US study: lane filtering motorcyclists safer
Vindication of the practice, this time from a study at the University of California research projectA new study by the University of California Berkeley shows that motorcyclists who split lanes in heavy traffic are significantly less likely to be struck from behind by other motorists and are less likely to suffer head or torso injuries.
Researchers reviewed nearly 6000 motorcycle-involved traffic collisions between June 2012 and August 2013, including 997 in which the riders were splitting lanes at the time of the crash. Click HERE to download the report.
Among the findings:
- Lane-splitting is safe if done in traffic moving at 80km/h or less, and if motorcyclists do not exceed the speed of other vehicles by more than 24km/h;
- Sixty-nine percent of lane-splitting motorcyclists were exceeding the traffic speed by 24km/h or less; speed differentials up to 24km/h were not associated with changes in the frequency of injury;
- Compared to riders who were not splitting lanes, lane-splitting motorcyclists were markedly less likely to suffer head injury (nine percent v 17 percent), torso injury (19 percent v 29 percent) or fatal injury (1.2 percent v three percent);
- Lane-splitting riders were significantly less likely to be rear-ended than non-lane-splitting riders (2.6 percent v 4.6 percent);
- Lane-splitting motorcyclists were more likely to be wearing a full-face helmet than other motorcyclists (81 percent v 67 percent);
- Compared to other motorcyclists, lane-splitting riders were more often riding on weekdays and during commuting hours, were using better helmets and were traveling at slower speeds; and
- Lane-splitting riders were less likely to have been using alcohol.
"These new findings bolster our position that responsible lane-splitting is a safe and effective riding technique that can be beneficial for riders and motorists alike," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. "Lane splitting eases traffic congestion by taking motorcyclists out of the line of cars and trucks. And the practice increases safety by allowing motorcycle riders to avoid the risk of rear-end collisions in stopped or slow-moving traffic."
Over the last 12 months, lane filtering has been legalised in NSW and Qld, while Vic will formally adopt the practice by September 2015.
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