I heard from a friend today about an article written in the Los Angeles Times about Lane Splitting.

“They startle you — it might prompt somebody to slam on their brakes and cause a bigger accident.” Taken from:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lanesplit4aug04,1,7371221.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

“Loud noises!” is a reason to hit the brakes? Who taught these people how to drive? If people watched their mirrors they wouldn’t be startled. Of all people, California drivers should be aware that a motorcycle is coming at some point, especially between the number 1 lane and a carpool lane thats backed up. And not just other commuters, but CHP splits the lanes as well. In fact, on many occasions I’ve allowed a CHP to pass me because I was going much slower than he was willing to. I received a wave and followed suit as his wake was pretty comfortable to ride in.

Drivers that are startled aren’t paying attention. They’re on their phones, starring at the sun visor in their car, digging for something near the radio or just simply zoning out and not staying between the lines of their lane. If a motorcycle revvs at a car, its probably because the car is hogging that center line blocking the motorcyclist intentionally or not.