Rumour of lane-splitting crackdown

[rainman]

Anyone know if there's any truth to the rumour that a crackdown on lane-splitting is currently being executed by the Auckland police? I did see someone who'd been pulled over just before Fanshawe St offramp on the Northern on my way in to work this morning - HP car and bike in attendance - but that could've been for anything. (Anyone from in here have a bad start to the day?)

I've heard the crackdown rumour from two people, not sure if either of them would know for sure. In the absence of any insider info, anyone been pulled over for lane-splitting on the motorways recently?

[jafar]

There is no law against lane splitting , so a "crackdown" on it would be difficult to do:corn::corn::corn:

[Mom]

There is no law against lane splitting , so a "crackdown" on it would be difficult to do:corn::corn::corn:

There appears to be a crackdown on "parking" in the middle of the road however, i got a telling off today from a plod today in my car......naughty me!:cool:

[steved]

The thing I never understand is if you are filtering in traffic, how do the cops stop you? I'm not advocating running, just that it would be very hard to notice if a cop started flashing their lights as you have already gone.

[jrandom]

They'd need to devote all the bikes to anti-filtering duties if they were having a 'crackdown'.

No four-wheeled vehicle has a shit-show of keeping up with me during Auckland rush hour.

:)

[Toaster]

The legal technicalities are more complex than you may think. It is a bit of an anomaly as the normal passing rules apply.

[Toaster]

There appears to be a crackdown on "parking" in the middle of the road however, i got a telling off today from a plod today in my car......naughty me!:cool:

you just like men in uniform!! I know about Maha's nurses outfit.:devil2:

[jrandom]

There is no law against lane splitting...

They can and will do you for passing on the left and/or failing to indicate properly.

Also, I was passed by a guy a few years ago who was filtering at 160kph through free-flowing motorway traffic, and who was pulled over by a bike cop shortly thereafter. I bumped into him later that night, recognised his bike and asked him how it went, and he said they were charging him with either careless or dangerous, I forget which. But that has little to do with filtering at 50kph through traffic moving at 20.

I won't repeat any of the stuff about how to filter that's already been posted ad nauseam over the last few years.

[Toaster]

The thing I never understand is if you are filtering in traffic, how do the cops stop you?


Simple... open the door before you get to the patrol car.

Keep in mind most cops have no clue as to whether it is legal or not.

[FROSTY]

There is no law against lane splitting
There my son you are WRONG --
All you need to do is ride in what they concider is a dangerous manner or if you are seen to be riding to the left of a car within the same lane then then can book ya
I will put money some idiot or idiots have been zig zagggin all over the motorway or splitting lanes at very high speed

[Grub]

Based on what we saw going to the Wednesday Night Ride, maybe they need to do this.

We were in dual streams of traffic doing 100kmh at 5.40pm. Along comes a prat on a Harley doing 110-115 weaving in and out of traffic and splitting all the way through two sets of lights on the Hutt Rd.

I can just imagine the moan as he posts on KB about the ferking cage that pulled over on him ... and we'd all sypathise because we didn't know what he was *really* doing.

I hope they do the crackdown on bikers who are being stupid and turn a blind eye to those being sensible and careful

[jrandom]

Simple... open the door before you get to the patrol car.

Unless they timed it so that it was impossible to stop for and caused a crash, there's always a way around. A single HP car with driver can't block lanes 1A and 2A, not to mention the emergency shoulder (which I personally never use) and the gap between the fast lane and the median barrier (which I would only ride in to avoid a car that swerved toward me while I was in the fast lane).

Anyway, opening the door seems a bit drastic and dangerous; you'd think that flicking the disco lights on and making a hand gesture or two would be a more useful and civilised way of indicating to a rider that he should pull over for a chat.

[jafar]

Keep in mind most cops have no clue.

:first::shutup::shutup:

[Toaster]

There my son you are WRONG --
All you need to do is ride in what they concider is a dangerous manner or if you are seen to be riding to the left of a car within the same lane then then can book ya
I will put money some idiot or idiots have been zig zagggin all over the motorway or splitting lanes at very high speed

Completely correct. It's the way people lane-split that makes all the difference.

[jrandom]

some idiot or idiots have been zig zagggin all over the motorway...

