HispanicBusiness

Lane-splitting.

It's a slick maneuver motorcyclists love, allowing them to cut between slower moving cars and shoot out ahead. Car drivers, often startled, hate it -- calling it brazen and dangerous.

Is it safe? Is it legal? Hoping to clarify the controversial practice, California officials have taken the unusual step of issuing a set of guidelines that affirm the move's legality but point out that there are only certain instances where it is considered safe.

California is the only state in the country that allows lane-splitting, also known as "white-lining," where motorcyclists pass vehicles in adjacent lanes by driving between them.

California Highway Patrol officials said they've posted the first-ever written guidelines on their website as part of a broader state highway safety initiative.

It comes as the number of motorcyclists in California is on the rise, as well as the number of motorcycle crashes.

"There is a need to acknowledge lane-splitting is being done in California, and a need to help people understand what is reasonable," said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Pope. "Until now, no one in authority has said how to do it safely."

The guidelines say motorcyclists can ride between two cars if there is room, but must do it at no more than 10 miles per hour faster than the vehicles they are passing.

The guidelines also make it clear that motorcyclists should not attempt the maneuver at full freeway speeds, or in any traffic going 30 mph or faster. That essentially means the highest speed a motorcyclist should be going when lane-splitting is 39 mph.

CHP officials say lane-splitting is more risky at higher speeds because motorcyclists have less time to react when something unexpected happens.

"We are trying to get people to slow down," the CHP's Pope said. "A lot are traveling at 40 mph or faster. The faster you go, the harder it is to stop."

Pope said the guidelines do not reflect new policy. The CHP has long held that lane-splitting is legal in California because nothing in the state Vehicle Code specifically prohibits it.

Many states have explicit prohibitions against lane-splitting. Nevada state law, for instance, reads, "a person ... shall not drive a motorcycle ... between moving or stationary vehicles occupying adjacent traffic lanes."

Oregon, Washington and Arizona have similar language in their highway codes. Other states simply consider the maneuver unauthorized, according to the American Motorcyclist Association's national cycling rules database.

The practice is common in California. Some 87 percent of California motorcycle riders reported they lane-split, according to a recent state Office of Traffic Safety survey. Some motorcyclists call it lane sharing.

It remains a misunderstood and polarizing practice. The traffic safety survey found that only 53 percent of California drivers knew lane-splitting is legal, and 7 percent of drivers admit they have attempted to block a lane-splitting motorcyclist from passing them.

Several motorcycle activists lauded the guidelines for affirming California's unique lane-splitting privilege.

"They are very reasonable," said Greg Covel, executive director of ABATE of California, a motorcycle rights organization.

Now, "we know what the guidelines are, how close we are to staying within the law or pushing the law," Covel said. "If we get stopped for unsafe speed or lane changes, we know what we are getting into."