Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[Akzle]

what the fuck. don't we have an uber thread for this shit?

[Pomm4eva]

I've been lane splitting for 35 years - which includes 10 years despatch riding/couriering - I've never hit the deck while lane splitting,and still "split" through hundreds of cars every week - probably hundreds every workday in fact
I have my own "rules" which don't necessarily match those of the law - but have kept me alive with all my limbs attached for well over a million km.
I never indicate while lane splitting - but always do when actually lane changing or merging - If Mr bored car driver spots your indicator 2 cars back he's more likely to assume you are just changing lanes rather than coming through.
When there is a gap in the traffic ahead - don't speed up! -slow down! (or at least be ready be ready to) - cars see a gap and then suddenly pull across, But when they are bumper to bumper - they can only cross lanes slowly.
Keep the revs up - (but not obnoxiously so) - just enough so you'll have power on tap if you need a quick surge when someone does start to turn into you.
When a car ahead starts to move across - then sh!ts himself when he spots you ... don't beep and hurl abuse etc ...wave him through, he's more likely to look first in the future .... and he won't be thinking .... "effing bikers... I should have just hit him"
Don't be scared of trucks! - but don't start to split by them when you cant see its clear and straight all the way, Truckers are usually fairly good drivers ...get into their mirror view and they'll often wave you through when they can see its clear and you can't.
Don't use breakdown lanes - seems to piss people off - and don't pass on the left of a single lane even when the gaps twice as big as the gap on the right- 90% of left turning traffic won't look at all - and probably half won't even indicate. (Some exceptions to this of course - if you are turning left ahead or if the lanes are merging- but do use the indicators in these cases)

And ... every now and then maybe once or twice a month .. you just get a feeling you shouldn't take a perfectly safe looking gap - you may never know why - and there may actually be no reason... but back off anyway .... you're picking up a dodgy signal without it registering in the frontal lobes (driver twisting his head prior to swerving?? alien invasion in the clouds??? oily refection on a puddle??? who knows?? - but trust your gut)
Well ..... thats my first post - I'll try again in another 35 years

Too right brother. Reading this I got flashback of us fanging home to Southhall on the A40 in the wet in the dark splitting all the way. So Much Riding So Much Money!

[Runt]

Oh to be young dumb and immortal all over again

[caseye]

Hey Runt, before I can fix my fo par with the reputation I have to give some more about. My bad, hit wrong button.
Your post is probably the most sensible post I've ever seen on KB, well done and for goodness sake post a bit more often than every 35 years, please.

[Edbear]

This is a frequent topic on here with a lot of discussion around the practice. I have been out of the daily commute through Auckland traffic since my accident and rarely travel in during "rush hour" these days.

However I had to attend a specialist in Greenlane at 9am this morning so had no choice but to drop Mrs. Bear off at work at 7am and continue into the dreaded queues. Almost exactly one hour later I was over the Harbour Bridge.

There were many bikers filtering through, and whilst I acknowledge the very low number of reported accidents due to lane splitting, I was a bit taken aback at the speeds that many were doing. So many were going way too fast to ever have a hope of reacting to a sudden lane change by a car driver that I drove with some trepidation as to what I may come across further down the road.

Please guys, be aware that you are so easily knocked sideways or confronted with a rear bumper in a split second that you need to be able to react in time. This sort of behaviour does nothing to endear the biking community to the general public either and some consideration would go a long way to gaining the support and understanding of those restricted to a cage.

Remember it's not about your skill, it's about the variable skills of others that turns situations to custard.

[James Deuce]

Lecture them you can. Listen they will not.

[The Reibz]

And here comes another Edbear axeing thread...

[haydes55]

Split at a speed you feel safe at. If you crash, your perception of safe is wrong.

[Hoon]

I admit I sometimes split faster than I should. Once you reach the speed where you no longer have enough time to react should a driver suddenly swerve in front of you, then you are putting your safety entirely in the hands of other road users.

If a car doesn't see me, indicates and then changes lanes at a normal pace I'm OK because I'm looking out for them.
If a car doesn't see me, doesn't indicate and then changes lanes at a normal pace I'm still OK but a little rattled.
If a car doesn't see me, doesn't indicate and then changes lanes at a rapid pace then I'm toast.

