Crooked biker cop in Wellington - lane splitting

[Reckless]

So, 2., since it's actually very hard to always be left of the lane divider when lane splitting, that arsehole cop can be pretty guaranteed that any lane splitter he sees can be ticketed.

So take it to court insist you never crossed the lane divider and when if you did it was to change lanes.

Then question his positioning/View etc etc etc

Then let the judge decide! Reasonable Doubt and all that?
Yes your honor when I was in the left lane on the correct side of the white line while the traffic was moving. I didnt cross to the other lane until it was stationary?
Therefore in my opinion my lane splitting was legal as per the law.
You might be very surprised how pissed off judges get at this petty shit taking up all the courts time!

I say again at this time he's depending on everyone rolling over and paying!
The flier thing is a very good idea!

Just as an aside
I know quite a few cops, I'd be surprised if his associates didn't think he was a wanker too given his attitude that is coming through?
MAYBE a nice quiet visit by 5 or 6 bikers to his senior Sargent might be worth a try??
Its a pretty closed shop you wont get any direct result but you might find he's not there quite so often??

[octanepwr]

Mate, you need some lessons. I routinely balance my 200kg bike at a damn site less than 20kph at "give ways" while waiting for the road ahead to be clear.

Yeah its not a problem at all - just annoying. You know what I meant - mostly just the statement after really.

[swbarnett]

Yeah its not a problem at all - just annoying. You know what I meant - mostly just the statement after really.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Maintaining it for any length of time in traffic can get pretty frustrating. (steps down off high horse...)

[Gremlin]

...could someone please!, show me said LAW that "CLEARLY" states that lane splitting, and filitering at low speeds is illegal and a chargable traffic offense! (Its a pritty grey area that is open to "interpritation"...so its not a law that is set in stone and can be defended)

...Cos it sounds like the cop is just a power tripping ARSEHOLE!...thats end of story!

The law doesn't exist, and nor do you want it to. Could go either way.

octanepwr has a subsequent post to yours that outlines a lot of the relevant legislation. Through understanding this, it is legal to do it, but you need to understand how, and that's where most people cock it up.

[Hitcher]

There are other law violations our pedantic police friend could go after. My pet ones involve vehicles with cycle racks on the rear, laden with cycles that obscure the vehicle's registration (illegal), stop lights (illegal) and turning indicators (illegal). Often the bikes are merely balanced on the rack, rather than being secured (illegal). But hey, why prosecute people who are saving the planet?

[MD]

The law doesn't exist, and nor do you want it to. Could go either way.

octanepwr has a subsequent post to yours that outlines a lot of the relevant legislation. Through understanding this, it is legal to do it, but you need to understand how, and that's where most people cock it up.

Sadly my interpretration of 2.8 (2) (a) is that lane splitting is illegal. The legislation seems to me to assume there is only ever two vehicles involved in any passing manouevre; the one doing the overtake and the vehicle being overtaken. HOWEVER, when splitting there are 3 vehicles; the bike and a car on each side of bike. Irrespective of your position to the cats eyes you are always going to be left of a vehicle. The Act makes no mention of the lane dividers/cats eyes.

Most impotantly, 2.8 (3) "If the roadway is marked in lanes, the driver may make the movement referrred to in subclause (1)[passing on the left] only if the driver's vehicle does not encroach on a lane that is unavailable to the driver"
Whichever way you look at it when splitting you must be a lane [i.e. left or right of cats eyes] that is currently occupied - and therefore technically UNAVAILABLE to you to use.

[oneofsix]

There are other law violations our pedantic police friend could go after. My pet ones involve vehicles with cycle racks on the rear, laden with cycles that obscure the vehicle's registration (illegal), stop lights (illegal) and turning indicators (illegal). Often the bikes are merely balanced on the rack, rather than being secured (illegal). But hey, why prosecute people who are saving the planet?

someone that share my pet hate. This is sad

I see Gizmag has done a good article on the benefits of splitting if done right. Speeds up all traffic, reduces carbon emissions by reducing queues, most crashes are rear enders which may be minor for cages but serious for us and splitting avoids these for us. All we need is to be able to share the gap between traffic regardless if we are to the left or right of the vehicle we are sharing with at the moment.

