Lane Splitting. A Wimp's Guide.

[James Deuce]

This is in the Rave On thread for a reason, so don't read on if you don't want to follow the musings of a madman.

1. Commuting by bike. There are many advantages and few disadvantages.

a. Easy to find parking.
b. Use less petrol than even a small car of similar engine displacement.
c. You are awake and into your day as soon as you thumb the starter.
d. Even bad weather gives you cause for celebration, when you challenge and defeat the elements to arrive at work, on time, and unhurt.
e. Lane splitting reduces your commuting time. Dramatically. Which brings me to my rant.

2. Lane splitting. Many disadvantages and few advantages.

a. The practice is of dubious legality. In a court room dispute the prosecuting officer is going to win. Fair enough.
b. Bikes are invisible at the best of times. Lane splitting places you in multiple blind spots at comparatively rapid intervals.
c. There are very few escape routes when it "goes wrong".
d. A large percentage of the commuting populace is focused on getting to work, not driving, and are consequently frustrated in heavy traffic.
e. If anyone is as sleep deprived as I am, and is driving/riding to work, well you deserve to share a cell with me for criminal endangerment (if there is such a thing).
And worst of all - F. There are a few homocidal maniacs out there who regard the road, the space around them, and the air you breathe as theirs - and they are willing to attempt to hurt you to protect it.

I have a proposal. The Kiwi Bikers Guide to "Safe" Lane Splitting.

I know everyone hates to be lectured, and everyone has their own comfort zone, but I will present a saftey checklist, with a mnemonic phrase to go with it, just like a pilot's checklist, to say out loud before you begin your commute each morning. Use it or ignore it, I don't care, but I do care that you all travel safely at the most dangerous part of the day.

C - Comfort Zone. Stay in YOUR comfort zone. Do NOT adopt someone else's pace when lane splitting, no matter how tempted. It isn't a race, and who the hell HURRIES to WORK FFS!!

O - Organisation. Do I have everything with me that I need? Have I resolved every Mental/Emotional/Financial issue BEFORE climbing on the bike. Make sure you have organised things so your Brain is focused on the commute ahead and all that it entails.

S - Safety. Have I put all my saftey gear on? Don't leave stuff off because you are late. Those running shoes instead of boots may mean the difference between a broken ankle and a minor sprain.

I - I am the most important person right now. Other people's mistakes are not important. I will not get angry. I will make it to my destination in one piece.

N - Never visit retribution on an evil doer/4 or more wheeled vehicle driver. If it goes wrong YOU will get hurt, not them.

E - End your trip upright.

The Mnemonic is COSINE

C - comfort zone. O - organisation. S - Safety. I - I!. N - Never get even. E - End. Get to it.

Take it easy.

[merv]

Yeah bugger commuting on the bike. Save it for fun.

[bear]

All good points, esp. comfort zone. This is a great point for all riding, and operating outside of it can end in tears.

[Hitcher]

Trigonometrically inspired!

Now isn't it time to take this thread off on a tangent?

If there are sines that right bikes, then that begs the question: "Why didn't the sine wave?"

[Devil]

Thaaanks Uncle Jiiiiiim

[DebK]

Jim2, you're a legend! Thanks for your advice.

I only split when the traffic is stopped or if it's very slow & I'm late for an appointment. The only reason I don't split outside of these two reasons is because I don't want to p*ss others off. Too often when I do split a car/truck/van will move across on me deliberately. When this happens I feel one of three emotions - sudden guilt, absolute confusion and if the day is right, extreme anger. Being the normally happy & enthusiastic rider that I yam, any one of these emotions will always interupt the happy, happy, joy, joy world I may have been in at the time.

Soooo, I tend not to split. And I can confidently say that in my daily travel in & out of work on the m-way, I would be the only rider who doesn't split.

Does this mean the rest of you couldn't give a sh*t what others think or is it an automatic, 'shut the rest of the World out' kind of biking experience?

