We Won the fight

larrikin · 1 We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:48 pm

larrikin

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We won the fight

Motorcyclists will be allowed to legally ride between cars on NSW roads from July as part of new measures to ease congestion.

The state government on Wednesday made NSW the first state in Australia to legalise the practice of lane filtering, following a successful two-month trial.

Under the scheme, fully licensed riders will be able to ride through stationary traffic at speeds up to 30km/h, but not during school zones, beside kerbs or next to trucks and buses.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the decision was a commonsense solution. ''We held a successful trial in [the] Sydney CBD last year of motorcyclists being exempt from existing lane-filtering laws in an attempt to ease road congestion and measure potential safety issues for other road users,'' he said.
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''As a result … we will introduce a new law that will permit fully licensed motorcyclists to legally filter past stationary vehicles at intersections when it is safe to do so.''

Road safety experts have cautiously welcomed the move, but urged authorities to monitor the speeds at which motorcyclists conduct lane filtering.

Chairman of road safety at the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre Raphael Grzebieta said filtering between vehicles at speeds greater than 30km/h brought a much greater risk of serious injury or death.

''In a 30km/h impact with a pedestrian, for instance, research has shown there's a 10 per cent risk of a fatality or serious injury; at about 60km/h it's around the 90 per cent mark,'' he said.

Professor Grzebieta endorsed the law being limited to experienced riders.

He called on Roads and Maritime Services to monitor and evaluate the scheme after 12 months.

Motorcycle Council of NSW spokesman Chris Burns welcomed the change as it could prevent riders from being injured.

--o:

duck · 2 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:07 pm

duck

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Lucky bastards! I'd be careful though until cagers get used to it.

Last edited by duck on Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

sidecar paul · 3 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:20 pm

sidecar paul

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We're used to filtering here, but you have to be careful of course.
One big danger when the tin boxes are stationary is OPENING doors. affraid

Last August I filtered more than 5 miles on the M25 and joined a row of riders at the front of the queue waiting for the police to re-open the motorway.

Paul.

Avenger GT · 4 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:39 pm

Avenger GT

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duck wrote:Lucky bastards! I'd be careful though until cagers get used to ti.

There are some of them that will never get used to it, and you will always find some dopey idiot who will turn across you without looking or signaling.

duck · 5 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:41 pm

duck

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I get to filter (or split as us Yanks call it) when I ride in California. Drives me crazy when I come back home and can't anymore.

AL-58 · 6 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:53 pm

AL-58

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They are differentiating Filtering and splitting this way:

Filtering is between stationery vehicles (legal)
Splitting is between moving traffic (not legal)

Max speed while splitting 30kmh
Fully licenced riders only
not between traffic and either kerb
not between trucks or buses.

Al

GTJos · 7 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:11 pm

GTJos

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Number of posts : 161

Hi all!
We are kind of used to this over here.
I always have my hazard-lights on though and -of course- keep my speed at a reasonable limit, permitting me to stop in time, in case one of the tin boxes decides to change lane just in front of me.
Always have an eye on the front wheel of the cars in front, so it's possible to anticipate an upcoming 'change of lane'.
There are stupid types, that try to block your passage but: they are a minority. Most of the drivers give room when the lights of the bike appear in their mirror; I always thank them with a 'thumb up'...
Good luck and congrats to the Aussies !
Jos.

Two Wheels Better · 8 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:17 pm

Two Wheels Better

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A coupla years ago I was rolling south slowly on the M1 in Brisbane, 'filtering' through hot 'n' heavy, lane after lane, just about fully stopped traffic on my K100RS. As I approached the truck layby I spotted a motorbike occifer shaking his head at me and gesturing wildly to pull over. I complied, as what are you gunna do when he's astride an ST1300 and has a big gub on his hip?! He asked me what I thought I was doing and I replied, earnestly, 'filtering'. His face got all contorted in red-faced rage as he mocked me with my own word, 'Filtering, eh!? Do you know that's illegal and is an $80 fine? Lemme see your licence.' Again I complied.

