On behalf of Restovich Braun & Associates posted in motorcycle accidents on Friday, May 13, 2016.
Splitting lanes is an action that motorcycle riders use to get through slow or unmoving traffic. It involves driving in the small space between cars that are sitting in traffic, and many people debate whether this is a safe practice for experienced motorcycle drivers or not.
Motorcyclists who support lane say that it benefits everyone on the roadway by reduction traffic congestion. If motorcycles can move forward, they aren’t taking up space along the road. They also say it’s a safety issue for them, because in stop-and-go traffic, they might be rear-ended. If they have the ability to move forward between cars, they can reduce that risk.
Other drivers say lane splitting is dangerous because it puts motorcycles outside of regular traffic patterns, and they are in places that drivers would not normally expect to see them. Drivers have reported almost hitting a motorcycle because of this, and this is especially dangerous since motorcycles can be lost for a few seconds in a driver’s blindspot when splitting lanes.
In Minnesota, there’s another reason not to split lanes. It’s actually not legal in the state, so whether or not a motorcyclist feels it is a good practice doesn’t matter.
If you are motorcycle driver and you are injured in an accident, then you might have a right to seek compensation from the party liable. Another driver might claim you were splitting lanes and that is why they hit you. When dealing with proving liability in an accident case, working with an experienced attorney is important. A lawyer can help you reconstruct the accident and understand what happened so you can move forward with your options.