I was shocked and amazed to find that the California Department Of Motor Vehicles actually has a great web site. It’s informative and helpful and easy to navigate. Inconceivable!
Who would have guessed?
I was shocked and amazed to find that the California Department Of Motor Vehicles actually has a great web site. It’s informative and helpful and easy to navigate. Inconceivable!
davidgagne.net is the personal weblog of me, David Vincent Gagne. I've been publishing here since 1999, which makes this one of the oldest continuously-updated websites on the Internet.
A few years ago I was trying to determine what cocktails I could make with the alcohol I had at home. I searched the App Store but couldn't find an app that would let me do that, so I built one.
You can read dozens of essays and articles and find hundreds of links to other sites with stories and information about Ernest Hemingway in The Hemingway Collection.
Dear Mr. Gagne,
I am not sure who to send this comment too, but, hopefully I came to the right place. I am both a licensed California motorcycle rider, and driver, and am stunned when I see the reaction from motorists when the topic of lane sharing arises.
To begin with, I truly believe in my herat of hearts that motorists do not know that IT IS legal to lane share in this state. The reason is obvious, 99% of motorcycles have air cooled engines, and if they sit and idle in hot weather, in heavy traffic, they get severely damaged. So, when you tell people that, they look at you and say, “oh, I didn’t know that”! Most motorists I have talked too, as well as my fellow riders say that motorists have intentionally cut them off when lane sharing, or threatened them with opening their doors! Talk about intelligence! I believe that EVERY DMV TEST given, should have the question asked to ALL motorists, “IS LANE SHARING WITH MOTORCYCLES LEGAL , TRUE OR FALSE”! EVERY TEST, ALL THE TIME!!! If they say FALSE, then when the test is corrected, the examiner HAS to point out to the motorist that IT IS LEGAL, WHY IT IS LEGAL, and that if YOU CUT OFF A MOTORCYCLIST, OR THREATEN TO OPEN YOUR DOOR, and an accident occurs, minor, or major, the MOTORIST COULD BE AT FAULT AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!! We are talking LIFE and DEATH here!!! PLEASE, PLEASE,advise me where to go with this issue, or you take it and run with it, or did I come to the right place? Please advise me what you can and will do about it. As far as I am concerned, I personally hold the CA DMV accountable for NOT educating the public on the rights of the motorcyclists, and the severity of the possible consequences which may ocurr from the lack of knowledge on this very important subject!
Thanks for your help, I am looking forward to a reply ASAP.
Steve Landau
1(916) 987-5218
salandau@attbi.com
Steve,
I’m pretty sure this is a topic you should take up directly with the California DMV. While I can’t speak directly for Mr. Gagne, I happen to know his schedule is very tight and although this sounds like “the good fight” I’m sure he won’t be able to help you.
Since we’re on the topic of lane sharing, while it may not be illegal in California to lane share with motor vehicles, common sense dictates that this maneuver is inherently dangerous. Are you willing to place your life unnecessarily in the hands of a 3000 lb chunk of steel and plastic? I’m not. Wailing about the ignorance of vehicle drivers concerning esoteric California traffic laws will not save your life when driving between slow moving cars on a busy highway full of instant lane changing, merging and random braking . Sure you might win in traffic court but then I won’t show up dressed in my finest casket.
Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your crusade. I’m still a bit puzzled on how a 3 year old post concerning the usefulness of the California DMV website relates to their supposed lack of education concerning motorcycle lane sharing laws. I’m also a bit confused on why you would think Mr. Gagne would be able to help you with this issue. Granted, his relationship with Governor Davis is tight but after that whole “using excessive capitalization to shout out/express a point” fiasco I’m unsure if he has much clout left to do anything about your perceived problem.
On a side note I would suggest that you do not publish your telephone number on public blogs unless you enjoy getting random phone calls from weirdoes.
Hugs & Kisses,
Big Truck Driver
I hold the higest respect for all vehicles as a Licensed Driving Instructor. That is with the California DMV.
I’ll make a deal with you. You follow the laws, such as waiting behind limit lines and stopping at “stop signs,” indicated by placing a foot flat on the ground, and stopping before making a right against a RED light. Instilling these practices into the motorcycling public will help me to want to emphasize the fact that bicycles, motorcycles and cars are all EQUAL under the California Vehicle Code. Also buy and install the baffles, and or mufflers that are susposed to be on that “Harly” you ride.
I teach my drivers to allow extra space for 2-wheeled vehicles, but the 2-wheeled vehicle drivers need to remember that signaling, communicating with us, before lane changes and or turns will make life a lot easer. P.S. don’t hang-out in our blind spots and expect us to know your exact location. Even with 100db+ noise, it only causes car drivers to either jam a finger into one ear while shruging the other shoulder into the other, or blasting the world with the biggist sub-woffer you ever heard.
Remember that the road is shared by all, and share and share alike. Remember that I have seen all these things happen, as I am on the roads in SoCal 8 hours a day 5 days a week.
You try to get your buddies to be polite, and I will try to teach my students to respect the rights of Bikers!!!
The Krout 49
Mr. Truck Driver:
The “Hurt Report”, a study of Motorcycles accidents, made clear that it is more dangerous for a motorcycle to stop and go on the freeway, then continue in slow traffic by lane sharing.
Rear ending a motorcycle has clearly higher risk to a motorcyclist than lane changing in stop go slow traffic.
The statistics don’t lie, only your fears cloud the truth ….