An interesting video posted by a Facebook friend and worth watching.
When we rent in Greece we don’t even think twice about lane splitting. If you don’t lane split and get ahead of the traffic at lights you end up the brunt of anger from drivers. It is not only legal, but it is expected and it it often safer to do so as it puts you at the front of the cars and in view.
It’s unfortunate that here we live in a nanny state full of drivers that are self centred in their thinking that if they are stuck in traffic, so should be any rider on the road. And that’s not only selfish, it’s dangerous. Riders are more at risk because we are less protected from poor and inattentive drivers. Riders are far more focused on what they are doing on the road and on what their vehicle is doing under them. On a hot day, the driver has air conditioning, the rider is at risk of heat exhaustion.
If a rider slips through traffic, he/she are not trying to outwit you. It’s a different for of transportation that moves people more efficiently, more effectively, and with less impact to roads and the environment. I was fascinated by the indication that if 10% of drivers in LA switched to riding, the traffic congestion would drop by 40%. That’s amazing!
So instead of trying to cut riders off and being angry that they are getting through traffic when you aren’t , how about appreciating that they have given up the comfort of a cage to get where they are going in a more efficient, and more enjoyable manner.