Nail on the head there Frosty.

It's entirely possible to filter at a significant speed differential without any perceptable swerving. Only mild and gentle steering inputs should be required. If you're swerving all over the road, you're riding like a plonker. Gently sliding between cars is the key, with gentle acceleration and braking and plenty of your bike's handling envelope always available for any difficult situations that arise such as cars pulling over without indicating or swerving around within their lanes.

On the whole, it's generally best to consider whether one is going to save a decent amount of time without adding appreciable levels of risk to one's journey. If those conditions aren't satisfied, why bother going to the effort of constantly moving around other vehicles? Filtering isn't fun, it's just what you have to do when using a motorcycle as transport around an urban area. Anyone who treats it as an opportunity to ride noisily and ostentatiously is an idiot.

[jafar]

There my son you are WRONG --
All you need to do is ride in what they concider is a dangerous manner or if you are seen to be riding to the left of a car within the same lane then then can book ya
I will put money some idiot or idiots have been zig zagggin all over the motorway or splitting lanes at very high speed

there my dad you are right , but the CHARGE isn't for lane splitting it would be for
careless / dangerous or overtaking on the inside (undertaking).
lanesplitting isn't a charge.

Hi speed weaving through traffic & other dumb shit is covered by careless.

[rainman]

Thanks for all the responses, certainly don't want to start another thread about splitting when there is a huge amount of useful info on it here already... I understand the legal "ambiguity", but personally think a case could be brought if the copper was keen (or the lane-splitter was being a careless/dangerous tosser of course), which would be a PITA - defend or pay up. Wondered if there was any hard evidence of more police interest, though.

I'm already the absolute model of civility, safety and common sense while lane-splitting (OK..... apart from one incident involving a rear bumper :pinch: ), otherwise I'd be extra-cautious for a while if there was a blitz on :)

[The Pastor]

the noob who got pulled was no other than our one and only

EKJASDASDNKMASNCOIASJDIOAJKSKLMASD<>MAOSDHJOIWLKSJDLASND<ASMDNAOSID,,,HELLOKITTY

forgot his last name!!

[hospitalfood]

cops dont want us to wait in line, I have had cop cars move to the left so I can pass, but they want us to be safe and responsible. which is just not really in our blood, try as we might.

[The Pastor]

cops dont want us to wait in line, I have had cop cars move to the left so I can pass, but they want us to be safe and responsible. which is just not really in our blood, try as we might.
where the hell do you live mate? try living on earth.

[Pancakes]

cops dont want us to wait in line, I have had cop cars move to the left so I can pass, but they want us to be safe and responsible. which is just not really in our blood, try as we might.


where the hell do you live mate? try living on earth.

Nup, we like on earth RM where do you live? I've had cops move over for me, bike cops take a "snake" of bikes from halfway down the NW'ern to town then wave them all by. I passed 4 cops in the last 2 days, two on the bike and two in the car and while there is talk of 111K's and your done for etc I was a wee bit over in all cases and they did nothing. Maybe I look like I'm in control when I'm riding/driving and even though they do have quota's etc they are busy too and most cops don't have a shortage of bad-asses to catch up with.

Demonstrate your abilities, you need to help people perceive you as not being a hazard.

[The Pastor]

tell that to EJ, he got pwnt yesterday by the police.

[jrandom]

tell that to EJ, he got pwnt yesterday by the police.

They have the authority
To ticket a minority

EJ's havin' fun cos he's a teenager
With a little bit of gold and a Yamaha!

ooarT3cn8_o

[Pancakes]

tell that to EJ, he got pwnt yesterday by the police.

I wasn't there so it's speclation but there are ten's of splitters an hour going that way. What was he doing that made him a target? He said it was wet and the cop saw him nearly get hit twice so pulls him. Turns out EJ is new-ish to the game and not just a hoon so cop decides he needs to learn a lesson but not to have a dangerous or other driving ralated charge on his record cos he came of as a nice guy or really sincere.

I think I've met all the bikes cops in Auckland now and whoever it was I bet the first thought they had was, oh no! I don't wanna have to peel them of the road.


Splitting is lillegal. If your splitting legally your not splitting, your passing.

[jafar]

where the hell do you live mate? try living on earth.

