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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Local pantry shelves in dire need of food ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 29, 1915 ... Searchers find snowboarders who spent the night lost on Mount Ashland ... Local pantry shelves in dire need of food ... Mail Tribune 100, Dec. 29, 1915 ... Searchers find snowboarders who spent the night lost on Mount Ashland ... OUR VIEW Our View: Yes to faster speeds, no to lane splitting Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Two bills dealing with highway traffic have moved into the fast lane in Salem. One belongs there; the other could cause more problems than it solves. House Bill 3402, sponsored by Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, would raise speed limits to 70 mph for cars and 65 mph for trucks on Interstate 84 from The Dalles to the Idaho border and on U.S. Highway 97 between Klamath Falls and state highway 197 leading to The Dalles. Other Eastern Oregon highways would see limits increased as well. Rural stretches of highways built for higher speeds make sense. Car technology, including airbags and anti-lock brakes, have increased highway safety dramatically, and neighboring states have had higher limits for years. Much of Interstate 5 in Southern Oregon is too mountainous for higher speeds, and portions in the northern part of the state are too congested much of the time. But on wide-open, remote stretches east of the mountains, higher speeds will let travelers reach their destinations a bit sooner. HB 3402 passed out of committee too the House floor last week, but was sent to the Ways and Means Commitee for approval of the expense of installing new speed-limit signs on the affected highways. Speaking of congestion, Senate Bill 694 would make Oregon the first state in the country to officially let motorcycle riders "split lanes" in traffic jams, riding between lines of cars moving no faster than 10 p.m. on highways with speed limits of at least 50 mph. The bikers could drive no faster than 20 mph. If you think that sounds crazy, join the club. Motorcycle advocacy groups support the move, saying it increases motorcycle safety by letting bikers avoid being rear-ended by larger vehicles, and increases traffic flow. Supporters also argue it might encourage more people to ride motorcycles, thereby reducing air pollution. The safety argument reminds us of the debate over helmet laws, when bikers argued they could hear other vehicles better if their ears weren't covered, and therefore avoid accidents. Anyone who has driven in Los Angeles, where lane-splitting (technically known as "filtering") is not strictly legal but is tolerated, have seen bikers zipping past inches from protruding side-view mirrors in rush-hour traffic. It's not for the faint of heart. All it would take for disaster would be a driver inching over to look up the road, or worse, someone opening a car door in stopped traffic just as a cycle comes past. SB 694 has passed the Senate. If it passes the House, a biker could be passing you sometime soon while you sit in traffic. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501