Originally Posted by
Bike Rat
That's the really interesting part, DPS is trying to assert illegality with a law that doesn't pertain to the action. Lane splitting isn't even driving in two lanes like they infer, it's splitting (sharing) one lane with another user.
Conclusion: Lane splitting is not illegal.
Hard to conclude anything else, unless there's another law that actually addresses it.
If we're getting that specific, then as long as the cyclists are riding two abreast it's not illegal since no passing is taking place. It would only become illegal when one cyclist overtakes the other.
Even if one passes the other both cyclists are operating their vehicles entirely within one lane so it still wouldn't be covered by the law.
Oh the details you demand of me...yes, it's "absurd to make changing lanes illegal". Straddling is driving within two lanes at one time, as if often done when a cyclist is passed. Changing lanes is crossing over the lane divider from one lane to another.
Yes, if a cyclist is passed it may well be that the overtaking car straddles both lanes for the duration of the pass and then pulls back, in which case they are still operating within one lane as far as is practical. It makes little sense to require they pull all the way into the other lane, they just need to give the cyclist enough room to pass safely and then return to the lane. In terms of how much time they spend in one lane and how much time they spend straddling both lanes it's hard to see it making any practical difference if they pulled across an entire lane and then pulled back into their original lane or just straddled both lanes for the duration of the pass and then returned to their normal position.