Lane Splitting or ‘filtering’ – By Phil Hall
Filtering, in motorcycle terms, means creeping up between the lines of traffic until you are at the front of the queue. From there you can take off when the light changes (carefully – I’ll get back to this later) and help to keep the traffic flowing freely. It is similar to, but not the same as, lane splitting with the essential difference that lane splitting is done when the traffic is moving – filtering is done when the traffic is stopped (or nearly)
Those of us who have been riding for a while have possibly been wondering what all the fuss is about since filtering has been in the news a lot of late. The reason for the exposure is that, firstly NSW and then Qld and the ACT have introduced laws that make it legal for riders to filter in traffic (subject to certain conditions). Of course, most riders started filtering long before the practice was legalised and older riders like myself have been doing it for years. Not only that, but I have been using the “Honda Highway”, the verge on the left had side of the traffic, for years as well.
The difference is that, while law enforcement acknowledged that such practises were illegal, they rarely enforced the law and only tended to do so when the offender was being observed breaking other, more serious laws.
This highlights the often-overlooked fact that there are dozens of laws regarding riding and driving which, in the most part, are rarely enforced at all. Fact is that, if Mr Plod really has a mind to ping you for something, he can usually find it in the long, long list of rules and regulations that govern the use of the road by motorised vehicles.
It is thanks to long and diligent work by organisations like the Motorcycle Council of NSW and similar bodies, that this, and other important motorcycle-related matters have been brought to the attention of our legislatures and action on them has been taken. And finally the present NSW government agreed to a trial of lane filtering late last year. The trial showed that all the benefits that accrue from this practice, the ones that we have known about forever, are really there. Filtering DOES speed up the traffic flow, the most important benefit.
However, all is not sweetness and light. The first issue is that it’s not “open slather”. Filtering can only happen BETWEEN lanes, not on the inside verge or on the right had side of cars. The ban on filtering up the right hand side of cars is an obvious one, but it seems perplexing that they have not allowed the use of the Honda Highway (at least in NSW) (more later). Filtering can only take place when the traffic is stopped or doing no more than 30km/h. This is also a no-brainer as the faster that traffic is travelling, the more dangerous it becomes to put you and your bike in between them. Basically the law limits filtering to the run-up (slow down?) to a traffic light or the peak hour situation where the traffic is barely moving.
The explanation of the law is replete with the usual caveats; watch out for pedestrians doing THEIR version of filtering. Watch out for cyclists, who have also been filtering for years, and watch out for the vehicles around you (passenger in car opening door to bale out at the lights, for example). The explanation does not say, nor even really imply the other main caution, that of being aware of motorists who will deliberately close the gap in between the lanes to try and prevent you from filtering to the front of the queue. It also does not say that (though it DOES imply it with the speed limit warning) that it may not always be possible to GET to the front and that, should the traffic start moving more quickly, the rider needs to “tuck in” to the lane and wait for the next opportunity.
The introduction of filtering laws that allow the practice has been greeted with relief and delight by the motorcycling community. Though it makes no fundamental difference to the way that most of us ride as we have been filtering forever, it does signal a major victory for motorcycle action groups who have, for decades, being trying to get governments to recognise the major benefits of motorcycling in the urban environment. While their focus has been on the supposedly more “green” modes of transport, like public transport and bicycles, both of which are not as fast, efficient or green, it is good to see that they are finally recognising the credentials of motorcycling/scootering in this context.
Of course no gain comes without some potential losses. For a start, the disaffected are going to complain that it is now “open slather” for motorcyclists to “terrorise” other road users (don’t laugh). Fact is that it’s pretty hard to be intimidating while you’re trying to thread a bike in between the sea of external rear vision mirrors, wide loads and courier vans, all while doing 30km/h.
Now, that caution I mentioned earlier. Since the object of filtering is to get to the front and clear the logjam, it is tempting to grab a handful the moment the light goes green and so contribute to the smooth traffic flow (plus avoid the wrath of the powerless motorists left behind). But, if you’ve driven or ridden in the city lately you will have discovered that the majority of city motorists have even less regard for the red light than what used to be the case. So, before blasting off, be aware that it is entirely possible that three of four cars will be right in the middle of your space after having run the red rather than wait for the next change of lights. Count to 3 and watch, very carefully. Don’t worry about the cars, you’ll still beat them to the other side of the intersection.
Sadly, there has been a horrible spike in motorcycle accidents and deaths over the Christmas/New Year break and there have been suggestions made already that the introduction of the filtering laws has contributed to this. However, as the good book says, there are none so blind as those who will not see. Many accidents have taken place on country roads, as you would expect in the holiday period. City traffic is less during this period as well. Many of the accidents have been as a result of someone else’s negligence and some, as always, just freakish bad luck (witness the two tragic deaths in Tasmania where a rider and pillion died as a result of running into hay bales that had fallen off the back of a farm vehicle). Nevertheless, perpetual nutjobs like the NSW Pedestrian Council’s Howard Screwball (sorry – Scruby), will continue to rail against the motorcycle while offering no practical alternative (unless you include his idea of having everyone walking as practical)
The other contentious issue about filtering is that it is falling victim to our fragmented road rules system where the laws are made in each state and territory without any nationwide standardisation. As a result, as well as having to watch out for all the other aspects of riding, the rider is now required to be somewhat of a bush lawyer and to carry, in their head, a knowledge of the filtering laws as they apply to each state. An example is in the new regulations in Queensland, for example, where not only is the use of the Honda Highway allowed but also the use of the “safety box” normally set aside for bicycles at each intersection. In this day and age of globalism, it seems utterly absurd for each jurisdiction to enact laws that are about the same subject but differ in detail.
It is encouraging to see that the new laws (north of the border at least) address the stupid situation where rider were being breached for taking their feet off the footpegs to stretch tired muscles.
A win is a win and we’ll take it, thank you very much. It would be an even more satisfying one if it were achieved under rules of the game that we could actually understand.
Finally, a little personal anecdote. For almost all of my riding career I have stayed firmly on the right side of the law, but this one stretched my tolerance to almost breaking point.
Coming home from Goulburn Speedway late on Saturday night (in the car). Just passing through Robbo (50km/h speed limit) and a car came up from behind travelling a bit quicker. “Brave,” I thought, especially as there is a police “blitz” in the area this weekend. I just stuck to the limit all the way through town and then 80 till the top of the Pass and then back to 60 again. He looked like he wanted to pass and I wasn’t going to hold him up, but, each time a chance came, he didn’t take it.
Once on the Pass he disappeared backwards quite quickly so I put him down as a usual “straight line hero”. But, nearing the bottom of the Pass, he suddenly re-appeared, rushing up to my back bumper then backing off again. Drunk or just stupid was my assessment. Along the flat at the farm I expected him to blast by but he dropped back again and didn’t catch up again till we hit the 60 at Tullimbar. As we entered Albion Park, he was right on my bumper again and I was getting pretty fed up. I was just ready to pull over at the Catholic School and let him go by when he suddenly pulled left, did a U turn over the double unbroken lines and headed west again. Sucked in, Mr Plod. Trying to goad me into breaking the law so you could book me didn’t work.
It was significant to me that, the moment we got in to town where the police car would have been able to be identified under the street lights, he disappeared. And they wonder why we don’t respect…
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