Fark if you live on earth, I want to get off :girlfight::lol:

[jafar]

Splitting is lillegal. If your splitting legally your not splitting, your passing.

WRONG . There is NO law against splitting !
There are laws against careless or dangerous driving & if your acting the idiot that is what you will get done for.

[Usarka]

passing on the left.

[slick]

I was pulled over 'for a chat' on Thursday. On the Northwestern heading towards the Newton Road off-ramp. Traffic was VERY heavy and I had the wife on the back. No mention of a 'clamp-down' just a chat to remind me of the regs... you're not allowed to 'undertake', you need to be to the left of the lane markings so you are 'overtaking' traffic in the same lane. If traffic is stationary you can undertake...blah, blah,blah... sure this has been covered endless times. Only worth mentioning as it's the first time I have been stopped in over 25 years of riding, and 'filtering', so there may be some truth in the rumour just to 'educate' us?!

[Fatjim]

Filtering is a perfect time to work on your wheelies.

[ambler]

you need to be to the left of the lane markings so you are 'overtaking' traffic in the same lane.Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that this would make you closer to the car on your left, than to the car on your right. Wouldn't it be safer to be right in the middle of the cars so as to be as far as possible from both of them?

[raster]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that this would make you closer to the car on your left, than to the car on your right. Wouldn't it be safer to be right in the middle of the cars so as to be as far as possible from both of them?

Problem is, bike gets a little loose when your bouncing allong on the cats eyes!!

[WarlockNZ]

I have video evidence of myself lane splitting past 2 blue and yellow cars and one bike cop on Friday morning ... not one of them did a thing. ..

I may have been due to the fact that i wasn't being a fuck wad ... in my experience, if you are splitting in a safe manner, the boys in blue will leave you alone.

The law is very clear tho ... if you are passing a car on the left .. you're being naughty, but passing a car on the right is ok ... it all depends on what side on the white line you're on at the time ...

But hey ... like i said before, if you're not being an idiot, the plod will generally not bother you... mind you, they may have a quota to fill ... LOL

[Bass]

As has been said, it's how you go about it that makes the difference.
I have been filtering slowly through near stationary traffic and had a patrol car move over to facilitate my passage.

[James Deuce]

There my son you are WRONG --
All you need to do is ride in what they concider is a dangerous manner or if you are seen to be riding to the left of a car within the same lane then then can book ya


Which is to say, "my son", that there is no specific law banning lanesplitting. There is discretion available to the police observing you to charge you with something that does not mention lanesplitting.

[Hellraiser]

I'm a motorcycle courier in the Auckland CBD i spend 10 hours a day getting through traffic as fast as i can (i also almost get killed a dozen times a day by idiots in cars but that another story) the police usually leave us alone as long as we arn't being too stupid, They crack down on us every so often but this is usually because they have been getting complaints from the public.

So if they are cracking down on it .......... it's news to me

[XP@]

They'd need to devote all the bikes to anti-filtering duties if they were having a 'crackdown'.

Police bikes are boxers... nuff said

[Devil]

I did see someone who'd been pulled over just before Fanshawe St offramp on the Northern on my way in to work this morning - HP car and bike in attendance - but that could've been for anything. (Anyone from in here have a bad start to the day?)
?
Generally, when you see someone pulled over in that area it's because they're watching the buslane coming round the corner at the base of the bridge.

[90s]

I'm a motorcycle courier in the Auckland CBD i spend 10 hours a day getting through traffic as fast as i can (i also almost get killed a dozen times a day by idiots in cars but that another story) the police usually leave us alone as long as we arn't being too stupid, They crack down on us every so often but this is usually because they have been getting complaints from the public.

So if they are cracking down on it .......... it's news to me

You do your couriering on a Busa?

I have to admit that I know the law on splitting etc but on the Gt Nth Rd a few weeks ago I was coming up to a cop car and could clearly see the cop passenger pointing at me and saying something to the driver.
Who knows what but I declind to split by him and instead went around the sidestreets to get ahead and went back to splitting.
Lost my nerve. Cops stop who they want to on any pretext they fancy.
Was stopped without any real pretext on Portage rd a few weeks ago. Cop was OK, just fishing for something.

