> No, they are blocking the next lane. Lanes are sized to hold a single automobile. Half of an automobile will clearly block another automobile from filling tha

> No, they are blocking the next lane. Lanes are sized to hold a single automobile. Half of an automobile will clearly block another automobile from filling that space. This is not lane-splitting. According to the Wikipedia article you cited about lane splitting, they define it as: >> Lane splitting is riding a bicycle or motorcycle between lanes or rows of slow moving or stopped traffic moving in the same direction. A cyclist riding close to the edge of the lane and a motorist in the adjacent lanes form 2 lanes or rows of traffic. Another motorist attempting to go between those two lanes or rows of traffic is lane splitting because their vehicle is between two lanes of traffic. Whether or not they partially block the lane as they pass doesn't change the fact that that's what it is. Both a motorcyclist and a pedalcyclist are wider than their tire width, so they are partially in both lanes when lane splitting, and they would block both lanes if they're attempting to go between two tractor-trailers for example. > Legally speaking, at least in FL, you don't even have to fully move over to a passing lane when passing a bicycle, you simply need to ensure 3ft of clearance. Traffic law pertaining to passing, what side of the road to drive on, and where to position one's vehicle when preparing for a turn were written for roads that don't have marked lanes for traffic. There also another law[1] that lists additional requirements for drivers on roads with marked lanes for traffic. One of those requirements is to remain as nearly as practicable within a single lane. Straddling the lane line while passing does not meet that requirement. So while the minimum safe distance/3 ft distance requirement applies on roads without marked lanes, it does not supercede the requirement to keep one's vehicle within a single lane. So, unless it's possible to leave 3 feet of distance between one's vehicle and a cyclist while remaining entirely within the same lane, one has to change lanes to pass in order to comply with the single lane requirement imposed by 316.089. [1] http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.089.html http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Displ...