Friendly reminder...

[pete376403]

The last time I was pulled over (no ticket), I asked the cop about 'filtering' and 'lane splitting'. He told me that the best option was to pass on the left (!) if the traffic was not moving. He said I would be unlikely to be ticketed for this, unless I collided with any other vehicle, then it would be my fault.

Did he offer to give you that in writing?

[Posh Tourer :P]

The last time I was pulled over (no ticket), I asked the cop about 'filtering' and 'lane splitting'. He told me that the best option was to pass on the left (!) if the traffic was not moving. He said I would be unlikely to be ticketed for this, unless I collided with any other vehicle, then it would be my fault.

I chatted to a guy riding a GN250 who got fined for doing just that.....

[MD]

Trouble is for some reason most cars seem to hug the right side of their lane (or the centre line so they can increase their chances of having a head on!) and this makes it damn hard to pass on a cars right while not creeping over the lane divider. I,ve made a very conscious effort for some years to drive the car well to the left after noticing how many idiots hug the centre line these days leaving heaps of safe space on their left

[Lou Girardin]

After all the posts on this there are still misconceptions.
If the traffic is stopped, you can overtake on any side.
It is legal to overtake between the car and the lane divider on his right.
You can't ride on the stopping shoulder or between the right lane and median strip.
You can be done for careless or dangerous driving if your speed is considerably faster than the traffic flow.
You can be done for failing to indicate your lane changes.
You can't use M/way bus lanes.
I think that covers it.

[rodgerd]

My first post so don't be too hard on me.....

Can someone tell me what the strict legal position is regarding lane splitting? When is it allowed and when not?I tend not to do it out of fear of getting a ticket. Am I at risk of getting a ticket if I do it? I see bikers doing it all the time so get the feeling it's OK....but knowing my luck I'll get a $200 ticket first time I do it.

There was a letter from a senior Police officer in Kiwi Rider a couple of months ago. It basically boiled down to the letter of the law allowing lane splitting under certain conditions, but since one of those is safety, it's basically at the discretion of the officer as to whether you are legit in any given maneouver.

[rodgerd]

I've had to resort to overtaking on the footpath a couple of times (suburban street blocked with traffic)

I think riding a motorcycle on a footpath makes you a wanker, since you asked. And people wonder why riders have a bad public image...

[speedpro]

After all the posts on this there are still misconceptions.
If the traffic is stopped, you can overtake on any side.
It is legal to overtake between the car and the lane divider on his right.
You can't ride on the stopping shoulder or between the right lane and median strip.
You can be done for careless or dangerous driving if your speed is considerably faster than the traffic flow.
You can be done for failing to indicate your lane changes.
You can't use M/way bus lanes.
I think that covers it.

I actually wrote the letter to Kiwi Rider that prompted the enquiry to the Police about splitting lanes. since then I have been stopped and warned again and stopped and ticketed once as well. It turned out that someone had dialled *555 about me lane splitting at "speed" (through spaghetti junction at 5:30pm on a MB100 - yeah right!). The officer saw me pass 2 cars within the same lane on their left at 15KMH, that's the speed I was going. That was down on the NW m'way now. Anyway I've requested a court date as my reasoning letter fell on deaf ears (eyes?). I'm going to get a few people who have seen me doing it to write some sort of referance and I'm going to video the traffic flow to illustrate my point about where it's safest to ride etc etc. Technically I don't have a leg to stand on but I'm hoping that commonsence might prevail. If nothing else it'll make the police work for their $150.

Of course I'll be a marked man for the rest of my commuting days.