In a few moments, after watching the majority of the B Doubles, utes and cars that I'd so smugly got ahead of earlier, now rolling past me, he produced the ticket and warned me in no uncertain terms that I was not to do it again, but that the ticket wouldn't appear on my driving record. Then he settled down a bit, relaxed and asked me how I liked my K bike, said he had a garage full of Guzzis at home. I waited for him to ask me if I wanted to be his friend because suddenly, now that he'd ticketed me, and his business was done, and as we both rode motorbikes, we must of course be besties. I asked him with a smile if I could go, he seemed perplexed that I didn't wanna have a chat, and I rode away.

Did it stop me? Nuh, I'm just more careful not to get caught. I'm glad to see some sense in the NSW traffic laws at last. I hope Queensland follows suit. I shudder to think what it'd be like here in and around Seattle with the moss-covered, narrow-laned highways, raised Bots Dots, thick paint stripes, and incredibly inattentive drivers.

Jhepburn · 9 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:48 pm

Jhepburn

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Several years ago, I had a job that saw me commuting in peak hour, along the Western Freeway in Brisbane.

Every morning there was a string of bikes going along the pretty decent verge, past traffic crawling at speeds that require feathering the clutch.

BUT: There was a pull-off, hidden just after a corner, where police often sat - multiple police - pulling everyone over.

I would get onto the motorway, slide up the verge, merge into traffic at that corner, saunter past the police looking all innocent, then go straight back to the verge when I could. I saw some cars moving sideways to give us more room. Some trucks that made us hang back a back.

Once, while I had to drive, I stuck my arm out the window and gestured 'keep it down' to a bike coming up the middle of the lanes behind me. He saw me, merged, and got off scot-free. May have been coincidence, of course.

I have seen one accident in total - when a biker had something thrown at him from a car.

I have been given one ticket for using the verge - on a different motorway. The bike copper said "Well, it's not a lane, otherwise I'd be using it." He then proceeded to tell me how dangerous the verge was. So I started counting - every day, on that commute, I would count at least ten instances, in each direction, where cars made me take evasive or precautionary action while in traffic. I have not once felt threatened while on the verge.

rosskko · 10 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 6:09 pm

rosskko

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I am happy about this and while I can (illegally) filter at the moment I tend not to unless the traffic is really bad.
In the mornings I am going to work.
No hurry there.
At work I get paid by the hour.
No hurry there.
On the way home I leave work 2 hours before peak hour.
No hurry there.

It amuses me that the new bikes have retractable mirrors so they can fit through the smallest of gaps.

I have seen a few close calls with others filtering, but the funniest was two Harleys in three lane traffic. One in between each of the lanes.
Left guy thought the right gap was bigger and cut between two cars. Straight in to the back wheel of the other rider. Bit of a brown moment for one guy, but thankfully both rode away. Oh how I laughed. Twisted Evil

martyman · 11 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:35 pm

martyman

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If lane splitting was allowed in my country I would still never do it...I ride for fun and pleasure, never in that much of a hurry.

duck · 12 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:46 pm

duck

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Lanesplitting IS fun. I really enjoy it. It's a good test of your riding skills as well. I think of it as a video game - but you only get one quarter.

In rush hour traffic or in a big traffic jam after an accident, it's a godsend.

And filtering at stoplights is good too. Gets you out in front of traffic instead of stuck in the middle of it.

Rick G · 13 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:10 pm

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I rarely lane split as I feel a bit wide to do it without endangering my panniers.
Now that NSW has allowed it the idiots in Queensland will make it triple illegal and double the fines just to be ornery.

Crazy Frog · 14 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:15 pm

Crazy Frog

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GTJos wrote: Hi all!

Always have an eye on the front wheel of the cars in front, so it's possible to anticipate an upcoming 'change of lane'.

The most important is to have an eye on the car's mirror.
If you cannot see the eyes of the driver, He may not have seen you.
Legal or not, I very seldom ride between cars. It just not feel right.

duck · 15 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:34 pm

duck

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RicK G wrote:I rarely lane split as I feel a bit wide to do it without endangering my panniers.

