Was it smart for the state to legalize motorcycle lane-splitting? Yes 32% (103) No 68% (217) 320 total votes.

A new law signed today now makes it legal for motorcyclist to lane-split in California. And reactions are ... split.

With the blessing of Gov. Jerry Brown, the decades-old practice of motorcyclists driving between two vehicle lanes has taken a turn into a less gray legal area. Lane-splitting was never illegal, but the new law now allows the California Highway Patrol to create safety guidelines as to how it should be done.

California is the first state in the nation to legalize the maneuver. Details of the law such as how it relates to posted speed limits are now up to the CHP.

But legal or not, lane-splitting is a divisive topic among drivers. In 2013, the Union-Tribune asked readers whether motorcyclists should be allowed to travel between lanes in heavy traffic, and most people said no.

The debate has also been evident in letter after letter to the newspaper. In 2015, several readers wrote to express their opinion on the matter:

On June 2015, Renee Parker of Solana Beach wrote, "Everyday I read about all the people killed on motorcycles. I think it is dangerous, both for them and the motorists."

A week later, Mike Vaughan of Oceanside wrote, "It simply doesn’t make sense for a bike to be stalled in traffic when there are wide alleyways between cars."

And yet another week later, Sean Burke of North Park wrote, "While a small portion of road users will always behave badly, most motorcyclists split lanes responsibly, and are no danger to other road users."

Opinions on the matter are not exclusive to newspaper readers. The debate is also a very popular one on Twitter, not just for those in California but also those in other states where the laws aren't so clear.