Personal Injury Attorney Answers: Is Lane Splitting Legal in Fort Myers?
Motorcycles are a common sight on Fort Myers roads, and many of their riders engage in a practice called lane splitting. This practice can save riders time in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but is it legal? Attorney Marc L. Shapiro, P.A., a personal injury attorney in Fort Myers, explains below.
What Is Lane Splitting?
Lane splitting is the practice of riding a motorcycle between two lanes of moving cars. Riders commonly engage in lane splitting to dodge rush-hour traffic, as it’s far faster than sitting behind a line of cars that stretches for miles.
Some riders say lane splitting is safer than being sandwiched between bigger vehicles from which there is no escape route. Lane splitting can certainly help motorcyclists avoid an accident, but the practice causes its fair share of crashes.
Is Lane Splitting Legal in Fort Myers, FL?
Lane splitting is legal in some places, but Fort Myers, FL, is not one of them. Per traffic safety and rider responsibility laws, riders could face legal consequences for engaging in lane splitting and risky motorcycle maneuvering.
It’s important to note that, unlike lane splitting, lane filtering (also called lane sharing) is perfectly legal. Lane filtering refers to riding between lanes of slow-moving or stopped cars. Lane splitting, on the other hand, refers to riding between lanes of cars moving at regular speeds.
Consequences of Lane Splitting
Lane splitting violates traffic law compliance, and riders may face legal trouble if a police officer pulls them over. This doesn’t happen often in Fort Myers, FL, but when it does, traffic safety police can issue tickets of $100 or more.
Consequences are more severe if a lane-splitting rider causes an accident. They may lose their driver’s license, and their auto insurance company might increase their premiums.
Per Florida’s comparative negligence rules, riders may also be responsible for damages, such as other drivers’ medical bills and lost wages. If they acted especially recklessly and failed to take safety precautions, a judge might also order them to pay punitive damages to victims. Fines and damages can total thousands of dollars.
In fatal accident cases, the motorcycle rider may even have to spend time in jail.
Representation for Victims of Lane-Splitting Accidents in Fort Myers, FL
Now that readers have the answer to the question, “Is lane splitting legal in Fort Myers?” The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, P.A., welcomes victims of the most common motorcycle accident injuries to reach out if they’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident.
Lead attorney Marc L. Shapiro, P.A., your trusted personal injury attorney in Fort Myers, has over 30 years of experience representing motorcycle accident victims in Fort Myers, FL. For a consultation, victims can call (239) 500-5000.