[Gremlin]

Sadly my interpretration of 2.8 (2) (a) is that lane splitting is illegal. The legislation seems to me to assume there is only ever two vehicles involved in any passing manouevre; the one doing the overtake and the vehicle being overtaken. HOWEVER, when splitting there are 3 vehicles; the bike and a car on each side of bike. Irrespective of your position to the cats eyes you are always going to be left of a vehicle. The Act makes no mention of the lane dividers/cats eyes.

Each lane is seen and classified as an individual road, if you like. ie, in the UK, 3 lanes is seen collectively as a road, hence their rules about overtaking on left (aka undertaking) in a separate lane.

When overtaking a vehicle within the same lane as it and you're on the right, it's an overtake. The vehicle in the right lane, and the right lane as a whole, plays no part in your overtake. When you do enter that lane on the right, now you are on the left of the vehicle in that lane... and passing that vehicle is undertaking, passing on the left fine etc.

[MD]

Each lane is seen and classified as an individual road, if you like. ie, in the UK, 3 lanes is seen collectively as a road, hence their rules about overtaking on left (aka undertaking) in a separate lane.

When overtaking a vehicle within the same lane as it and you're on the right, it's an overtake. The vehicle in the right lane, and the right lane as a whole, plays no part in your overtake. When you do enter that lane on the right, now you are on the left of the vehicle in that lane... and passing that vehicle is undertaking, passing on the left fine etc.

Yep. I'm as keen as mustard to believe that, always have taken that view. Officer Dick Prick doesn't see it that way by the sounds of it.

[Gremlin]

Yep. I'm as keen as mustard to believe that, always have taken that view. Officer Dick Prick doesn't see it that way by the sounds of it.

Sure. He wouldn't be the first cop to get the law wrong, and I'm sure he won't be the last. I would know a fraction of law at best because there is a shitload, but I'll read up on sections to know exactly what I can and can't do. My responsibility as a driver/rider anyway.

Last notable point was ticketing of bikes using the Transit lanes onto the motorway. Several got tickets, BRONZ had to write to the police, police promised to update the knowledge of staff etc. Just because a cop says something doesn't automatically make him correct nor can he contradict law, or enforce law that doesn't exist.

[BlackSheepLogic]

The law doesn't exist, and nor do you want it to. Could go either way.

The law went the right way in NSW and other states are looking at it. I think having the debate here in NZ would not only be a good thing but it would also help educate drivers on why this is also good for them.

Passing on the left

You can only pass on the left when:

there are two or more lanes on your side of the centre line and you are able to pass safely by using the left-hand lane
you are directed to by a police officer
the vehicle you are passing:
has stopped, or
is signalling a right turn, or
is turning right.


At all other times, when you are passing, you must pass on the right.

When filtering and/or splitting my priority is safety during the maneuver. I only filter and/or split while in first (<30km/hr) and if the drivers are making progress I fall back in line. I select whatever maximizes the clearance either side of me (l pass on the left or right depending on what offers the most clarences). I always identify a gap I'm going to fall back into and I don't filter between two trucks/buses. I avoid filtering between the right most lane and the central divide (I will occasionally make exceptions....). Never had any issue with the police doing this.

Trying to balance a 200kg bike at <20kph is pretty stupid, not to mention defeats the point of riding a bike instead of sitting in a cage in the traffic.

Drag the rear brake in order to stabilize the bike if you have to - Pads are cheap. I filter and/or split lanes on my busa which weights well over 200kg.

I did 670K on the bike yesterday mainly in traffic and on slower roads. Adding a couple of hours going down the southern motorway during peek time (Auckland -> Hamilton) was not going to happen. I was tied enough by the time I hit the motorway going south.

