While riding a motorcycle is an exhilarating experience, there are certain practices that some motorcycle riders engage in that could lead to significant safety risks. Chief among these is lane splitting, the process of driving between two lanes of slowly moving or stopped cars. You might see this happening during rush hour or other traffic jams.

While most states generally do not recognize lane splitting as being legal, they also tend to not specifically outlaw it. Police and courts will most often interpret it as being lawful, however, even if it is done safely and at low speeds. There are a few reasons for this — lane splitting is distracting to other drivers on the road, could increase incidents of road rage when drivers get frustrated watching bikers go by in traffic, and could lead to motorcyclists failing to anticipate merges or other sudden changes in traffic and causing accidents.

Therefore, if accidents happen while you are splitting lanes, there’s a high likelihood that you will be held liable for the accident and any injuries that occur during the accident. You may have the ability to prove that the other driver somehow contributed to the accident, which could reduce your liability, but you should never have the expectation that courts will look at lane splitting in anything other than an unfavorable light.

So, it is recommended that you avoid lane splitting altogether. If you do get into a lane splitting accident, however, it is highly recommended that you proceed in the same way you typically would after an accident. Take pictures, gather information from witnesses and the other drivers, get a copy of the police report and build your collection of evidence.

For legal representation after you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, speak with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer at McMenamy Law, LLC.