Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[R-Soul]

If you had been really lucky it would have been one of those very rare drivers that indicates at least 3 seconds before changing lanes - then you would have had plenty of time.

Do those exist?

[GOONR]

I saw something happen at the lights that i've never seen before the traffic was thick right up to the lights so this person on a motor bike decided not to wait till the lights turned green he just drove up on the foot path was quite a way to the lights I thought to myself not setting a good example for learners and very dangerous for pedistrians and ilegal

I used to see MC couriers in London do that on a very regular basis, hooting at pedestrians as they went.

[R-Soul]

You could go around the front.

I've been in the exact scenario that you describe except that the car driver did not see me. I rolled on the power while falling in to an extreme right lean. If I'd stayed this way I would've low-sided in under the car so I flipped to a left lean and scraped past the front of the car. The right corner of the front bumber folded up my foot peg and left a scratch in my left muffler.

Yeeeaaah - I would not have doen that myself - firstly because there was no space, and secondly because I would rather be behind a car with no space than in front of it....

[swbarnett]

Yeeeaaah - I would not have doen that myself - firstly because there was no space, and secondly because I would rather be behind a car with no space than in front of it....

Didn't have much choice. I was so close when they pulled out (didn't see the indicator) that there was no way I could stop in time and there was absolutely no room to go behind. Luckily for me there was no opossing traffic.

[R-Soul]

Didn't have much choice. I was so close when they pulled out (didn't see the indicator) that there was no way I could stop in time and there was absolutely no room to go behind. Luckily for me there was no opossing traffic.

Oh OK so you had the lane of opposing traffic next to you?

I was in between two lanes of traffic moving the same direction, and the woman wanted to ull into quite a little gap between two cars in the left hand lane. There really was nowhere for me to go. I could not swerve left as I had a car there in line with my wheel. Maybe I could have pulled into the gap, but it would have been reeeeeal close! Now I always try and look for people looking over their shoulder, or cars that start edgeing towards the way they are going to pull out, and I keep an extra beady eye on them.

But it sounds like your seat must have had bite marks on it when you pulled up after that? I know mine did...

[R-Soul]

I used to see MC couriers in London do that on a very regular basis, hooting at pedestrians as they went.

That goes past dangerous and into funny...

[swbarnett]

Oh OK so you had the lane of opposing traffic next to you?

Yes, this was through the middle of the Mt. Eden shops.

I was in between two lanes of traffic moving the same direction,

Yeah, if this had been the case I'd have been screwed.

But it sounds like your seat must have had bite marks on it when you pulled up after that? I know mine did...

Indeed. Took a while to sink in that I'd actually gotten away unharmed.

[MarkH]

The right corner of the front bumber folded up my foot peg and left a scratch in my left muffler.

So you did have enough room then - no worries!

[wanpo]

I generally filter on the motorway if the general car traffic is going slower than ~60, I'll keep an indicator on and not be riding along the white line/cats eyes changing either side of it depending where the gaps are. Had a few close calls, people pulling otu to change lanes without indicating at all or checking behind them. had to brake pretty hard, locking up the rear wheel and going a little sideways.
Closest call I've had was some idiot 2 cars ahead deciding it was a good idea to stop in order to change lanes on the motorway -_- car infront broke quite suddenly; I wan't tailgaiting so I saw it coming as was going to change into the left lane to avoid it, the driver there on my left didn't give any slack or slow down at all, and I ended up having clipping (and moving quite significantly) my right mirror on the car infront of me. Granted a lot of this was caused by ego and not wanting to stop on the motorway, but I was indicating for a couple of seconds and the car BEHIND and to my left didn't give any slack at all.

[swbarnett]

but I was indicating for a couple of seconds and the car BEHIND and to my left didn't give any slack at all.

Just remember, an indicator does not automatically give you the right to move over. I will generally let people in as it's the courteous thing to do but always assume that others won't.

[SPORK]

Auckland CBD riders:

After splitting to the front of say, Queen/Victoria St lights, when there's one of those oh-so-frequent 30 second pedestrian gaps - does anyone else hop off the bike and push it across, provided it's not swarming with people? I've done it a couple of times now, and it generally saves about 90 seconds of fucking around. A policeman saw me once and didn't seem to mind, either...

[wanpo]

Just remember, an indicator does not automatically give you the right to move over. I will generally let people in as it's the courteous thing to do but always assume that others won't.

Yeah, I know it was my bad and I acted on a bad assumption that, you know, he wasn't a cock and would actually slow down. I'm just happy to have gotten away from it scratch free, in one piece and a little wiser

[Cayman911]

Auckland CBD riders:

After splitting to the front of say, Queen/Victoria St lights, when there's one of those oh-so-frequent 30 second pedestrian gaps - does anyone else hop off the bike and push it across, provided it's not swarming with people? I've done it a couple of times now, and it generally saves about 90 seconds of fucking around. A policeman saw me once and didn't seem to mind, either...

quite a good idea actually, ill give it a go next time and see.

on the splitting note of things.... yesterday i think it was...across the road a little commuter got fully taken out while splitting because an old man in a kia decided to change lanes.

splitting with moving traffic not a nice idea. fast anyways. guy was ok. got up brushed his shoulders. but he was fully thrown off the bike.

i personally only do it with the traffic stationary.

[swbarnett]

a little commuter got fully taken out while splitting because an old man in a kia decided to change lanes.

One thing you have to remember while splitting - if you get taken out like this it's not just the fault of the car. I split every morning and evening in Auckland traffic and I'm not slow about it. I've had a number of cars do this to me and since I started riding again three years ago and I've not once had a problem avoiding them. It's a matter of recognising that, to the rest of the traffic, you are invisible and acting accordingly. Keep both eyes and all your other senses on what's going on around you and you will know well enough in advance of a problem developing.

For a lane splitting noob, as with any new skill, it comes back to the old adage of "learn to crawl before you try to walk".

[Cayman911]

For a lane splitting noob, as with any new skill, it comes back to the old adage of "learn to crawl before you try to walk".

Yep, well said. sometimes the biggest downfall can be over confidence. "nah slow is for losers, i can gas it 'cause im the next rossi"

Taking it slow is not only good for learning, well the best for learning, because you learn every single step in the way, and you always have something you have acheived and something to look forward to.