Riding the clutch & front brake for hours at a time is physically demanding and just adding to the congestion.

[Reckless]

Lane splitting good for everyone

http://www.gizmag.com/motorcycle-lan...esearch/34425/

"Where many drivers get it wrong is that they see lane splitting as "queue jumping" that will cause each car to go one further spot back in the queue. In truth, a filtering bike disappears from the queue altogether, the only time a motorcycle holds a car up is when it sits in traffic and acts like another car.

Filtering bikes work their way to the front of stopped traffic at red lights, and accelerate away much quicker than the cars around them. When they reach the next stoppage, they disappear again between the lanes and no car is held up."

[Gremlin]

I avoid filtering between the right most lane and the central divide (I will occasionally make exceptions....). Never had any issue with the police doing this.

Stay out of that area unless you love punctures...

[BlackSheepLogic]

Lane splitting good for everyone
http://www.gizmag.com/motorcycle-lan...esearch/34425/

Ho-Hum, but this comment was gold:
Lane splitting is not only safer and faster, it is also sometimes necessary, and I'm amazed no one has mentioned this fact.

A car has 4 wheels, it can go really slowly without falling over (And in the USA they mostly drive Automatic, lazy lot!)... ok, you all got that?

A motorcycle only has 2 wheels, so when going too slow, it wobbles and can fall over... still with me?

When standing still, we (the Bikers) have to put our feet on the ground in order to keep our transport up-right.

But in stop-start traffic, this becomes a bit tricky. The moment you move your feet off your foot-pegs your balance is affected, especially at very slow speeds, and quite often as you put your feet down, the traffic moves a meter (sorry folks, I don't do miles and feet and shit like that), and then you have to move forward again, the feet have to come out and the feet go back on the pegs and so forth, unless you do like some clowns I've seen, they ride with the legs flapping by the side of the Bike... not a good idea though, as you should have your one foot ready for the rear brake.

Anyway, picture the scenario now, this Biker wobbling behind the slow moving cars... I've watched them with amazement... then I ride past, lane splitting and have a good giggle at them. But admittedly it does take some practice and you have to observe the flow of traffic. Eventually you do get to read it pretty accurately.

And there is another thing to educate the Car drivers about:

A motorbike's clutch is the lever on the left side of the handle bars, the gears are the left foot and the brakes are on the right, foot & hand brakes. Now when doing really slow traffic where I cannot lane split for whatever reason, like narrow roads or other obstacles, my left hand actually cramps up from pulling the clutch in an out constantly and of course its not good from a maintenance point of view either! It really is much easier to pass the cars slowly.

And to Morons like Wiseguy, it is people like you who create accidents, just because you can't stand the idea of the Biker getting to his destination first! And don't be surprised if one day, when you do your moving over trick, a big hairy dude knocks your friggin' mirror right off, and maybe even plants his big fist in your face...

Yes, the Bike may get there first, but the Car Drivers get to eat, drink, smoke and even text (Yes I see you all doing it!), while we have to concentrate like hell, wait to get to the next stop to have a puff and a drink and we get wet when it rains and cold in winter!

So come on, give us a break and in return we will endeavour not to touch your mirrors, we will wave at your kids in the car and we will thank you for not getting us killed or injured today.

PS: I disagree with the chap who said youngsters should drive cars first... actually they should ride dirt bikes first, then scooters and small bikes and only then should they get into a car... cars are lethal in the hands of the inexperienced and young! And then they drive all their friends around, chatting in the car, music blaring.... oh no, first they should learn to respect the road and its users on 2 wheels. My kids had bikes from their early teens and at 17y my youngest son and my stepson were allowed to occasionally ride my 750 to School. But I knew they could, because they had learned at an early age. And even in the car I used to teach them about what goes on in the traffic, getting them ready for when it's their turn.

[GTRMAN]

No it is not. Each lane is technically it's own road