Paranoia re LANE SPLITTING??

[Grahameeboy]

I always lanesplit, every day, for two years. Pass cop bikes, cop cars, marked and unmarked. It's weather conditions and mood that determine what speed I stop splitting at. Certainly I'm more cautious when splitting cops, but I still do it.

Traffic seems better in Wellington...

[Karma]

I'll split all the time.

Passed a few cop cars along the way and never get any shit for it.

The biggest one I can think of is coming through Mission Bay on a bank holiday. Traffic is usually backed up all the way to Kelly Tarltons, and if they think I'm just gonna sit in the traffic when there's a nice empty median strip then they've got another thing coming.

The coppers will let you get away with almost anything if they think you're doing it safely. Lanesplit at 20kph and you'll be fine, split at 50+kph and you're asking for a ticket.

[Grahameeboy]

I'll split all the time.

Passed a few cop cars along the way and never get any shit for it.

The biggest one I can think of is coming through Mission Bay on a bank holiday. Traffic is usually backed up all the way to Kelly Tarltons, and if they think I'm just gonna sit in the traffic when there's a nice empty median strip then they've got another thing coming.

The coppers will let you get away with almost anything if they think you're doing it safely. Lanesplit at 20kph and you'll be fine, split at 50+kph and you're asking for a ticket.

But using the median strip is just normal overtaking rather than lane splitting isn't it cause I would use median strip.

[Karma]

Nah, don't think you're supposed to use it at all really, but that's just an example anyways...

Usually split at the lights along by Quay Street and that, just can't see the point in waiting when I can accellerate away from the traffic easier.

[Grahameeboy]

Nah, don't think you're supposed to use it at all really, but that's just an example anyways...

At least it is safer

[Edbear]

I usually only lane split when the traffic is real slow, I agree it's a bit dangerous at 50-60k. Unfortunately I'm usually in my truck when traffic's bad on the motorway and it's a bit of a problem trying to lane split in a 5 tonner! Often see bikes pass me on the right when I'm in the right hand lane, they use the wide verge.(Northern M/way). Seems a safe option, but apparently the law doesn't like it. I try to keep an eye on the mirrors and if I see a biker splitting, I'll move a bit to give him more room.

[skelstar]

Sooo many people moved out of my way this morning which was excellent. Stationary traffic and splitting would be very rare on the route I take each morning so it was a nice gesture by all cagers.

[madboy]

Coming the other way to Skelstar this morning, in the same banked up traffic with rubber neckers, exactly two cars moved out of my way. Despite the high beams, I'm still not sure anyone other than those two cars would have seen me before I passed them anyway.

These people who comment here about splitting at speeds, what do they mean by the speeds they're quoting? When they say 20km/h is okay and 50km/h is not, are they talking about the outright speed they're (biker) doing? The outright speed the traffic is doing? Or are they talking about the speed differential?

As I said, I base my assessments on weather (particularly wind), mood (do I feel like splitting or not) and speed differential. I still split when the traffic is doing 90k+, just not usually as aggressively as if they were doing say 50k. There are notable exceptions to my comments

As for Firefights mate, I don't know the facts at all in that case so are generalising in my comments - certainly not related to his mate's case, but I can see how a link can be drawn. It's not hard to see how one day I'll be splitting aggressively through slower traffic, pop into the lane and flow with the traffic when it speeds up, get taken out by some idiot not indicating or whatever and the witnesses will all be talking about how I was splitting past them five minutes before the accident. I reckon I'd be up for a ticket then too, and probably told I caused the accident.

[Fatjim]

I split at around 20-30 faster than the traffic is going, regardless of their speed. That seems to be a safe differential and gives everybody time so they're not suprised by my good looks.

[skelstar]

...and gives everybody time so they're not suprised by my good looks.

So thats about 20mins then?

[Blind spot]

I lane split daily on the greenhith rd past slow moving traffic and have on 3 occasions split past police caught in the lane who ignor me, thing is if you rip past at stupid speed you are asking for trouble.
On one occasion lat year there was an accident on the bridge stopping traffic completely, as i slowly went down the wrong side of the road over the double yellow lines i was followed by 3-4 other bikes who were just waiting, got to the head of the que near the accident and stopped and the police let us go slowly around the side.
If we had ripped down the wrong side at 50 k's i don't think we would have got far.

[Firefight]

get taken out by some idiot not indicating or whatever and the witnesses will all be talking about how I was splitting past them five minutes before the accident. I reckon I'd be up for a ticket then too, and probably told I caused the accident.

that's pretty much the way I was thinking about this incident, having read the witness statements, however, I am just happy that my mates still with us.

F/F

[bugjuice]

These people who comment here about splitting at speeds, what do they mean by the speeds they're quoting? When they say 20km/h is okay and 50km/h is not, are they talking about the outright speed they're (biker) doing? The outright speed the traffic is doing? Or are they talking about the speed differential?

i ride around 20-25kph when splitting. When the traffic gets to about 25ish, I merge in. When they're moving at less than 25, I still split past, but keeping around the 25ish mark.

I've had bikes come racing up behind me heaps. I just pull into the first gap I can without stopping or causing me hassle, and let them pass. Call me a nana if you want, but I'm still alive

[KLOWN]

I have only lane ssplit twice but there is not much need to do this down here, I think the longest line of traffic i've seen is about 10 cars. I have lived in auckland most my life but only got my bike when i moved down here cause I had problems enough with people not seeing me in my bright orange mini let alone a small bike.

[justsomeguy]

There's nothing wrong with lanesplitting (I don't really care what the plod says - I'm talking from a safety perspective) if you know your bikes braking limits, have enough rpm to pull out and are able to watch the drivers eyes/heads as you split.

It is possible to safely lanesplit at pretty high speeds provided you are able to split continuously and not dart from gap to gap and if you are confident in what you're doing.