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Motorcycling in Southern California

General September 20, 2021

If you have never ridden in Southern California chances are you need to make a few adjustments about your riding habits, especially if you have not been riding in the big cities. Safety is our biggest priority when it comes to motorcycling on the streets and we are here to help you lower your chances of being involved in a motorcycle accident.

If you don’t know already, lane-splitting or lane-sharing is legal in the Golden State of California, this is a huge help as the traffic is horrendous at all times of the day and on a motorcycle your commute just got 5x’s shorter. If you plan to lane-split follow the guidelines provided by California Highway Patrol. Remember that lane-splitting is not illegal but you still can get a ticket for unsafe lane-splitting.

You must wear a DOT approved helmet when riding a motorcycle, that is the law in California and in most states that care enough about their citizens. Your survival rate after having been in a motorcycle accident is significantly higher when a proper sized and worn helmet is on a rider.



Stay out of drivers blind spots. Blind spots can be the result of side-swiped motorcycle accidents. Lane-splitting increases the risk of getting side-swiped or pushed out of the lane and can be very painful if contact is made. If you have a hard time seeing the drivers eyes then chances are that they can’t see you.

Always be seen. Be visible and wear proper clothing that will help you stand out, especially when riding at night. The more you stand out the more likely to be seen and the lower chances of an accident.

Obey the speed limits. Speed limits are assigned to all roads for the purpose of safety. Yes, it is cool to go really fast and speed down the road and getting that adrenaline rush always seems to give you a high. Keep those speeds to the track days! Speeding through traffic and on highway roads is very dangerous. Public roads have uneven surfaces, debris, cars and trucks, traffic, reflectors, and other hazards that make it unsafe. The last thing is, it’s highly illegal to speed and you will get cited for such violations.

Play “everyone is out to kill me”. What this means is to avoid as much as possible to be a target. Avoid being a target to everything and everyone. It means ride fully expecting drivers to not see you and positioning yourself to be more visible to any driver that can possibly ruin your day. Don’t play “Everyone is out to chase me”, that game is meant for the race track.

Be friendly. Most drivers hate motorcyclists maining because they don’t have a motorcycle to ride. Actually the reason most motorists don’t like motorcyclists is because they get very close to their cars and if they get even a nic on their car from your motorcycle they will try to stop you. Be a courteous motorcyclist and do the right thing if you do damage someone’s vehicle, after all, you would hate them if you were in their shoes.

Have fun and ride safely. One last thing, if you are injured in a motorcycle accident call The Reinecke Law Firm for a free accident consultation at (800) 275-8326. The Reinecke Law Firm has helped thousands of motorcyclists recover from their accidents and has the knowledge to help you with your case.

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