That's what city cases are for. Only have to worry about the mirrors making it.

Jhepburn · 16 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:49 pm

Jhepburn

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I use a top box for commuting Smile

Talk about timely: The first time in ages I have split, and it was half an hour ago as I type this, on my way home.

It turns out that the adequate motivation was "Getting the hell away from your load of nutters." There was a bunch of vehicles jumping between lanes trying to get ahead in a 70 zone. Pulled up at lights, the two cars in the left-hand lane were on the far left, probably thinking they'd be faster around the corner, so I think "to hell with this" (or similar language) and pulled through. Lights turned green before I even braked to stop, so I just opened the throttle and hit 7000rpm in second gear while banked over.

Wasn't bothered by idiot drivers for the rest of the ride.

AL-58 · 17 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:32 am

AL-58

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The cars never move far enough apart for the sidecar to get through! Mongrels.

Al

Guest · 18 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:53 am

Guest

I'm looking at it as a kind of personal challenge. Laughing

Rick G · 19 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:57 am

Rick G

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I don't think Bella will see it that way.

Guest · 20 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:01 am

Guest

RicK G wrote:I don't think Bella will see it that way.

That's why her 'doggles' are peril sensitive!

AL-58 · 21 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:25 am

AL-58

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Do they black out completely when impact is imminent?

Al

Guest · 22 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:35 am

Guest

Well of course!

TacKler · 23 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:47 am

TacKler

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Saxon7 wrote:I'm looking at it as a kind of personal challenge.

Lane filtering in the traffic metropolis of Guyra??? .................. I'd like to see that. Sleep

Guest · 24 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:46 am

Guest

oi!
Sometimes we get down to........Armidale. sc3

Rick G · 25 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:41 am

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xpc316e · 26 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:51 am

xpc316e

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I have never been a fan of filtering, and even less of lane splitting. Some years ago I dealt with a crash on the A13 going in to East London. It was a Monday morning and there was stationary traffic in all three lanes approaching a flyover. Two brothers on a 550 Kawasaki were filtering between lanes one and two when a passenger in a van in lane two decided to open his door and transfer to another van operated by the same company. The rider hit the door end on with his right knee, splitting the knee wide open as a result, and snapping off the ball joint at the other end of his right femur. Nobody would have reasonably anticipated a passenger opening a door in such circumstances.

Words cannot describe the pain he was in.

I will filter past stationary vehicles, but only on the offside and when I can be at least a door's width away. I filter at a very low speed. I will not go between lanes of vehicles whether they are moving, or not. I plan my journeys so that I leave in plenty of time and therefore do not give myself any pressure to do what I consider to be sub-optimal.

JGT · 27 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:10 pm

JGT

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Only if the traffic is stationary and then slowly, 2000rpm 2nd or 3rd gear. The A14 going east on a Monday Morning can be a nightmare and its often the only way to make forward progress. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly some riders filter even in moving traffic, I just don't have the neck. John

xpc316e · 28 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:11 pm

xpc316e

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John, it is not a case of you not having the neck to speed between moving vehicles; it is a case of you having too much sense to do it.

duck · 29 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:29 pm

duck

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It's one if those "Don't knock it until you've tried it." type things.

I, like many here, used to think it was a dangerous and stupid idea. I SWORE I would never do it. Then, while riding down through California to visit my dad, I got stuck in stop-n-go Friday 5pm traffic on The Santa Monica Freeway. It was pretty hot and VERY boring. After watching 10 or 15 splitters go by I decided to give it a shot.

I discovered that, done prudently, it is nowhere near as dangerous as it appears to onlookers.

It's done all over Europe and many other countries.

