CHP Receives Grant to Increase Motorcycle Safety and Awareness
This is a press release from the California Highway Patrol:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – With more than 1.4 million Californians licensed to ride motorcycles, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) looks for ways to increase motorcycle safety. A federal grant to develop the Get Educated and Ride Safe (GEARS) program will promote motorcycle safety and awareness.
The GEARS goals are to reduce the number of motorcycle-involved crashes and crash victims. In Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2016, the number of motorcyclist victims increased approximately nine percent over the previous year. Provisional FFY 2017 data for motorcyclist victims shows a six percent decrease within CHP jurisdiction.
“Our intent is to raise motorcycle awareness on the roadways,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “The continuing focus on motorcycle education and enforcement will improve safety for motorcyclists and motorists alike.”
The CHP will deploy officers on enhanced motorcycle safety enforcement operations in regions with a high number of motorcycle incidents. A year-long series of motorcycle traffic safety education campaigns, including the “May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month,” is planned. The campaigns will promote the use of properly approved helmets for all riders and raise motorists’ awareness of sharing the road with motorcyclists. The campaigns will also focus on the most dangerous traffic violations, including speeding, improper turning, and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Make lane splitting illegal. Actually enforce decibel limits on motorcycles. Loud pipe are offensive and rude. They cause a subconscious resentment of motorcycle riders in the minds of other drivers.
I agree on the loud pipes – but lane splitting is a simple way to reduce congestion. I don’t support splitting when traffic is moving or there is cross traffic, but when there are 2 rows of 30 cars stopped at a red light or miles of road construction with a flagger stopping traffic, it makes sense for smaller and faster vehicles to filter to the front. It’s perfectly safe if no one is moving – though I have had a few people who apparently are mad that they chose to buy a dually F-350 and are stuck in traffic open their door or try and creep over to block me. I generally crunch their mirror with my barkbusters as I go by, a solid lesson in not being a d-bag. Down south it’s expected that you lane split even at freeway speeds, and cars move over for you. Less congestion helps everyone, even F-350 dually-bag.
Lane splitting is legal in California. AB51 (Assembly Bill 51) was approved by a unanimous vote of 69-0 by the State Assembly on August 5th, 2016 and signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Aug 19, 2016. There is a 10 mph delta and a 45 mph cap. Meaning: if traffic is going 30 mph, a rider can lane split at 40 mph. If traffic is going 40 mph, a rider can lane split at no faster than 45 mph. Lane splitting in traffic faster than 45 mph is not legal. It has always been illegal for a driver to swerve their vehicle or open a door into the path of a lane splitter.
Lane splitting won’t be illegal because motorcycle police do it all the time without emergency. Reading between the lines of this release, the CHiPs got the go ahead to make a mission of ticketing lots of motorcyclists.
Thanks for the education Twinstar
Who cares until they make people smog their trucks here. “The air is clean enough for these smog hog trucks”
Most motorcycles depend on the air moving across the cylinders to keep the motor cool . sitting in traffic will cause them to overheat