[James Deuce]

Thaaanks Uncle Jiiiiiim
The message you have entered is too pithy. Please insert an emoticon into your message to convey your meaning. :bleh:

[Devil]

The message you have entered is too pithy. Please insert an emoticon into your message to convey your meaning. :bleh:
How dare you associate my message with the useless parts of fruit!

[F5 Dave]

I have a better idea, why don’t we all just ride in that neat little unused strip on the motorway just on the left hand side? :ride:

[stands back, hits unsubscribe thread link]

[Motoracer]

Yeah bugger commuting on the bike. Save it for fun.
Yep, works for me :niceone:

[Ms Piggy]

I don't usually lane split b/c:
a) It's outside my comfort zone
b) I don't like peeving off drivers
c) Why rush, it only gets me to work faster!

Cheers Jim. :2thumbsup

[jrandom]

That's an excellent post, Jim, and worthy of sticky-ness, I think.

I personally find that filtering is essential to my sanity, but when I fail to follow those basic guidelines, I crash, and end up in pain with a broken bike.

I would add the point that the single most important handling characteristic of a motorcycle to take into account while filtering is its straight-line stopping distance. That, when things turn to custard, is all you'll have left to save your sorry biker butt.

My two lane-splitting crashes occurred in very similar circumstances - a mad back-end fishtail dumped me on my side, giving me the learn about injudicious use of the rear brake, and then a Death Stoppie turned into a forward flip and Superman. Oops. Front brake doesn't do the trick either, sometimes.

In both cases the road was damp and greasy, and someone pulled across in front of me without leaving an escape route. As things were, I should have been travelling slower. If it'd been dry, or I'd had better tyres... I probably wouldn't have crashed.

[aff-man]

hmmm when i started i would not lane split at all, now i do it at most traffic lights but never in moving traffic. I did do it once in traffic moving at like 10-15km/h and it was pretty scarey with drivers all over the place. And ummm i think CK's definition of lanesplitting is highly different from most people tried to keep up with him for all of 5 secs before giving up.

Well done jim great post :niceone: :not:

[R6_kid]

good points!!!

now my 2c
i always look for a "spot" to go to incase something comes from other direction/goes wrong.

And as for the 'legality' of lane splitting, you can only split lanes (travelling in same direction) when they are stopped i.e, gridlock on the motorway (up the middle not along the sides), or through lines at lights (again up the middle) otherwise if you get seen by the police you'll get napped!

[mangell6]

Jim2, obviously you are at a loose end now that you have finished your study for the year.

What is the next topic?

Oh yeah, well writted

[SPman]

I enjoy lane splitting. I enjoy the freedom of effortlessly weaving between cars, criss crossing lane space to lane space in heavy traffic - yay - even racing down the middle. I enjoy long lines of cars on highways and the easy, effortless flitting, twisting and squirting dash up the outside between corners, oncoming traffic and other hazards.

Am I abnormal?

SP

[Hitcher]

Am I abnormal?
Be careful what you ask for...

[James Deuce]

Am I abnormal?

SP

NO, you're unique like everyone else.

[Riff Raff]

And the bit about cops is a bunch of crap too... sure theres the odd unlucky person gets nabbed, but i go past numerous HP guys each day whilst splitting and they do nothing (how can they,there stuck with all the other cages ha ha.) Yep.. cruising on down between all the stupid drivers is great, flame me if you like but its just me.. risks and all, I'll make that call. :done:
(rant over)
:no: :no: :no: You of all people should be being good at the moment!!!
I'm too much of a scaredy cat to do lane splitting unless the traffic is completely stopped. Then again, I don't often ride in rush hour traffic (yay for shift work) so I probably have no right to judge others who have to suffer through it.

[Hitcher]

Death comes quickly. She drives a Prado and uses the mirrors to observe her makeup application.

[Kendog]

And as for the 'legality' of lane splitting, you can only split lanes (travelling in same direction) when they are stopped i.e, gridlock on the motorway (up the middle not along the sides), or through lines at lights (again up the middle) otherwise if you get seen by the police you'll get napped!

Legal? Is this in the road code?

