Has lane-splitting reached critical mass?

[StoneY]

If I can find two cars traveling parallel to each other in these parts then I'll have a crack at scooting between them and get back to ya with my thoughts on the matter.

Personally if I had to ride between rows and rows and rows of crawling cars, I'd move to some place that didn't suck.

Mate you better move then,
Splitting rox, free adrenaline rush with evrey cage that moves 2 inches toward the centreline wooot!

[Bend-it]

Personally, I've never had someone intentionally move to crowd me while lane-splitting in the past 5 years? And I lanesplit all the time...

Sure, I've had people switch lanes smidsy on me, but never intentionally to block me... In fact just this morning, 3 cars noticeably moved aside for me! :

HOWEVER... I don't think we need more splitters, 'coz I might just get tempted to split the splitter!

[StoneY]

Not illegal as I understand.

Passing stopped cars is fine, they are deemed to be parked.

Overtaking on the right is fine. Stay in the lane with car on your left, do it at low speed so as to not be dangerous. All good.

I spoke with a Policeregional commander last week about this very issue his interperetation is:
If in SAME lane on RIGHT of vehicle you are passing, and WITHIN the speed limit you are not breaking the law.


The moment you start crossing the center line into the space to the LEFT of the other vehicle within the same lane, you are 'undertaking' which is illegal IN THE SAME LANE

Clear as mud

I still ride in the fast lane left margin hugging the Cats eyes, Welly drivers seem to be more proactively hugging the centre to make the 'ghost' lane available, and less and less are trying to shut us down.

[vtec]

I had one guy do it to me on purpose last week. Slowed to match the car next to him and moved within one foot of the other guy, had to cross into his lane and everything. When he had to watch ahead and the gap opened, I nailed it through and smacked my carbon covered knuckles on his window as I blew past... tosser. There's plenty of wankers here out in West Auckland. The further west you go the more aggravated they become. Animosity breeds animosity in traffic, see how him being a dick to me got me all worked up so I was a dick back. It's rare for me these days to get like that. Just when people purposefully try to force their will on me it drives me crazy.

[slofox]

A good thought. Oh, that it were that simple....

To be honest, even though I live in APlaceThatSucks (Aucks, fer shirt), I very rarely need to be splitting the lanes apart with my SplittingThang. That can be avoided, mostly, by choosing the time of one's departure. I don't like doing the LoonSplittingThang, as there's those knobbly things on the road, that go babump, babump, babump, and those retards that can't drive unless there's markings on the road to help them steer their vehicles, so they tend to drive close to them, so they can aim along the dotted dot things. This leaves little room for TheLooninessOfLoonSpilting, so one must do this on the blindside, or in the gutter, or OtherPlacesNotTreeeelllyIntendedForTraffickingOn, which also tend to be full of Road Shite (a distant cousin of Gob Shite). 73.63% of bogus made-up statistics about punctures in motorbicyckle tyres come from these forbidden zones.

You started drinking in the morning again VM..?

[R6_kid:Me]

If in SAME lane on RIGHT of vehicle you are passing, and WITHIN the speed limit you are not breaking the law.

Yeah but what about all the other 'dangerous driving' parts - not maintaining a suitable following distance etc.

Technically it is illegal as at no point when passing is there 100m of clear road in front of the vehicle - assuming you are passing, in which case you would be pulling back into the lane as soon as you have completed the pass.

Basically you're saying what I said - think about what you are doing and be sensible and you'll get away with it.

The biggest thing for me is constantly being aware of indicators/brakes/lateral vehicle movement and ALWAYS having a plan of what you will do if a car decides to change lanes unexpectedly. That means for every car you intend to pass you should have a 'safe exit' to avoid being hit - that has saved me at least 4 or 5 times. In Auckland most car drivers change lanes as they indicate - not seconds after indicating that they want to change lanes - it's even worse on the motorway when the gap in the lane next to them is a quickly disappearing opportunity!

[Ixion]

I seem to end up needing to split through the rush hour from Wiri to CBD once or twice a week (other days I only need to split if there's roadworks, or a crash, or three trucks doing the side by side 91kph race thing). And a few more time splitting up to the motorway ramp lights. And most days a bit of filtering up to lights ,not so much now, they've put these really convenient bike lanes in a lot of places. Just the trick, though their little pictures are crap, can't even make out the engine on the drawing.

Every time I do I'll have at least a dozen drivers pull across to let me through.

Filtered up to the ramp light the other day, Maori guy at the front moved across to make more room for me, so I said "Thanks mate, appreciated". "No sweat . bro".

Whereas I could count on the fingers of one hand the number who have deliberately tried to block me in the past couple of years. Of course, there are plenty of fools who do it without meaning to , but that's the same as any other riding .

I usually try to avoid deliberately splitting right in front of a cop (edge a bit ahead, then get in front of a big truck that'll block his view, until you are far enough ahead that he won't bother). No point looking for trouble. But a few times I've had no choice, they've always ignored it.

[modboy]

I had some immigrant taxi driver utter some middle-eastern obscenity at me as my bar-end mirror clipped his riding down Vivian street the other day...

SUV drivers need to be more considerate to bikers lane splitting. Selfish pricks.

[howdamnhard]

Stuck in my car in traffic yesterday, and noticed that there were plenty of motorcycles splitting through the crawling traffic, and people in their vehicles were actually moving over to let them through as opposed to moving to block like they often used to.
Attitudes seem to have changed in the last couple of years.

Thats nice to know, be good if the ambiguity was removed by making it legal as in the UK.

[CookMySock]

be good if the ambiguity was removed by making it legal as in the UK.

No! A little ambiguity is a good thing. The last thing we need is a straight answer, especially when its not exactly the one you wanted, and you can't ask the question again.

Steve

[vifferman]

You started drinking in the morning again VM..?

Nup, but I think that would FixIt(TM).
I could say more, but there may be kiddies present.
It's a shame - if it were kiddie's present, that could be more fun (lollies, a toy gun, some inane electronic gizmo that makes irritating noises...)

[howdamnhard]

No! A little ambiguity is a good thing. The last thing we need is a straight answer, especially when its not exactly the one you wanted, and you can't ask the question again.

Steve

No ! no ambiguity would be better if it was the right answer.

[CookMySock]

No ! no ambiguity would be better if it was the right answer.

If you are bloody lucky. I am not usually that lucky.

The ambiguity doesn't bother me - the straight "no you can't do that" answer does. Roll your dice...

Steve

[Ixion]

No ! no ambiguity would be better if it was the right answer.

It would not be.

[Edbear]

Lane spliting is the best invention known to man, it means I can get home from work about 20- 25 minutes quicker than when i have to be caged. I have noticed fewer and fewer cagers trying to kill me so it must be getting acceptable.

I agree, it's easier now and cars etc move aside to create a gap for me, I will quite often have chat to the drivers I'm stopped next too and I've not had any snide comments, more about, nice bike, looks like fun stuff...


Maybe it's an attitude tho, I don't go out to cut up cars and cause mayhem either....that's a not so subtle hint at some of the dickheads on bikes I see.

No! A little ambiguity is a good thing. The last thing we need is a straight answer, especially when its not exactly the one you wanted, and you can't ask the question again.

Steve

Agree with these comments. I split every day and find there are more drivers pulling over for me. I always acknowledge their courtesy with a wave. I am a bit more cautious than other bikers, and rarely pass another bike unless they're a learner, usually I pull aside to let the others through. Having a wider bike is part of it but after a couple of close calls I decided I was getting a bit too agressive and backed off the pace.

I still make good time and am about 20min quicker than the car. Using about 1/3 the fuel is the other advantage over the car, too.