Holding up traffic is a violation and irritant

Q. My husband and I car-pool and exit the eastbound Riverside (91) Freeway at Lakeview Avenue in Anaheim. The exit lane is often backed up. We wait our turn. We notice that many people trying to exit continue in a freeway lane, put their blinkers on, stop with everyone going 65 mph around them and try to merge into a stopped line of cars. Isn't this illegal?

– Sally Nagamatsu, Yorba Linda

That lousy maneuver is Honk's biggest pet peeve. Thankfully, it is a Vehicle Code violation for impeding or blocking traffic.

"I've written it many times," Jennifer Hink, a California Highway Patrol officer in Orange County, says of the citation.

Stopping like that "can cause traffic collisions or road rage. People get irritated."

Q. You said a state law allows bicycles on the freeway shoulder. Can you please give me more on this?

– Susan Randall, Anaheim

A. See how Honk's words fit neatly into a rectangle on this page? Well, if he rambles he gets cut – like last week.

Motor-driven cycles in the slow lane and bicycles on the shoulder are indeed allowed if there are no posted signs about prohibiting them.

Here's the kicker that didn't make print: Most on-ramps have the signs.

People, if there aren't signs and you dare to brave the freeway on a bike or a small motorcycle, be super careful. Honk doesn't want his readership shrinking.

Q. We live on a cul-de-sac that opens only to a busy street. When it's rush hour, traffic backs up across our street opening, making it difficult to get in or out. People are usually kind enough to leave an opening. But twice recently we have nearly hit lane-splitting motorcyclists. If an accident occurred, who would be at fault?

– Leslie Heinrichs, Orange

Sgt. Sean O'Toole, with your city's Police Department's traffic division, says fault would be determined case by case.

If the motorcyclist was in a lane and passed the front vehicle as it yielded to you, O'Toole would lean toward blaming the motorcyclist.

Fact of the week: Are skyrocketing gas prices making motorcyclists out of car and truck drivers?

Ah, no. In April and May of last year, 39,526 Californians with a car license passed a test so they also could operate motorcycles. During the same period this year – with a gallon of unleaded costing 35 cents to 74 cents more, depending on the week – 4,591 fewerCalifornians signed up to also operate motorcycles.

(Sources: Department of Motor Vehicles, California Energy Commission)