Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[Gubb]

On Friday there were cops everywhere on the Southern motorway (most unusual). I passed 3 without them doing anything.

I've filtered up, seen several cop cars (going about 30 in a 100), cut back into traffic, the coppers saw I was waiting behind them, rolled down his window, and waved me through.

Maybe they were bikers too.

[DarkLord]

I was on SH1 the other day going out towards Hamilton, it was bumper to bumper traffic and I was passing everyone on the left without indicating (yes my bad I probably shouldn't have been doing that) and I passed a cop, I was sure he was going to put his siren on and pull me over but he didn't seem fussed and just let me go through.

[vifferman]

So in the UK the cops encourage you do it. In some parts on the US its legal and the Department of Transportation say that its safer than sitting in traffic ...
So it interests me that there is nothing concrete that the NZ cops or Land Trasport are willing to put down on paper.

It's probably because of two reasons: firstly, most of our traffic laws are copied from Victoria, for some reason. So, if there's no ruling in Victoria to say it's legal, then there's unlikely to be one here.
Secondly, the bureaucrats aren't going to pass any laws that are pragmatic or make sense to any one affected by them - they're only interested in binding everything up with red tape, and making us all "safe". Of course filtering/lane-splitting just smacks of something that's naughty, so it'll never be sanctioned. It's probably too that there are no bureaucrats that approve of motorcycling anyway.

[alanzs]

I was told years ago, that lane spliting was allowed due to the fact that sitting with an air cooled engine on a motorcycle would cause it to overheat.
Don't care what the reason is now, I do it, with gusto.

[McJim]

With a road system as badly designed as Auckland's I would say filtering should be mandatory.

I did it in Auckland for over a year with no ill effects.

I actually went out and bought a bike coz I wanted to filter. I got fed up taking 45 minutes to get to work and an hour to get home.

[Swoop]

I was told years ago, that lane spliting was allowed due to the fact that sitting with an air cooled engine on a motorcycle would cause it to overheat.

That is quite true and an American rule for freeways.

[Teezer]

Great thread guys - and saved me having to stick up a post about it and be yawned at.

Down here in ChCh I am always amazed at the number of bikers I see sitting in traffic on Blenheim Road. In the UK I'd just shoot straight to the front and be gone with the green, sod all that sitting behind stinky lorries. It seems that everyone is just polite and doesn't want to push in?! Why the feck are they on bikes then?! Are the Canty rozzers particularly stringent about splitting?

Still beats the M25 commute I used to do in the UK on 2-wheels. 30 miles (48km?) each way of filtering through 4 lanes of mostly solid traffic. I used to love it. Nearly died twice, (once locked up the front in the wet, heading for the armco (centre divider) as a car cut me up but he saw me at the last minute and moved back into his lane as I gracefully slid past him ) but I learnt from those experiences and with forward planning and always having an escape route, it certainly kept the brain ticking over.

Good luck all you Auckland bunch - sounds like with nutters & rozzers, you need it!

[MarkH]

So, today I get a mate to drive me from Auckland to Mt Maunganui where I buy my new ride - it's been close to 20 years since I was on 2 wheels. I ride back to Auckland and am happily ticking along the Motorway at 105 or so when everyone is slowing. I want to take the Ellerslie off-ramp and the traffic is bumper to bumper moving at 0-10kph with maybe 3kms before Mt Wellington off-ramp. At this rate it is going to take over half an hour to get to my off-ramp!

I had already read this thread and figured I would have to learn to filter through the traffic at some point. So I move to the left of the right most lane/right of the lane beside it - and I start filtering at up to 20km/h faster than the almost stationary cages. 25kph = 5 x 5kph so I get off the motorway in 1/5th the time I would have in my cage. Colour me Fuckin' delighted with my first go at filtering. I did touch a wing mirror with my wing mirror once, by touch I mean touch - no damage to mine and I am sure no damage to theirs either (not that I was about to stop and see).

