Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[swbarnett]

I quite often pull to the extreme right when travelling in lane 3 to provide as much room for bikers as is practical as in lane 3 they're splitting to my left.

I, for one, appreciate the thought.

Pity the lanes often aren't wide enough to fit a car and a bike in simultaneously though, eh? Otherwise there would never be any mirrors clipped at all.

If all cars were to the extreme left of the lane there would, on most of Auckland's motorways, be enough room for car and bike with some room to spare.

if you're occupying a marked lane on the motorway you don't expect to have to share it with a car, bus or truck because that just doesn't work and most bus/car/truck drivers don't have the cheek to attempt it. Bikers do and the good ones do so successfully, the unskilled/ignorant ones often fail.

Agreed.

I've recently moved to Tuakau and I'm now commuting to the Auckland CBD. I've found that a lot more cars than did on the Northern motorway do expect you to share their lane. A lot even make room.

It doesn't make the comparison "legit" at all you twit.

It does in the sence that the entire lane is not leagally "your space" anymore than a footpath is.

[swbarnett]

So what was the point in splitting? So you could get to work a whole 2 minutes earlier?

Auckland's Northern motorway at a compete standstill. A hell of a lot more than two minutes was saved. The particular gap I was travelling through was really a bit small. As I said, this was in the very early days.

[Madness]

The particular gap I was travelling through was really a bit small. As I said, this was in the very early days.

So you learned from your mistake at the expense of another motorist. At least you learned from it I suppose.

It does in the sence that the entire lane is not leagally "your space" anymore than a footpath is.

It's spelled SENSE and LEGALLY. Commiserations on Tuakau too, btw.

[Mom]

Fantastic shit! Dont stop you lot, this simply is the best read since I subscribed to Pointless Dribble for my shits and giggles

[FJRider]

[QUOTE=swbarnett;1130506192]If all cars were to the extreme left of the lane there would, on most of Auckland's motorways, be enough room for car and bike with some room to spare.

Some may do ... but ... as has been said, they are not obliged to ... unless they are impeding the flow of traffic. (as opposed to impeding a motorcyclist)

[QUOTE=swbarnett;1130506192It does in the sence that the entire lane is not leagally "your space" anymore than a footpath is.[/QUOTE]

But the onus is still on the overtaking driver/rider to do it safely.

[Voltaire]

Hitler had far more pressing things to rant over than wing mirrors..... like when his Honda got destroyed...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaB40TLQE8M

[Devil]

I shouldn't be surprised by some of the attitudes in here.

I was brought up to respect other peoples shit. Thats the way it stays. That seems to be a quality that is sadly missing from many of late.

[swbarnett]

So you learned from your mistake at the expense of another motorist. At least you learned from it I suppose.

Hardly a high price on their part. I don't think they even noticed (although I can't be sure of this).

It's spelled SENSE and LEGALLY. Commiserations on Tuakau too, btw.

Damn! you caught me again. I really do hate the fact that the spell checker doesn't seem to work in Firefox.

[swbarnett]

Some may do ... but ... as has been said, they are not obliged to ... unless they are impeding the flow of traffic. (as opposed to impeding a motorcyclist)

Agreed. This was in response to the assertion that there wasn't room for a car driver to exercise common courtesy and keep left within their lane.

But the onus is still on the overtaking driver/rider to do it safely.

Totally. I never said otherwise. Just trying to say that clipping a wing mirror at a slow speed leaving no damage does not mean that the rider was riding in an unsafe manner. Just that they may have something to learn. I'm sure you were young once too.

[swbarnett]

I was brought up to respect other peoples shit.

So was I. And I still do.

[Katman]

Totally. I never said otherwise. Just trying to say that clipping a wing mirror at a slow speed leaving no damage does not mean that the rider was riding in an unsafe manner.

I don't think anyone has actually suggested that clipping a wing mirror, in the manner you've described, is unsafe.

What it is, is careless and if not adequately addressed by way of apology, then it becomes fucking ignorant.

It's that ignorance shown by many motorcyclists that is adding to the animosity shown towards us by many car drivers and is ultimately leading to creating a considerably less safe environment for us on the road.

[swbarnett]

I don't think anyone has actually suggested that clipping a wing mirror, in the manner you've described, is unsafe.

What it is, is careless and if not adequately addressed by way of apology, then it becomes fucking ignorant.

When's the last time you got an apology from a car driver that changed lanes on you? Certainly the only time I've got one is when I chased them down and had words.

It's not always possible, or safe, under the circumstances to offer an apology. I certainly would given the chance, and have done.

[FJRider]

Agreed. This was in response to the assertion that there wasn't room for a car driver to exercise common courtesy and keep left within their lane.

Some car drivers may see it as a common courtesy ... to be able pass them without taking out their mirror.
Own the lane is the advice given to motorcyclists ... no doubt car drivers think they should do the same.

[swbarnett]

Some car drivers may see it as a common courtesy ... to be able pass them without taking out their mirror.

Agreed. It goes both ways. If a car driver fucks up and starts changing lanes on me but returns to where they were when they hear my horn I don't sweat it. No harm, no foul. If they keep coming, however, that's a different matter.

Besides, we're talking about clipping a mirror. Not "taking it out".

Own the lane is the advice given to motorcyclists ... no doubt car drivers think they should do the same.

No doubt. I'm not expecting cars to move over or even claiming a right to a space in "their" lane. Just saying it can work and it's nice when the space is given.

[Mom]

Some car drivers may see it as a common courtesy ... to be able pass them without taking out their mirror.
Own the lane is the advice given to motorcyclists ... no doubt car drivers think they should do the same.

I dont take many risks on two wheels, but I will filter through traffic (albeit slowly) and I will lane split (again probably more slowly than many will) to take advantage of being on 2 wheels and to stop my engine from overheating as I dont have a radiator. I have held up the odd other biker "sorry about that" but I simply dont give a fat rats arse about that. I ride safely, for me, and not to piss off the car driver as a rule. Sometimes I get exposed to car drivers deliberately trying to scare/injure me. I can only assume it because other bikers have wound them up sufficiently