Here's a video about lane-splitting (14 minutes long though)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNGD9AAIfFU

And although it does get you places faster, it's not about being in a hurry. I am NEVER in a hurry when I ride because I figure that's a good way to lose focus or take a risk that I shouldn't. I'd rather be late than dead/hospitalized.

klamityboy · 30 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:09 pm

klamityboy

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Lane splitting or filtering is still illegal here in British Columbia. I guess the motorcycle lobby is spending its time keeping priority loading on the ferries.

krambo · 31 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:01 pm

krambo

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I live in the UK where lane splitting or filtering is considered legal. Surely one of the reasons we ride motorcycles is to be able to "make progress" where car drivers cannot. Most car drivers are quite reasonable about this practice and I find that such people very often deliberately make room for me to pass them in a fashion that is still illegal in many countries - they might not entirely approve but they do seem to realise that it is not only legal but actually helps the traffic in general to keep moving more smoothly. Just my thoughts and experience as a UK Driving Standards Agency approved motorcycle instructor Wink

MikeP · 32 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:07 pm

MikeP

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In France the car drivers expect you to filter, at any speed. They'll move to the side to let you pass most of the time. You get odd looks if you don't do it.

Best fun is to filter on the Paris Peripherique. Or at least watch the locals do it. Not for the faint hearted that's for sure.

I do it less where I live now that bikes can use the bus lanes in the city.

AL-58 · 33 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:32 pm

AL-58

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In OZ it's been a grey area for a long time. Many already do it and most cops turn a blind eye to it. But get a stupide rider taking excessive risk or a highway patrol cop who's having a bad day and theres no more blind eye. the difference is for my state at least its now actually declared legal, so the cop with bad attitude can longer take out his anger on you.

A friend a few years ago was filtering through stationary cars to get to the front of the lights, he wasnt going fast. At the same time a pedestrian decided to cross the road by cutting through the stopped cars. Not looking, he stepped in front of the bike and got knocked down, no major injuries were caused. The police attended, the pedestrian said it was all his fauklt for not looking. Back at the station, the sergeant with an attitude told the officer attending that the rider had to be charged with "Negligent driving". My friend chose to take it to court, the cops buggered about, didn't attend, got it adjourned etc hoping my friend would give up. When it finally came to court and it was all laid out in front of the judge, including the pedestians testimony, the judge asked the cops what the hell they were thinking and threw it out immediately. My friend who had got himself good legal representation had legal costs awarded to him also (this is almost never done). Not over yet; the police department then wouldn't pay his costs due to 'financial hardship'. The solution was elegant; give all this info to a senator(from the appropriate party) who was happy to embarass the current police minister by asking about this 'financial hardship' in state parliament. Costs were paid the next day after it got the press interested.

Al

Kyko · 34 Re: We Won the fight Tue Aug 23, 2022 5:20 am

Kyko

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Number of posts : 9

it's good that everything worked out like this

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1 We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:48 pm

larrikin

2 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:07 pm

duck

3 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:20 pm

sidecar paul

4 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:39 pm

Avenger GT

5 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:41 pm

duck

6 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:53 pm

AL-58

7 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:11 pm

GTJos

8 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:17 pm

Two Wheels Better

9 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:48 pm

Jhepburn

10 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 6:09 pm

rosskko

11 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:35 pm

martyman

12 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:46 pm

duck

13 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:10 pm

Rick G

14 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:15 pm

Crazy Frog

15 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:34 pm

duck

16 Re: We Won the fight Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:49 pm

Jhepburn

17 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:32 am

AL-58

18 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:53 am

Guest

19 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:57 am

Rick G

20 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:01 am

Guest

21 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:25 am

AL-58

22 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:35 am

Guest

23 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:47 am

TacKler

24 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:46 am

Guest

25 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:41 am

Rick G

26 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:51 am

xpc316e

27 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:10 pm

JGT

28 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:11 pm

xpc316e

29 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:29 pm

duck

30 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:09 pm

klamityboy

31 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:01 pm

krambo

32 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:07 pm

MikeP

33 Re: We Won the fight Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:32 pm

AL-58

34 Re: We Won the fight Tue Aug 23, 2022 5:20 am

Kyko

35 Re: We Won the fight

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