[JohnBoy]

i always thought that if you were passing in heavy traffic as long as you keep within the left lane and left of the dividing line you were offically over taking (thus legal). but, i an't no lawyer so don't quote me on it! :Police:

i love lane splittling but only do it when i am late or pissed.
but just to shock all you out there in the urban sprawl, i dont get any major traffic on my commute. hell, the worst you get is a couple of late running milk tankers. so i can do the 50 odd KM commute in little over 35min (on the bike, wont let my best time on the bike out cause that happened on a special "one time" only occation)

[Lou Girardin]

How many times has this been covered and people still don't don't know what's legal or not?
As for pissing off drivers, for every caged wanker that tries to close the gap I see ten who move over to let me past. In fact, last Friday I was splitting up to the head of a queue when I saw a guy in a Mitsi move right to close the gap, only he didn't quite. As I pulled alongside his window I said there was still room to get past. He damn near had apoplexy, I thought he was going to chase me on foot. Sad man.

[jrandom]

As Lou says, the legal details surrounding filtering have been thrashed out on the forum, ad nauseum. A search will turn them up.

Personally, after having to commute in a cage the last two weeks (oh, the humanity!) I can attest to a deeply felt desire to ease well out of the way in my lane and wave a fist of solidarity at every biker who splits past.

They're never paying attention, though...

[Jamezo]

Personally, after having to commute in a cage the last two weeks (oh, the humanity!) I can attest to a deeply felt desire to ease well out of the way in my lane and wave a fist of solidarity at every biker who splits past.


I may be sounding quite dumb, but I cannot elucidate whether this means you are for or against filtering. I can't work out whether the ol' "fist of solidarity" is meant to unite the cages or support the biker. The "well out of the way" part seems to support the biker, but I am still perplexed. Help?

[jrandom]

I may be sounding quite dumb, but I cannot elucidate whether this means you are for or against filtering. I can't work out whether the ol' "fist of solidarity" is meant to unite the cages or support the biker. The "well out of the way" part seems to support the biker, but I am still perplexed. Help?

Yes, I was lovely and ambiguous there, wasn't I? Blame last night's cab sav.

I was thinking along the lines of being *for* the filterers. Inasmuch as I shall be, Bob willing, rejoining their ranks next week.

[Ms Piggy]

How many times has this been covered and people still don't don't know what's legal or not?
Thoese asking could be new members who haven't seen previous posts on the legalities. Don't get a knickers in a knot.

[riffer]

Thoese asking could be new members who haven't seen previous posts on the legalities. Don't get a knickers in a knot.


I don't really care about the legalities.

Lanesplitting is a judgement call. And ultimately, I will, if I continue tto do it, crash again one day - the odds are against me.

Good call on the COSINE Jim2. I have noticed my tendency to indulge in a spot of competitive lanesplitting on the Welly motorway and you're right - why hurry to get to work? In my case, it's not because I'm late for work; it's usually that I haven't had my fix of weekend scratching for a while and it tends to come out in my commuting.

However, I go mad staying in the traffic - you know - itchy fingers, facial twitches etc, and something inside me just has to get past those cars... so I lanesplit.

And yup - I got thrown off a beauty in June - same reason as jrandom - wet road - car doesn't see me and pulls in front - I took evasive manouevres - and then he saw me. Of course I tried to move again - end result - "oh sit" moment followed by an "oh shit shit" moment, and then I hit the ground.

So its a gamble. And your rules, if followed, will definitely put the odd in your favour.

Nice one. Have a rep point on me. :niceone:

[Blakamin]

Yeah bugger commuting on the bike. Save it for fun.
my other choice is walking... i dont think so...
picked my sister up from wtgn airport yesterday... what a hell trip! sitting in traffic thinking "why arent I on my bike, I'd be home by now" :argh:

[jrandom]

... your rules, if followed, will definitely put the odd in your favour.

Oh, I'm sure the odd are *always* in Jim's favour...

It's just the normal people he has to convince. :banana:

[James Deuce]

Does this mean the rest of you couldn't give a sh*t what others think or is it an automatic, 'shut the rest of the World out' kind of biking experience?

