Rain of €80 fines, you have to be careful not to adopt a certain behavior on the road. You have to be very careful.
To avoid penalties, it is good to know and put into practice all the good rules contained in the Highway Code. However, from state to state it is possible that the rules of the law may change. There may be different interpretations depending on the country.
What we want to talk about is a behavior adopted by two-wheelers, namely “lane splitting”.
It is an American custom which consists of the to pass by motorbike between the cars lined up. This is a very common practice in the United States of America, but the Italian law prohibits it. Lane splitting has even become a subject of study by the University of Berkeley. The American University has determined that this practice of traveling between lanes is quite safe. The Italian legislator who banned this practice is not of the same opinion.
Lane splitting: what is it?
The lane splitting it is a practice that consists in passing between two cars lined up on a multi-lane road in order to overtake a vehicle. This practice allows the motorcyclist to avoid a traffic jam. Lane separation will make it more difficult to brake and avoid an accident if another car suddenly decides to change lanes.
There are several reasons why a motorcyclist decides to pass in the middle of the lane. For example, if you are about to arrive late for an appointment and get stuck in traffic, lane splitting will allow you to get to your destination in the shortest possible time.
Lane Splitting: The UC Berkeley study
One study conducted by the University of Berkeley highlighted that this practice is relatively safe for the motorcyclist,
“if carried out in a traffic situation traveling at speeds lower than or equal to 80 km/h and if the motorcyclist does not exceed that of other vehicles by 24 km/h”.
The State of Utah in the USA it approved Law HB 149 which legalizes the passage of motorcycles between cars in rows. The permitted speed limit is 70 kilometers per hour.
Lane Splitting, is it allowed in Italy?
Starting from an American study it was highlighted that out of eight thousand accidents, in over 1100 cases the motorcycles were traveling in the middle of the lanes between the cars lined up. The study showed that most of the accidents occurred at speed less than fifty kilometers per hour with a death rate of less than 55 percentage points and with more or less serious consequences for the motorcyclist: injuries to the neck, head and injury to the legs or arm.
In Italy the practice of lane splitting is forbidden, even if in reality we see motorcyclists overtaking by zig and zag between the lanes. The Italian code discipline is very clear in this regard and reiterates it at thearticle 143 of the Highway Codewhich reads as follows:
“Unless otherwise indicated, when a carriageway has two or more lanes in each direction, you must take the freer lane on the right; the lane or lanes on the left are reserved for overtaking”.
What is the risk if “Lane Splitting” is practiced?
If you travel in the middle of the lane and practice lane splitting, you risk one fine from 80 to over 300 euros.