I am wondering if I should have flicked the headlight to full? Of course I just assumed that I was completely invisible and only pressed forward where the gap was enough to do so. But I did come up behind a Nissan Skyline that noticeably moved over to give me room -

Whenever I have been driving my cage and noticed bikes coming up from behind I have always moved to give them room, and I usually did notice because my car is fitted with the non-decorative versions of mirror - they work and are adjusted for optimum visibility of stuff behind me.

[gt_phanta]

Most cops don't bother as long as you look like you know what you're doing.

In response to lane splitting in the evening traffic, I must say I get a lot more cautious when its dark, because you can't see nearly as well in your rear view mirrors.

I've done some really stupid lane splitting in my past, but by far the scariest was 240kph pillion on my friend's R6 on a freeway in Johannesburg, passing trucks and busses. Fun!

[OutForADuck]

From experience in a previous life

There is NO LAW IN NEW ZEALAND that defines lane splitting or its legality.

What this means is that many other laws come into play, such as passing regulations, indicating, passing within the same lane, crossing solid or yellow lines, inconsiderate/dangerous/reckless driving etc.

All said you can pass within the same lane ON THE RIGHT WITH MORE THAN 3 SECONDS INDICATION IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. But if you cross over into the othe lane you will be passing on the left which will get you pinged.

Just ride safely and sensibly and most cops who have not got out of bed on the wrong side will let you go.

[FROSTY:Me]

Wow this thread is still going strong--since 2005

Just something I'd like to reiterate guys.
WHEN FILTERING - If some "ignorant cager" moves over in front of ya dont get all shitty. If you are doing 20km/H faster than them-or a bit more BY the time theyve looked Back Made sure the space next to em is clear and started moving ovber YOU have moved up about 10 car lenths closer to em.
YOU need to anticipate them -and Im sorry guys but if a cop gets involved he will blame you every time

[Irontusk]

Ok, so I filtered today, and 2 out of the 3 times I moved back into the traffic (where there was a gap in the very slowly crawling queue) when the traffic stopped again the car behind me squeezed up the left of me to get up to the bumper of the car infront.
Are SO many car drivers like that? Before I bought a bike I always thought 'good on ya! I wish I could do that!' when a bike filtered past me, and I always made room for them too. (It's not often that there is actually room left of the white line too, people like to drive ON the line don't they..)

[Ducky848]

The poor clutch on my old 996 would'nt cope with more than 10mins stop-start bullshit so lane splitting was mandatory. But even after 15yrs riding in Christchurch traffic I still get nervous when I pass a cop while splitting, even though I've never had so much as a second glance....at least seeing him there reminds me to keep the front down when the light turns green

I get a lot of people closing the gap when they see (or hear) you coming, it gets a bit like a Indiana Jones moment and the only solution is to power up (ok, the other is to stop, but I feel like a dick stuck in the middle) and shoot the gap before its gone...clipped my 848's mirror last week in one of those situations

Oh yeah, just a few days ago I filtered to the front on Main North Road during evening traffic and some chick in the cage already there sat on the horn till the light changed, pissed she lost pole position I guess...

[CookMySock]

when the traffic stopped again the car behind me squeezed up the left of me to get up to the bumper of the car infront.

Stay in the centre of your lane so they cannot do this. It's called lane stealing.

Yep, splitting seems to piss cagers off. Bummer. Get a bike.

I split to the front of a maaaaasive line of traffic a few weeks ago, and then fatt off on the green light.. acres of space behind me while all the bumbling cages get their shit together and I cruise off unimpeded.. THEN I see disco lights way back there in my mirrors!! OH FUCK here we go...! Speed check, 75k all good. Act normal! Ride smooth. Uhh, disco lights vanish WTF? Someone else musta done something stupid back there coz he wasnt after me. Whew! My guess is I was the final piss-off (what! again?) for someone before they did something really stupid and got busted for it.

Steve

[Irontusk]

Stay in the centre of your lane so they cannot do this. It's called lane stealing.

Even if I was right in the middle they would've tried it, in most places that road has enough room by the curb for cars to park without being in the way of traffic. So if there wasn't enough room for them to try fit on the inside, they would've just come up the right of me. Havn't really had the need to filter since