North Shore: Northern Motorway: Police targeting motorcycles (25 January)

[p.dath]

I got the attached response from the Police today about lane splitting.

Basically they say there was no coordinated targeting of motorcycles, but individual officers may choose to do so.

They don't say that lane splitting is legal, but they do say that lane splitting is "not an offence".

Of note is that they consider lane splitting at 30km/h faster than traffic in the same lane as you are in as "too great", but don't elaborate on what an acceptable "overtaking" speed might be. They do say that the other guidelines I stated in my letter "form a pretty sound and common sense base".

He mentions some other facts, but it is pointless to debate them.

To those who haven't been following this thread, these are the guidelines I suggested to the Police for lane splitting:

• You must remain in the same lane as the vehicle you are “passing”, specifically, this means you need to be on the left hand side of the central lane marker on the motorway (so that you are passing on the right hand side)
• You should not exceed the speed of the vehicles you are splitting by more than 20km/h to 30km/h.
• You should be travelling in a straight and predictable path, and not weaving in and out of traffic.
• And then there are the basics, such as having 100m of visibility at all times, etc.

[MarkH]

I got the attached response from the Police today about lane splitting.

That attachment is really hard to read.

[p.dath]

That attachment is really hard to read.

Are you referring to the prose, or the fact it is scanned?

[yachtie10]

I had no problems reading it

I see there quoting the 16 times more likely crap again

[MSTRS:Me]

I had no problems reading it

I see there quoting the 16 times more likely crap again

Let me also
remind you that motorcyclists are around 16 times more likely to be killed or injured in a
crash.

I'm not so sure that that is crap...it was the 16x more likely to be in an accident that was crap.

[R6_kid:Me]

The report identifies that there were zero motorcycle fatalities in 2008 as a result of overtaking or lane changes on open roads, and just 47 injury crashes, accounting for a mere 3.5% of all injury crashes.

Let me contrast this with the number of injuries cause by a loss of control on straight roads of 3.8%. Certainly if safety was the issue then riding in a straight line should be targeted more so than lane splitting.

You are playing the same statistics game as the government, and just like them - losing.

If you want to contrast something, then look at this way: The number of accidents involving lane splitting bikes vs the number of lane splitting bikes; contrasted against: The number of accidents involving loss of control on a straight road vs the number of motorcycles that travel straight roads (all of them?).

I think what you will find that lane splitting will be shown to be more dangerous, even if only marginally.

In saying that, I've been riding for 7 years now. For at least 5-6 of those years I've lane split on a near daily basis and never had an accident, and only 2 or 3 "close calls". Compared to other riders I've seen I would seem to be one of the quicker lane splitters, but tend to pull in with traffic sooner, I'm also always constantly looking for an 'exit point' should a vehicle pull out suddenly as is usually the case - If I don't feel confident then I don't take the risk. I also plan my trip so that I have enough time to get there without lane splitting, that way I don't feel pressured to maintain a certain speed or that I have to lane split the whole time. I'm not saying I'm the worlds greatest lane splitter, but I have the feeling there are a number of people on motorcycles that don't put enough thought into it and tend to use the gap as just another lane which is where major problems start to occur.

You can imagine how much traffic on the North Shore would back up on an average Mon-Fri morning if a lane splitter vs car fatality occurred. Not only that, but once you're out of control in that sort of situation it usually isn't just one bike and one car, at a guess you could immediately affect up to four other vehicles as a minimum so automatically two lanes are blocked. Fuck being the cop that has to deal with that mess first thing in the morning.

[Devil]

I'm satisfied with that response.

[red mermaid]

Looks like someone got it wrong, again.

If I was paying any subs to BRONZ I would stop immediately.

An invitation to the polcie to say that "lane splitting is legal" is almost certain not to produce positive results.
In general BRONZ will complain where motorcyclists are being specifically singled out for police attention (we have the same rights as any other road user). But, since only motorcycles can lane split, it is difficult to object to their being singled out in this case.

[MarkH]

Are you referring to the prose, or the fact it is scanned?

The fact that it is scanned - I might just try a different pdf reader and see if it is more readable.

[jamiey]

Awesome work Phil for putting in the time and effort with your letter and getting some kind of clarification on this.

[KAWA Z]

Hi the p.dath !
Right, lane splitting is obviously legal, but it is certainly very very dangerous, especially here in NZ ! People here, and especially motorists and passengers in cars, are gifted with some of the most irresponsible, unpredicatable, dumb and stupid behavioral patterns one can encounter on the road.
They DO OPEN DOORS and PULL OUT OF THEIR LANE without any consideration of other traffic, especially whats behind them. I have seen it happen too many times and thank god, I was saved from harm through this instinctive "thinking ahead and for the opponent" !
I try to avoid rides in any parts of the country, especially the Auckland area, where it comes to traffic congestion and if I by any chance get into a jam, I turn around and head elsewhere !
Maybe a wise decision if you are free to do so, but if you're stuck in the thick of it and got no way back, especially on the motorway, you should just go to the next offramp and leave it behind instead of risking a serious crash with one of the morons on the road that.
The cop could have booked you for dangerous riding because that's what it is, but decided not to do so because he was actually right for a change and tried the educational measure befor the executional one.
Ever seen a guy hitting a car door @ 60KM/H on a bike ? I did once, he died ! Broke his neck on the window, frame ! Speed doesn't kill, obsticles do when they suddenly appear !

[p.dath]

The cop could have booked you for dangerous riding because that's what it is, but decided not to do so because he was actually right for a change and tried the educational measure befor the executional one.

Perhaps you missed the response I got from Superintendent John W Kelly, the Strategic Road Policing Manager in post #166?
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1129641502
Where he says it is not an offence to lane split and that there is no strategy to target motorcycles for this?

And did you miss his comment about the guidelines I suggested "... to form a pretty sound and common sense base". If the man in charge at the Police says lane splitting is ok I think its probably ok ...

[GOONR]

....... If the man in charge at the Police says lane splitting is ok I think its probably ok ...

p.dath, do you think he would have mentioned his train of thought to his "little people".

Just curious that's all.

[p.dath]

p.dath, do you think he would have mentioned his train of thought to his "little people".

Just curious that's all.

He says in the letter that he believes his officers are suffciently educated on the finer points of the law with regard to lane splitting. There will of course always be exceptions, but usually the bosses rules will filter down to his staff below.

[tide]

He says in the letter that he believes his officers are suffciently educated on the finer points of the law with regard to lane splitting.

yeah right tui anybody...