Lane splitting appears to be being policed in Wellington

[cheshirecat]

I'm from the London area & ride to work at Heathrow on a regular basis. Most Londoners appreciate that motorcycles will lane split & give way for motorcyclists to do so too.
The only time I get issues on my way to work is when it's foreigners in hire cars using their sat navs instead of their mirrors.


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Londons one of my fav places to ride

[Hoon]

So in your "real world" we don't currently have dedicate pushbike lanes? They were constructed free of charge? They saved a great deal of ACC's money? What?

Well I guess someone that knows more than you and I must have crunched the numbers and found it acceptable in this case. But pushbikes != motorbikes... just like London != Auckland/Wellington.

Hey I don't know the "whys"....just telling you how it is.

[swbarnett]

Saying lane splitting is safer is delusional. The argument "lane split to avoid getting rear ended" is laughable at best.

I have been rear ended while travelling in line with traffic. I've also had to start splitting to avoid the same as the traffic slowed. I have never had anywhere near the same problems while lane-splitting. It is you who are deluded.

For the record, I have split in Auckland traffic as a daily, all weather, commuter for as long as I can remember (started in the early '80s).

I'd say that someone a lot smarter than you and I has already crunched the numbers and (judging by their response) has concluded that motorcycle uptake is NOT to be encouraged.

Actually, someone has crunched the numbers and concluded exactly the opposite. According to their research (in Belgium), a 10% uptake of motorcycles would result in a 25% reduction in congestion (IIRC) and something like a 40% uptake would remove congestion entirely.

[swbarnett]

That brings to mind more the situation of two-wheelers going down the left of cars, in a situation where there is not another lane there.

I've seen a cyclist do this beside traffic travelling at about 20kph. When they came to grief (thankfully not seriously) they blamed the car driver - quite loudly.

[swbarnett]

....just telling you how it is.

Hardly. Without showing us your credentials that prove you are a world authority on the subject you can only tell us how you think it is. Even then, the world authorites have been known to be wrong.

[Hoon]

Actually, someone has crunched the numbers and concluded exactly the opposite. According to their research (in Belgium), a 10% uptake of motorcycles would result in a 25% reduction in congestion (IIRC) and something like a 40% uptake would remove congestion entirely.

Belgium != Auckland/Wellington.

You're right I have no qualification but it's not me that makes these decisions, its those in power at our local councils and government (that supposedly know more on the subject than you and I) and it is these people that need to be convinced, not me.
The fact that there is no dedicated motorcycles lanes here, endorsement for lanesplitting or encouragement to ride motorcycles is a reflection of their current standing and you don't need any qualification to look outside the window to see that.

[swbarnett]

Belgium != Auckland/Wellington.

That may be true in the purest sense but all countries share common elements that mean the findings from one country may be applicable in another. The same study needs to be conducted here to find out if the results hold up locally. Personally I suspect they do because the stated reasons make sense no matter what country you're in (in the western world anyway).

You're right I have no qualification but it's not me that makes these decisions, its those in power at our local councils and government (that supposedly know more on the subject than you and I) and it is these people that need to be convinced, not me.

The fact that there is no dedicated motorcycles lanes here, endorsement for lanesplitting or encouragement to ride motorcycles is a reflection of their current standing and you don't need any qualification to look outside the window to see that.

All very true. I was referring to your opinion on the safety and efficacy of lane-splitting that you seemed to be putting as fact.

[@ndy]

Sometimes I see motorcycles in still traffic that don't split... And I cry a bit inside... While I pass the line.

[Scuba_Steve]

Belgium != Auckland/Wellington.

Yep but someone has previously done numbers for Wellington & don't have the numbers at hand but it came to a small increase to bikers (think it might have been round 5%) would see Wellington's congestion all but gone.
Course these things never take into account the wanker upfront causing all the probs but the numbers have been crunched & they came favourable to bikes.

[Hoon]

Hey I'm not disputing that motorcycling reduces congestion - I thoroughly agree with it and I'm sure that the establishment does too. But unlike KB members they also have to weigh up the costs and disadvantages of encouraging motorcycle use such as roading, road toll and driver education etc. I'm no expert so (foolishly) rely on those that are and have all the data to make those decisions for me and the fact we have an anti-motorcycling establishment tells me that the disadvantages (as it currently stands) must outweigh the benefits.

All very true. I was referring to your opinion on the safety and efficacy of lane-splitting that you seemed to be putting as fact.

Yep my bad. My "lane splitting is not safer" comment is purely my opinion, not fact - including the delusional bit . But this view is mainly due to lack of evidence or any support of lanesplitting by the establishment so I suspect they also share this belief. What is fact is that any argument for or against lane splitting safety is entirely personal opinion until an NZ study is done to conclude otherwise.

[Ocean1]

the fact we have an anti-motorcycling establishment tells me that the disadvantages (as it currently stands) must outweigh the benefits.

Yeah that.

Or they're a bunch of lackwit arseholes that'll be the first agin' the wall come the revolution.

[Jackpot]

Don't know if anyone else in Wellington noticed but the first week back for a fair few there was little traffic congestion. Straight run from LH to Wgtn CBD.

Then this week when all the Govt. peeps came back it was locked up again.

[swbarnett]

I'm no expert so (foolishly) rely on those that are and have all the data to make those decisions for me

The trouble is that we can't be sure that 1. TPTB have all the data (sorry to be pedantic but they can at best have all the available data) and 2. They're not being subjective and ignoring data that doesn't fit with their pre-conceived ideals (I'm pretty sure they will ignore such data as it's human nature to do so).

and the fact we have an anti-motorcycling establishment tells me that the disadvantages (as it currently stands) must outweigh the benefits.

All we can infer from this is that the establishment has an agenda in this direction. Whether based on an impartial appraisal of the data or not we cannot say.

Yep my bad. My "lane splitting is not safer" comment is purely my opinion, not fact - including the delusional bit .

Glad we got that cleared up. As you were...

But this view is mainly due to lack of evidence or any support of lanesplitting by the establishment so I suspect they also share this belief.

A lack of evidence doesn't prove the opposite. All that can be inferred is that neither side of the argument is proven. My own view is based on my experience. I agree that I can only say for certain that it appears that lane-splitting is safer for me. I choose to make the leap of faith and conclude from this that if lane-splitting is done with due care it is safer for everybody. This, of course, is wild speculation until proven imperically.

What is fact is that any argument for or against lane splitting safety is entirely personal opinion until an NZ study is done to conclude otherwise.

Agreed

[bosslady]

I was filtering(?) on Friday once I hit the queue at the end of the SW where the on ramp lights at Manukau are. Saw something funny up ahead (drivers door quickly open then shut, but not all the way) got closer (I don't split very fast) then he flung his door wide open, I stopped with heaps of room to spare and asked him what he was doing. He just yelled at me to wait my turn! What a dork. I just went around him and sped off towards the lights and got too excited, let the clutch out too quick, did a MINI wheelie then sped off, lol.

[nerrrd]

Sometimes I see motorcycles in still traffic that don't split... And I cry a bit inside... While I pass the line.

Don't cry, we're just chillin' .