I don't go this fast often. It's all about risk versus reward and minimising the amount of time spent in the danger zone. Sooner or later your number will come up and the more you play, the higher the likelihood of crossing "that" driver.

[Hoon]

Ohh an exception is when traffic is gridlocked or "moving but so congested that cars can't change lanes". In these situations I no longer worry about cars cutting me off so usually go as fast as I can get away with without freaking out car drivers or drawing too much attention to myself..

[Edbear]

I admit I sometimes split faster than I should. Once you reach the speed where you no longer have enough time to react should a driver suddenly swerve in front of you, then you are putting your safety entirely in the hands of other road users.

If a car doesn't see me, indicates and then changes lanes at a normal pace I'm OK because I'm looking out for them.
If a car doesn't see me, doesn't indicate and then changes lanes at a normal pace I'm still OK but a little rattled.
If a car doesn't see me, doesn't indicate and then changes lanes at a rapid pace then I'm toast.

I don't go this fast often. It's all about risk versus reward and minimising the amount of time spent in the danger zone. Sooner or later your number will come up and the more you play, the higher the likelihood of crossing "that" driver.

Yup, unfortunately number three is the norm for many car drivers, even my normal cautious self has come very close, like paint-thickness close, to colliding with such a driver. A young lady checking her cell-phone and didn't realise the cars in front of her had virtually stopped, so she panicked.

Ohh an exception is when traffic is gridlocked or "moving but so congested that cars can't change lanes". In these situations I no longer worry about cars cutting me off so usually go as fast as I can get away with without freaking out car drivers or drawing too much attention to myself..

Yup, that's exactly what happens.

[swbarnett]

This is a frequent topic on here with a lot of discussion around the practice. I have been out of the daily commute through Auckland traffic since my accident and rarely travel in during "rush hour" these days.

However I had to attend a specialist in Greenlane at 9am this morning so had no choice but to drop Mrs. Bear off at work at 7am and continue into the dreaded queues. Almost exactly one hour later I was over the Harbour Bridge.

There were many bikers filtering through, and whilst I acknowledge the very low number of reported accidents due to lane splitting, I was a bit taken aback at the speeds that many were doing. So many were going way too fast to ever have a hope of reacting to a sudden lane change by a car driver that I drove with some trepidation as to what I may come across further down the road.

Please guys, be aware that you are so easily knocked sideways or confronted with a rear bumper in a split second that you need to be able to react in time. This sort of behaviour does nothing to endear the biking community to the general public either and some consideration would go a long way to gaining the support and understanding of those restricted to a cage.

Well said.

Remember it's not about your skill, it's about the variable skills of others that turns situations to custard.

Riding and staying alive is almost entirely about the rider's skill. The skill of others (or lack thereof) is of little consequence. This attitude is how I stay alive.


My wife, who also rides, was talking to the guy that came to fix our sliding door the other day. They came to the topic of lane splitting. It became apparent that by far the worst thing a splitting rider can do to our image with car drivers is get pissed off when they have to react to a driver doing something that would normally be perfectly fine except for the prescence of the splitter. If you split you're in a position of extreme privilege. Don't get pissed off at drivers for driving as if you weren't there. The fact of the matter is that we're hard enough to see at the best of times. Let alone when you're in close proximity to much larger animals.


BTW: I commute from Tuakau to the Auckland CBD and have done since January. When I split I'm not slow about it. I do, however, stay within my own ability to react when necessary (as have been proven on several occasions).

[swbarnett]

Ohh an exception is when traffic is gridlocked or "moving but so congested that cars can't change lanes". In these situations I no longer worry about cars cutting me off so usually go as fast as I can get away with without freaking out car drivers or drawing too much attention to myself..

How about someone opening their door?

[Juniper]

So this is my reply to lane splitting and commuting http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/en...-Commuting-101

[Akzle]

split like a fucking hero. on the rear wheel.

as far as i know, no-one's been snotted popping wheelies through traffic. so it's statistically safe.