Las Vegas drivers have a lot of experience sharing the road with visitors from throughout the country. This time of year, despite the triple-digit temperatures, even more tourists are on our roads, sightseeing from the comfort of their air-conditioned vehicles.
Visitors from California are especially common. With the price of everything associated with travel going up, a road trip to Las Vegas can still be an affordable family vacation for many Californians. Still others relocate here for the lower cost of living.
Lane splitting and state laws
While most traffic laws are similar across state lines in the U.S., there’s at least one significant difference between Nevada and California law when it comes to motorcycles. That difference can result in serious crashes. It involves what’s commonly known as “lane splitting.”
California is currently the only state where lane splitting is legal. Some states (including our neighbors in Arizona and Utah) allow a variation on it called “lane filtering,” which can be done primarily in stopped traffic. However, Nevada law currently doesn’t allow either.
The California Vehicle Code defines lane splitting as “driving a motorcycle…between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane….” Some California motorcyclists may not be aware that lane splitting is illegal in Nevada, others may do it out of habit and still others may intentionally ignore the law.
Why a lane-splitting motorcyclist can be especially risky in Nevada
Whatever the reason, a motorcyclist who is lane splitting on a Nevada road can easily startle a motorist who isn’t expecting anyone to show up in their lane, even for a few seconds. A driver may instinctively swerve into another lane to avoid them, causing a serious crash, or hit the motorcyclist in their panic. Either way, catastrophic injuries can occur.
Even in California, where lane splitting is codified in the law, motorcyclists have a responsibility to drive safely. The practice isn’t recommended in high-speed traffic, and motorcyclists are advised to keep their speed no more than 15 mph over that of surrounding vehicles.
All of this is important information when determining fault for a crash where anyone has suffered catastrophic injuries. Victims and surviving loved ones are wise to get experienced legal guidance as soon as possible to help ensure that they get fair compensation for medical costs and other expenses and damages that could affect them for a lifetime.
