All lanes have reopened after a crash that killed a motorcyclist on westbound state Highway 4 in Contra Costa County on Monday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash was reported shortly before 8 a.m. on westbound Highway 4 near Loveridge Road and the border between Pittsburg and Antioch.
Investigators said the motorcyclist rear-ended a Toyota Camry and was thrown from his motorcycle, then was struck by a big-rig.
The drivers of the Toyota and the big-rig both remained at the scene to cooperate with the subsequent investigation.
California should join other states in making it illegal to split lanes. Too many motorcyclist are being reckless on the roads and causing accidents due to speed and unsafe lane changes.
I agree it should be outlawed. However I see more motorcycles passing on the right shoulder than i do splitting lanes, which is even more dangerous. One of these days i will run one of them over with my big truck when im turning right and they are there illegally and cannot be seen, it will be like “what was that speed bump?”
The reason most bikers split lanes is because it is far more dangerous to be in stop and go traffic because motorists are talking, texting, and not paying attention to the road. Being rear ended in a car is one thing, on a bike it can be your end.
Where in this article did it say the rider was splitting lanes? The main reason bikers split lanes is to keep the bikes from overheating.
I used to ride a Triumph Bonneville (1967). I wouldn’t go near a bike in this day and age – too many vehicles, too many angry drivers, too many fools who don’t know the rules of the road. And then you have your crazy bikers who split lanes at high speed, weave in and out of traffic, and speed like demons.
I agree John, all of the haters will post and tell you that you’re not a confident enough rider or some other BS.
I drive around and peep down into other drivers vehicles to see what they’re doing and Driving is the least of their concerns.
I’ll stick to my dual sport and stay on the dirt.
I commute HWY 24 every day. Most motorcyclists are careful. Even then I’ve seen cars pull in front of them and cause accidents. Either way, according to other sources the motorcyclist rear-ended a car and that threw him off his bike into oncoming traffic and he was run over by a big rig. Sad.
Nobody said he was splitting lanes! You’re right though in that the majority of those who do you split lanes do it very recklessly. There is not actually a law allowing lane splitting in California but it is allowed and the highway patrol is allowed to set guidelines which unfortunately a lot of these motorcyclists do not follow. When done properly lane splitting is safe! I do it myself on occasion but I don’t go speeding through traffic like some of those idiots!
How do you even know that the rider was splitting lanes? For all we know the Camry switched lanes into his path and that made the fatal events transpire. He may or may not have been riding aggressive, but that’s for CHP to determine and in any event, RIP rider and condolensences to his family and friends.
Well NOBODY seems to know what turn signals are anymore…..and it’s probably very low priority for law enforcement. I’m speaking mainly of cagers. I watched it happen 3 times yesterday from Hwy 24 to 242 where vehicles almost had a side collision trying to get into the same lane but not communicating with other motorists.
Motorcycle rear ended the Toyota. Horrible, I drove by before tarp. There was two. Blood Alley it will always be. The heat was horrible in traffic but at least I am alive. People went right back to driving crazy once traffic was moving.
There’s a reason why lane splitting in other states are illegal. Washington state has well less fatal motorcycle accidents than California because of their laws.
Have you considered maybe a state with more people, way better weather, and more traffic, would have MORE people riding motorcycles for more miles than Washington State?
@TRAUMA, please provide your data points about Washington state and the fact the lost soul in today’s accident was in fact splitting lanes. People in vehicles (non motorcycles) are very agressive for no good reason in the bay area and yes, some motorcyclist suck in behavior but far more cars out number the douche moves (in cars and not motorcycles) we see every day in the fewer motorcycles encountered on the road compared to the motorcycles that ride aggressively….
The Department Of Transportation website. And a John Hopkins 1999 research study published in the Journal Of Medicine in 2005.
Motorcycle riders are allowed to split lanes (dangerous, but not my decision), as long as they ride no more than 10 mph faster than prevailing traffic. That’s supposed to assume traffic is at a crawl. Most don’t. Traffic can be flowing smoothly at 60-70 mph and a rider will come flying past. At that speed they can ride along w the rest of us. No need to pass. And the overheating excuse is bull. In street traffic they have to stop at the lights anyway, so…start/stop traffic causing overheat is bunk.
No more than a 15mph delta providing traffic is not moving over 35mph. A bike splitting at 50 when cars are doing 35 on the freeway is fine.
Anon666,
That’s not what the State of California says. Traffic should be going no faster than 30, and the splitter should not exceed traffic by more than 10 mph.
He was going fast enough that when he hit the car that he was ejected off of the bike. Too many crazy car drivers and cycle riders out there.
You can be thrown or fall off of a motorcycle at 25 pinkness.
Lane splitting should be between the cars.
Based on the above story no one can come up with a solid conclusion on what caused the accident. Most every comment here has a valid point without referencing the article. Lane splitters at unsafe speeds, car drivers not paying attention, motorcyclist act like they are on a race course and so forth.
On January 1st, 2017, California’s pro-lane splitting Bill, AB-51 went live. Technically speaking, the subject of riding a motorcycle between two rows of traffic on Californian roads has always been a gray area.
Neither legal nor illegal, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) used their discretionary powers to determine whether it was being used or abused on a case-by-case basis. In 2015, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the CHP published their safe strategy documents on the subject. At this point, the chain lube hit the proverbial fan.
One out of California’s 39 million residents wrote to the Office of Administrative Law complaining that the CHP had exceeded its authority by issuing such guidelines. Subsequently, both agencies withdrew the text and web versions.
The AB-51 Bill has now been joined by Section 21658.1 of the California Vehicle Code, which in effect, legalizes lane splitting. It also leaves it in the hands of the CHP to determine safety guidelines.
The California Highway Patrol issued these lane splitting tips on September 27th, 2018, as a result of AB 51, the bill that formalized and defined lane splitting in California.
Lane Splitting Safety Tips for Motorcyclists
1) Consider the total environment when you are lane splitting. (this includes the width of lanes, the size of surrounding vehicles, as well as current roadway, weather and lighting conditions).
2) Danger increases at higher speed differentials.
3) Danger increases as overall speed increases.
4) It is typically safer to split between the far left lanes than between the other lanes of traffic.
5) Avoid lane splitting next to large vehicles (big rigs, buses, motorhomes, etc.).
6) Riding on the shoulder is illegal; it is not considered lane splitting.
7) Be visible—Avoid remaining in the blind spots of other vehicles or lingering between vehicles.
8) Help drivers see you by wearing brightly colored/reflective protective gear and using high beams during daylight.
Messages for Other Vehicle Drivers
1) Lane splitting by motorcyclists is legal in California.
2) Intentionally blocking or impeding a motorcyclist in a way that could cause harm to the rider is illegal.
3) Opening a vehicle door to impede a motorcyclist is illegal.
4) Drivers in the far left lane should move to the left of their lane to give motorcyclists ample room to pass.
Safety Tips for All Motorists
You can help keep yourself and all road users safe by:
1) Checking mirrors and blind spots, especially before changing lanes or turning.
2) Signaling your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.
3) Being alert and anticipating possible movements by other motorists.
4) Never riding/driving while impaired by drugs, alcohol or fatigue.
5) Being courteous and sharing the road.