[ambler]

Problem is, bike gets a little loose when your bouncing allong on the cats eyes!!
holy fuck..... cats eyes eh. forgot all about them.
i guess i'll have a few more surprises waiting for me when I move back

[Hellraiser]

You do your couriering on a Busa?

.

Use too using a V-Strom now.

I still bring the Busa into work every now and then

[007XY]

[QUOTE=jrandom;1276004]Nail on the head there Frosty.

It's entirely possible to filter at a significant speed differential without any perceptable swerving. Only mild and gentle steering inputs should be required.[QUOTE]

Totally agree there, this subject has been discussed for decades.. I've been riding Auckland traffic since the early eighties and there's always been this debate about it's illegal/ not illegal .. I have mates who have been fined etc for dangerous driving, careless use, undertaking, and speeding. The reason they got done everytime.. they stood out.. going fast, swerving!! Me personally..I'm watching the vehicles..there's some scary drivers out there.. I've seen them eating, reading, putting on make up, putting in contact lenses, using laptops, texting...:shit:

[swbarnett]

Problem is, bike gets a little loose when your bouncing allong on the cats eyes!!
Cat's eyes aren't that big a problem. Just let the wheel slide one side or the other as it will and don't over-react with the steering. Basically - ride loose.

[Pancakes]

You can just not ride on them too....

[smoky]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that this would make you closer to the car on your left, than to the car on your right. Wouldn't it be safer to be right in the middle of the cars so as to be as far as possible from both of them?

or stay left of the car on the right, that makes you right of the car on your left. Stay away from being right of the car on the right of the left hand lane, or left of the righthand lane next to the left hand car of the right hand side of the left, unless it's a lefthand drive car. But you need to be on a righthand drive bike, righthand drive bikes are more difficult to lanesplit on unless you're going south.

:jerry:

[Swoop]

You can just not ride on them too....
Or you can happily ride along on them. (looks for emoticon with vibrating head. Can't find one. Gives up looking)
That one makes it a challenge for the :Police: to say what lane you were in.
A bit like "no mans land".:shifty:

[Aerox50]

From the roadcode, you are also;
'not allowed to share a lane' the only vehicles that can share a lane with cars/motorbikes/bicycles, are other bicycles.

that would mean even if you keep on the left of the lane marking, so you are 'overtaking' since you are sharing a lane with the car you are 'overtaking' it is a no-no.

[swbarnett]

From the roadcode, you are also;
'not allowed to share a lane' the only vehicles that can share a lane with cars/motorbikes/bicycles, are other bicycles.

that would mean even if you keep on the left of the lane marking, so you are 'overtaking' since you are sharing a lane with the car you are 'overtaking' it is a no-no.
Depends what you mean by sharing. If overtaking in the same lane was considered sharing that would mean a car/motorbike could never legally overtake a bicycle on a one lane road without crossing the centre line. Because of this I don't think that lane splitting can be considered sharing.

Sharing probably means that the two vehicles are doing the same speed.

[idleidolidyll]

They can and will do you for passing on the left and/or failing to indicate properly.



Yep, from what a cop mate has told me you can only pass on the left (in the same lane) if the traffic is actually stopped. If it's moving at all you can be busted.
Filtering is not illegal as long as you do it right. You can pass to the right of a car if you are in the same lane or you can use the space between cars to switch lanes in a passing manoeuvre. What you can't do is pass on the left while in the same lane if the cars are moving at all and you cannot pass outside the lanes in the 'gutter' areas on either side.

Of course what usually happens is that bikes don't stay in the same lane and to the right of the cars they are passing, they constantly switch lanes depending on space which might be safer but remains illegal.

Some cop might be able to clarify this of course.

[UberRhys]

They'd need to devote all the bikes to anti-filtering duties if they were having a 'crackdown'.

No four-wheeled vehicle has a shit-show of keeping up with me during Auckland rush hour.

