Street Riding Strategies: Lane Sharing, Following Distance, Intersections, and Passing
Lane sharing
New Mexico does not authorize lane splitting or lane filtering. A motorcycle is entitled to a full lane, and a car may not share your lane. Two motorcycles may ride abreast in one lane, but not three or more; on group rides, use a staggered formation and leave room to maneuver. Never ride beside a car in the same lane.
Following distance
Use at least a two-second gap in good conditions. At night, in rain, or on poor pavement, increase to three or four seconds. To measure, watch the vehicle ahead pass a fixed object and count “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two.” More distance gives you time to see and react.
Intersections
Intersections are where most motorcycle-car crashes happen. Scan ahead, cover the clutch and brake, choose a lane position that makes you visible, and look for left-turning cars. Do not assume a driver has seen you because you see the driver.
Passing
Pass in the adjacent lane, never in the same lane. Signal, check mirrors, and turn your head to check the blind spot. Do not pass at intersections, on curves, or where a solid line prohibits it. Avoid lingering beside a vehicle.
Worked example
You are following a truck at 55 mph in light rain with a two-second gap. Reasoning: two seconds at 55 mph is about 160 feet, and wet pavement lengthens stopping distance. Increase to four seconds-about 320 feet-so you can see around the truck and stop if it brakes suddenly.
Traps
Riding in a driver's blind spot; following too closely to “see better”; assuming a turn signal means the driver will turn; and passing on the right where a driver may move right.