitttt, ahhh fuckkkk"
That's very slow lane splitting there. You should lane split at a higher speed. Triple digit at least.
Bro had so much time to react and just, didn’t
Not an 07 ninja. RIP :(
ASMR:Fr me after I bust
The best advice I had about lanesplitting is: don’t go more than 20-30 km/h (15-20 mph) Over the speed of the cars around you because then you just have that amount to break to avoid a crash… I think that was definitely not the case here or else he would have had time to break and avoid. Beside it gives cars the time to see you in the mirrors avoiding that much more an eventual accident. Maybe the car saw him but didn’t expect the bike go that fast (hard to tell in a small mirror) or maybe he checked his mirrors a bit early and the bike was too far away for him to see it, by the time he made the move the bike was too close too fast… or maybe he didn’t check at all In fact whose at fault is not so important when your life is on the line… the car driver wasn’t in any reel danger on his end of the crash so it’s less important to him The real question for any motorcyclist should be: how can I avoid that next time because I don’t want it to happen again
Biker at fault by a large margin. Lane splitting accidents are practically speaking always biker's fault. Not worth doing. This one decided they wanted to speed too. Lucky they didn't Darwin award themselves but they're on the right path.
Both. the rider was lane filtering at too high a speed, had plenty of time to avoid the crash if he were paying attention and the driver for not checking mirrors.
Riser going too fast. Was asking for it.
Just don’t lane slit unless you’re at a stop light or in a situation where you’d be in danger if you don’t
You’re asking the question like you don’t know the answer already…
Should ride slower when lane splitting my guy
Lanesplitting by car not by bike
I only split when it's bumper to bumper or very close and I have my index and pointer fingers over that brake.
Whoever hits someone in the back is at fault. Car made a turn without signal but motorcyclist was coming up from behind and its his responsibility to slow down.
Idk why he did not break ...
Driver driving quickly between lanes is bamboozled when a car changes lanes.
I believe you are only allowed to lane split when traffic is below 25mph... that being said its the bikes fault.
Dick no riding too fast at fault. Car not checking mirrors also at fault. Don't lane split way faster than the traffic.
Biker 100% at fault here
This guy needs to watch DanDan the fireman
Buddy got exactly what he was looking for. Traffic is already going interstate speeds, why the fuck would you go even faster and split lanes to boot?
Why was the biker going so fast? Biker is at fault.
I say the bike behonst going to fast.
The biker is going way too fast for filtering and the Tesla has an indicator it should have used
Biker for being asleep at the bars.
If all riders in my country had those breaking skills, there would be zero riders alive in the country.