About motorcyclists “splitting lanes” (July 23 Acorn letters), Mr. Smith isn’t correct regarding the law he calls “lane sharing.” The law doesn’t call it anything.

There’s no provision in the California Vehicle Code (VC) that permits “lane sharing” or “lane splitting.” There’s also no provision that prohibits the practice; thus, it’s not illegal .

The pertinent parts of some provisions of the VC address driving in a lane and passing other vehicles: “. . . a vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practical entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from the lane until such movement can be made with reasonable safety” (VC 21658); “The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle . . . shall pass to the left at a safe distance without interfering with the safe operation of the overtaken vehicle . . .” (VC 21750); “The driver of a motor vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety” (VC 21755); and “No person shall turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway until such movement can be made with reasonable safety . . . ” (VC 22107).

The responsibility for passing safely lies with the motorcyclist.

A motorcycle traveling just 25 mph faster than slowmoving traffic will pass more than two car lengths of the slower moving cars every second. If a driver checks his mirrors and doesn’t see a motorcycle that’s perhaps almost three cars back, one second later the motorcyclist will be alongside that car.

It’s easier for a motorcyclist to see a car than it is for the driver of a car to see a motorcycle, particularly when the motorcycle is behind the car and is between cars. It’s unreasonable to expect the driver of a car to always know what’s going on behind him.

Motorcyclists splitting lanes need to keep the speed difference between them and slower-moving vehicles low enough to give the driver of other vehicles a reasonable chance to see them. Louis Goldsman Newbury Park