That's a really important point Deb, and one that doesn't help the non-motorcycling populace's opinion of us one bit. I try to be considerate when I do lane split, and I've never reacted negatively to a biker lane splitting, but can be really scary to have a loud twin blat past inches from your window at a large speed differential.

[MikeL]

on the forum, ad nauseum.

A Latin rhyme - neat.

Pity the correct form is nauseAM.

(Are we quits, now??)

BTW re lanesplitting. It becomes addictive, then just a habit. And sometimes you need to stop and ask yourself "Why am I in a hurry - to get to work???"
Before, when I saw a biker sitting behind a long queue of cars I couldn't help thinking "wimp!" Now more often than not that rider is me.
I hope this isn't a portent of something sinister, like old age or becoming sensible.
But I still lanesplit on the way home...

[jrandom]

Pity the correct form is nauseAM.

Oh, bugger. One of you *had* to get me on something, sooner or later...


Now more often than not that rider is me.
I hope this isn't a portent of something sinister, like old age...

Sounds like that to me. Time for a Goldwing...

[Devil]

Time for a Goldwing...
For the stop start traffic? hehe. Fun!

[vifferman]

I used to lanesplit a lot, but almost never on the motorway, except under extreme provocation.

Now, I think first, "Do I actually need to save any time? How much time will it save? Do I really need to do it?"
Apart from on Onewa Road - where there are no lanes marked, so the "failure to stay in the marked lane" doesn't apply - I don't bother. The exception to this was when I was riding the Volty last week, and the traffic was barely moving from Takapuna. I couldn't be sure if I could go in the bus lane, so I just slalomed around the cars till I got to where the traffic was moving, then stayed in the traffic from there on. It saved me at least 15 minutes, I guess, so I was barely late for work.

In five years of commuting in D'Auckland's traffic, I have never experienced people moving to stop me taking advantage of the bike's manouverability and smaller size, but they often move over to let me through. I try not to do anything to piss people off, although I knocked lots of mirrors when I used to filter/lanesplit all the time, and twice my pillion footpeg bracket scraped cars I was squeezing past.:Oops:

[riffer]

In five years of commuting in D'Auckland's traffic, I have never experienced people moving to stop me taking advantage of the bike's manouverability and smaller size, but they often move over to let me through.

Really? Wow! I experience BOTH every day...
:(

[Kendog]

How many times has this been covered and people still don't don't know what's legal or not?

That is very constructive :no:
As Celtic Sea lily said, new members, such as myself, may not have seen or know about previous posts on the lane splitting topic.

So, I did the nice thing and searched:
There are 98 threads resulting from Lane Splitting as the search option.

Of these 98 the following two have details about the legality:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=281&highlight=Lane+Splitting

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=2236&highlight=Lane+Splitting

No definite answer to my question, "Is lane splitting legal?" but some good food for thought.

[James Deuce]

No definite answer to my question, "Is lane splitting legal?" but some good food for thought.

That was my impression too, hence the "dubious" call. I felt the general tone of the comments was, "It's up to the Cop who busts you". I struggle to stay to the left of the lane marking, because people don't keep to the left of the lane.

[erik]

In five years of commuting in D'Auckland's traffic, I have never experienced people moving to stop me taking advantage of the bike's manouverability and smaller size, but they often move over to let me through.

In the last 9 months or so of riding to uni from west auckland, I've only ever had 1 person try to block me off and stop me from splitting past. That was on Gt. North road on the day when they closed the NW motorway and the traffic turned to chaos, so I'm guessing the guy was probably pissed off at being stuck in traffic so long. Luckily there was enough room on the other side of his car (between his car and the gutter) to get past before he realised what I was doing ;)

I think the best bit of advice in that consine thing is to stick within your comfort zone.

[AMPS]

In the last 9 months or so of riding to uni from west auckland, I've only ever had 1 person try to block me off and stop me from splitting past. That was on Gt. North road on the day when they closed the NW motorway and the traffic turned to chaos, so I'm guessing the guy was probably pissed off at being stuck in traffic so long. Luckily there was enough room on the other side of his car (between his car and the gutter) to get past before he realised what I was doing ;)

I think the best bit of advice in that consine thing is to stick within your comfort zone.

