Q. On the freeway, the carpool lane is often separated from other lanes by two sets of solid, double yellow lines with 10 to 20 inches between them. I cannot cross over these lines. But daily I see motorcycles using this area as their own lane, going past cars at an alarming speed. How can this be legal – is this their own personal lane?

C. Russ Miller, Westminster

A. It is not, but before we get very deep into the answer, Honk wants to point out that Mr. Miller has a motorcycle himself – he just wants riders to do what is right.

“No vehicle (motorcycles included) can cross over, drive upon or between the double solid-yellow (or -white) lines,” Paul Fox, an officer and spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, told Honk in an email.

“Motorcyclists are allowed to lane-split/lane-share as long as it is done safely,” Fox said. “If motorcycles are splitting lanes at an unsafe speed, then that would be illegal. If a motorcyclist is crossing the double solid lines, then that would be illegal.”

Now, an otherwise law-obeying motorcyclist might cross the double yellows to get around a large vehicle, such as a bus, and

Fox says those aren’t the riders the CHP is focused on. Rather, officers try to cite the rider who will “cross the lines at any time at unsafe speeds.”

Citations are at the discretion of the officer. The CHP has said in the past that motorcyclists, when lane-splitting, should not go faster than 30 mph, or 10 mph more than other traffic.

Lane-splitting has been tacitly allowed for years in California, which on Jan. 1 became the first state to legalize it.

Q. Honk: I am wondering why it has taken more than four months since I paid to receive those cool black retro license plates, with special lettering. I can’t imagine the prisoners tasked with stamping out these plates are allowed to go on strike. Any insight?

Wayne Kratzer, Westminster

A. Welcome to Insight Central, Wayne.

First, under state law, all personalized plates must pass review – the message must be tasteful and not vulgar or offensive.

“We receive 20,000 personalized (license-plate) requests each month,” said Artemio Armenta, a spokesman for the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Those yellow-on-black plates, the same style commonly used in the ’60s, have been wildly popular. A personalized license plate, of course, can’t be made at Folsom State Prison until the order is in.

“The California Legacy License Plates are in huge demand with record volumes unlike any other specialty plate before them,” Armenta said. “Delays of four months would be unusual. The median wait time (for the personalized Legacy plates) is approximately two months.”

To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.