:)

I followed a cop on a cycle splitting lanes all the way from Drury through to Mt Wellington and before anyone jumps on me - no he wasn't on the way to an event, just making his way through rush hour traffic.:Police:

Felt pretty good about that one having a cop run blocker for me. Not that I am of the religous type at all but it was like Moses parting the sea having all those cages move over a little. :niceone:

[idleidolidyll]

I followed a cop on a cycle splitting lanes all the way from Drury through to Mt Wellington and before anyone jumps on me - no he wasn't on the way to an event, just making his way through rush hour traffic.:Police:

Felt pretty good about that one having a cop run blocker for me. Not that I am of the religous type at all but it was like Moses parting the sea having all those cages move over a little. :niceone:

Sure, and how often do you see cops tailgating on the motorway? I see it almost every day. Hypocrites are they.

Tell it like it is; they work for the IRD

[UberRhys]

My boss (who rides a big BMW bike) got behind the BRONZ Ride to Work Day, as did a number of North Shore bike riders.

The POLICE where wading into the traffic around Tristram Ave pulling bikers off the road for lane splitting!!!!

Groups were being pulled off at a time - my boss was one of 8.

They got a $50 fine each.....

The ticket is for "failing to stay within the entirety of a lane"...

I guess it is a bit more than a rumour

[Pancakes]

Yeah the part people seem to miss in the rules is it's not your tyres that have to be in the lane, it's the whole bike and with most bikes coming up 800mm wide and a comfort zone of 200mm you need to find a full meter next to the cars. Fat chance! Just look like your in control and don't give the cop shit. I split 100% of my M'Way riding and get stopped maybe 2 times a year for it, get let off one of those and it's $2.50ish a week. I can budget for that easy.

[klingon]

My boss (who rides a big BMW bike) got behind the BRONZ Ride to Work Day, as did a number of North Shore bike riders.

The POLICE where wading into the traffic around Tristram Ave pulling bikers off the road for lane splitting!!!!

Groups were being pulled off at a time - my boss was one of 8.

They got a $50 fine each.....

The ticket is for "failing to stay within the entirety of a lane"...

OMG! That's horrible! Today of all days. Those polices need to get themselves a new PR person :argh:

[Ewan Oozarmy]

OMG! That's horrible! Today of all days. Those polices need to get themselves a new PR person :argh:

Easy money? Today = extra bikes on the road = higher odds of nabbing bikes for lane splitting whilst ignoring the hoards of moronic car drivers committing life threatening manouvers......

[mdooher]

I seem to remember something about lane splitting was made legal in California because if air-cooled bikes got caught in traffic jams they would eventually overheat ..... and something about the physical impossibility of riding a bike a bike at walking pace for very long because your left hand gets too tired on the clutch... we could try that here..

[Pancakes]

I seem to remember something about lane splitting was made legal in California because if air-cooled bikes got caught in traffic jams they would eventually overheat ..... and something about the physical impossibility of riding a bike a bike at walking pace for very long because your left hand gets too tired on the clutch... we could try that here..

It'd work too, your bike would be deemed unroad-worthy and the fine would be added to your ticket.

[EJK]

Oh man I'm so confused now...

I'll lane split and see if I can catch an officer :yes:
And when he pulls me over, I'll say "FINALLY! finally I got your attention! Now, can you tell me the rule/ law of lane splitting? I must know this officer!" :lol:

Hope he will explain and gives me a warning ;)

[Banesto John]

I saw a tosser split lanes on Moorhouse Ave yesterday. He cut between two cars at a set of lights just as they were accelerating. I can imagine the reaction from riders if he was knocked off, but it would have been his own damn fault. Plonka.:banana:

[Swoop]

Oh man I'm so confused now...

I'll lane split and see if I can catch an officer :yes:
And when he pulls me over, I'll say "FINALLY! finally I got your attention! Now, can you tell me the rule/ law of lane splitting? I must know this officer!" :lol:

Hope he will explain and gives me a warning ;)
You'll get a different answer from every cop that you talk to.
"Interpretation" of the law would be better coming from ecilop prosecutions.

[Lil_Byte]

Sounds all very confusing.
We don't need to lane split down here as there is never any more than 3 cars on the road at any given time :scooter:

[Hellraiser]

I saw a tosser split lanes on Moorhouse Ave yesterday. He cut between two cars at a set of lights just as they were accelerating. I can imagine the reaction from riders if he was knocked off, but it would have been his own damn fault. Plonka.:banana:

LOL ........ I do this so many times a day it's almost second nature