Yeah, it's like racing. You feint to the left, when they move to block you make a quick reverse to the right and you're through.
(Disclaimer. Nothing in this post is intended as encouragment to ride like me)
Lou

[Coldkiwi]

Yeah bugger commuting on the bike. Save it for fun.


Eh what??? How can zipping past a bunch of lemmings stuck in the same traffic that they were stuck in the same time yesterday (the same as the week before) listening to the same CD or Radio station play the same damn middle of the road slop they played before not be classed as fun?? (or at least satisfying).
Commuting on the bike IS fun! I'm like Jrandom - I go nuts if I can't lane split. What really frustrates me about seeing the HP is that I have to stop.. even if it's only for a minute, I spend 55 seconds looking in my mirrors and craning my neck to see if they're suitably out of sight so i can go on my merry way.

AS for the 'why' of rushing to work.. well, I like my job.. and I'm normally 15 minutes late! And besides - a good healthy lane split really wakes you up and helps my brain to get started. ( I may be tired when I leave home but I'm never tired when I get to work)

[erik]

CK, I agree with you. I enjoy commuting and now that I don't have uni (and the bike hasn't got a warrant) I miss it.
I dunno if I enjoy it more or less than riding on the open road, I think they're just different.

[ev0lution]

good points!!!

now my 2c
i always look for a "spot" to go to incase something comes from other direction/goes wrong.

And as for the 'legality' of lane splitting, you can only split lanes (travelling in same direction) when they are stopped i.e, gridlock on the motorway (up the middle not along the sides), or through lines at lights (again up the middle) otherwise if you get seen by the police you'll get napped!

Now for the Police View....

As a member of Aucklands (dubious) Motorway Patrol, here's a few points i've found in common with the other cops i work with.. bearing in mind there is only 1 cop on my section not currently riding a personal bike...

Lane splitting is a dangerous sport... but effective and we all know how much quicker it gets us from a to b!!!

The points raised earlier in the forum are brilliant and obviously some people in here have their heads screwed on and want to get home each day.

In legal terms, you are only commiting an offence if you pass on the LEFT of another vehicle... IE being in the same lane.You are within your rights to overtake on the right... IE between the vehicle and the dotted white lines.. now we all know this isn't always the safe and practical way of doing these things.

The boys at work basically work on the principal of you are doing it at your OWN risk.. if you start putting other people or property at risk then we'll have ya. We arent worried if the other traffic is moving slowly, so long as the lane splitting is done safely and reasonably... there are some out there ruining it for the rest of us. Common Sense will prevail!!!!

I see bikes all the time when im working lane splitting, see my patrol car and jump back into the traffic. All well and good but like i said, there are a lot of cops riding bikes for business and pleasure, especially those working the motorway system. We wont waste ours and your time stopping ya if its done within reason... 70 - 80k's through stationary traffic is not reasonable!!!!

Hope this clears up the legal and also 'informal' side of things in relation to the constantly asked questions about lane splitting.

While im here.... You CANNOT ride your bike in the MOTORWAY bus lanes... unfortunately!!! Transit NZ has said no to this because of the safety issues IE crossing over on/off ramps, the surface of the bus lanes has a lot of gravell and other shiite on it and 100km/h is too dangerous for bikes in the bus lane... and you cannot make individual speed limits for different lanes.

You can however use the bus lanes in Auckland City (urban areas only) unless designated 'Buses Only'

If you have any other questions, just ask!!!

[Sniper]

Good thread, but why dredge up a year old thread mate???????

[Macktheknife]

Good thread, but why dredge up a year old thread mate???????
Dont you listen to him Evo, you dredge up whatever you want mate! Besides, you could add new and fresh information like this often, possibly saving some of us a ticket some day. :ride: :spudflip:

[Big Dave]

Now for the Police View....

If you have any other questions, just ask!!!


Thank you - most informative.
I've been too conservative - who'd a thunk it.

Don't know next week's lotto numbers perchance?

[riffer]

The boys at work basically work on the principal of you are doing it at your OWN risk... Common Sense will prevail!!!!

At last a voice of reason from the HP!

Now about those silly little infringements for accidental overexhuberant right wrist twisting ...

can those of us with over 100HP at the back wheel be cut a little slack if we accidentally exceed the speed limit while overtaking?

after all its really easy to do...

:whistle:

[DogBreath]

Now for the Police View....

As a member of Aucklands (dubious) Motorway Patrol, ...
...
If you have any other questions, just ask!!!

At last some really informed opinion.
Thanks cuz, appreciate the attitude as well as the statements of fact.
I hope post this stays somewhere accessible for future reference, say in court!

[SARGE]

i have a few rules for splitting ..

1)never in bad weather or poor visiblity
2) HI-BEAMS ALWAYS ON !
3) never within 500 metres of an exit/ onramp.. too many lane changes
4) cover the clutch


may not work for everyone but it does nice for me

[Storm]

Good thread, but why dredge up a year old thread mate???????

Because if he doesnt, someone will give him an earful about how he should have searched for an existing thread (as per Spankme's instructional "Posting and you" thread)

[Lou Girardin]

While im here.... You CANNOT ride your bike in the MOTORWAY bus lanes... unfortunately!!! Transit NZ has said no to this because of the safety issues IE crossing over on/off ramps, the surface of the bus lanes has a lot of gravell and other shiite on it and 100km/h is too dangerous for bikes in the bus lane... and you cannot make individual speed limits for different lanes.


I wonder what consultation Transit carried out over this issue.
Because; crossing on/off ramps is for the tired of life only. Most riders would merge back into the left lane until they're past the ramp then move into the bus lane again.
Likewise with the assumption that we'd do 100 k's in the bus lane. You've still got to maintain a sensible speed differential with other traffic.
Above all, it is a lot safer in there than in traffic.
BTW Why are buses allowed to use bus lanes outside of the regulated times?
Have any been pinged for it?

[madboy]

As a member of Aucklands (dubious) Motorway Patrol, You'd better be careful, with common sense comments like you've posted, people might realise you're normal human beings... which kinda screws up my theories about those involved in traffic enforcement... :apint:

[ev0lution]

Good to see positive responses for the info and opinions... hopefully can shed some light on any other issues that have or will pop up.

Believe it or not... cops are human too... we'll, most anyway!! Thats the image i joined up to portray.. so sick of being labelled for others mistakes.. like the boy racer crowd.

Lou - i am unsure what consultation Transit carried out.. but past experiences with things like that they probably sat round a board table with 20 people who don't ride bikes and answered thier own questions. We all know most of us will have the common sense to merge before the on/off ramps and to regulate the speed.. but there are those few who chose to leave any inkling they have of common sense they may possess behind when they wake up in the morning. Those are the people who have ruined it for the rest of us!

Who knows... with the increase of bike sales and petrol prices hopefully they may reconsider... one can only hope.

[Ixion]

When the rule about us being able to use bus lanes, but not MW bus lanes, first came out, I rang up Transit and ahd a bit of a go at their senior spokesturkey.

Seems it was a typical bureaucratic stuff up.

LTSA decided it would be a Good Thing for motorbikes to be able to use bus lanes. But forgot that there were buslanes on the motorway (maybe not in Wellington ? could explain it).

So they didn't tell Transit about it (" none of their business").

Seems that the morning the new rule was announced to the public , the phone lines between the Transit and LTSA head offices burned red hot.

Transit knew nothing about it until it was publicly announced. Then someone asked them "so, this includes the motorway ones then?" . And they responded with the typical kneejerk reaction " No - no way" . Then sat down and thought up some reasons.

Don't hold your breath waiting for them to change their minds.

[Lou Girardin]

OK Evo. You, bikey cop, nodman and all other KB'er cops could do us all a favour by lobbying Transit to see sense.
They may not listen to us, but you guys are experts.