Filtering.

[Boomer]

I got tugged in Oct 2009.
I was riding down the A13 filtering through traffic.
The traffic was doing about 20Mph and I was moving between 30 and 35.
Then the traffic gradually sped up and I ended up doing a slow slalom at speeds up to 65Mph (traffic was doing 50-60).
I saw a bike approaching me behind so I pulled over to let him pass (some of the riders on the A13 make me look pathetically slow) but it was a Police bike and he blue&two-ed me.

Straight away I admitted to riding like a twat and got a rider awareness course instead of points & fine.
The office said that at no point was I dangerous but other peoples reactions to my riding could have been dangerous.
He told me that below 30 they generally ignore lanesplitters (unless they are total twats).
Above 30 they will let people get away with it if they are smooth and obviously in control.
Above 50 he said he knicks every lanesplitter he sees.
Said he has had to help scrape too many bikers off the undersides of trucks to not do it.

I have to admit that I enjoyed the rider awareness course and I did learn something.
I learned that I'm nowhere near as good as I think I am.
I learned that I need to watch my mirrors more often when lanesplitting/filtering, especially for Police bikes.
I learned that there are bigger twats than me out there on motorcycles, and I don't mean physically bigger either.
In fact one passed me this morning on a GSXR at about 110Mph and then shot between a car and a van. We were doing 85. Utter twat!  ::)

[Lonewolf]

Martin, yes that is the case I was referring to. That has now set a new benchmark for all future cases of filtering especially where substantial claims are made for damages as a result of serious injury sustained as was the case in this matter.
There is a distiction mecki between ovetaking and filtering....albeit a small one and again each incident has to be viewed on its own merits. This riders actions were viewed to constitute filtering not overtaking and that was based on the fact that he passed a large number of vehicles simultaneously as opposed to passing three or four, then finding his gap and tucking in and then repeating the process over and over again. The latter it would seem is viewed as overtaking the former as filtering. A fine line perhaps between the two principles but nevertheless a distinction which has been defined by the courts.

The reason that neither biker nor car driver saw each other is that each were hidden from each other by the larger HGV immediatley behind the car. A very common scenario if wer'e honest.

[mecki]

Thanks LW for explaining the legal difference.
I have lived most of my life in countries where filtering (line splitting) is illegal (Germany and New Zealand).
Up to now I thought filtering was passing between 2 lines of traffic moving in the same direction while passing a line of traffic on the outside was overtaking.
I was actually not aware that in this country I have to watch out for idiots trying to "filter" past me on the right even when I am indicating and get done if they hit me.
Sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense to me.

[Ziderman]

It's got to be common sense..filter slowly as it's fraught with Dangers any how. If done in bullying way then yes it's wrong. If you ride steady & dont touch the Brakes as the flash of rear Brake lights can cause irritations as if not at stand still cars will hit brakes. Red light it like Red Rag to Bull. I find most drivers very  helpfull & pull over if they can. Some even go to extreme lengths & nearly end up in Ditch.

I think you are allowed to cross the Double white lines if very very slow. You see many a Car following Tractors doing 15mph & stay behind them as it's a Double white line.

[Rusty]

Well said Zedman .. just go slowly  ;D
When some drivers see you coming down the outside and move over for you I ALWAYS stick my hand up and give them a " thank you " wave/nod on the premis that if a little further up the road you get knocked off you might just get one of those drivers that you waved at stopping to help you .. In my view if it has the potential to help then do it.

[Lonewolf]

mecki, it used to be, prior to this latest sucessful appeal in the Crown Court that if a vehicle turned across the path of a biker which was filtering causing an accident the car driver was 100% liable. In this new appeal the bike rider was found to be 80% to blame and the car driver 20% to blame.

As we discussed last night though, when your'e laying in the road breathing your last breath does it really matter whose at fault, it's too late then. Avoid the incident in the first instance. It would appear that a figure of 10-15mph is deemed more than sufficient to filter past stationary traffic. This particular biker was doing 50mph.

[Rusty]

50 is too quick to " filter " !!!! ...  As the word illustrates .... just drip through the traffic... you don't drip at 50  ;D

[mecki]

mecki, it used to be, prior to this latest sucessful appeal in the Crown Court that if a vehicle turned across the path of a biker which was filtering causing an accident the car driver was 100% liable. In this new appeal the bike rider was found to be 80% to blame and the car driver 20% to blame.

You're pulling my leg, right?

So if I want to turn right, put my indicators on, move to the middle of the road and wait for a gap in oncoming traffic, some twat on a bike who decides to "filter" past me while I'm turning has the right of way and I am guilty if he hits me as long as he's not going to fast?
And then bikers are complaining being disadvantaged by the law?
BTW since I hardly ever drive a car these days, does that apply to bikes turning right too?

Jeez - I wouldn't pass a vehicle that is indicating to turn right on the outside - That's not only risky it's just plain stupid! :o
Whoever sits in that car will be focussed on the other direction and take the first opportunity to move - Ouch!
Even if the oncoming traffic is very thick, what if somebody has a heart, stops and signals the driver to turn?
Or he decides to inch a bit more out to let the van behind him through on the left - Ouch again!

Wow - up to now I thought line splitting was only a more or less tolerated activity in this country, but that you actually have the right-of-way...
I thought it was a grey area and as long as I don't ride like a twat the fuzz would just temporarily look the other way and not bother.
The mind boggles.

Which leads me to another question. Overtaking on the inside lane on dual carriage ways.
And I don't mean filtering or a queue in the left lane moving faster than the one on the right.
Another potentially very expensive activity (at least outside of city limits and on motorways) in most countries (don't try this on the Autobahn!).
If I have some twat Audi driver doing 65 in the right hand lane in front of me and the left lane is empty am I allowed to pass him on the left?

[Mogster]

see this months Bike magazine, there is an article on various ways to get past a 'fast lane hogger' and the word 'undertake' is used several times.
undertaking,  as I see it, in most situations is a tad daft and i do try to avoid doing it as car drivers never check the left mirror before pulling back over and on the whole the plod have a very dim view of you doing it.

I mean so your defence goes sumit like..... 'well this twat was in the outside lane doing 70 mph so i pulled up behind him and flashed me lights'....keep digging... ' when he didn't move i dropped a gear'.... new shovel please....'swerved across to the inside lane'......nearly at the bottom....' flicked him the Vs and nailed it'...... knock knock found the coffin then.

Kerching.... speeding and dangerous driving.... we have a winner..

Oh and the ASBO thing was used by North yorkshire plod several times in 2009.... before the CPS told 'em to give it a rest.

I live in North london and to be honest anything other than slow and polite filtering, usually done with my Hazards on, is a fookin scary thing to do. cos the fookers see you coming and tend to move in to block you rather than the other way.

[mecki]

I live in North london and to be honest anything other than slow and polite filtering, usually done with my Hazards on, is a fookin scary thing to do. cos the fookers see you coming and tend to move in to block you rather than the other way.

Doesn't seem to be that bad up North.
But wait until you get to France.
There they nearly drive off the road to make way if they spot a bike in the mirror.  ;D
Except the tourists of course.  :-[

[Mogster]

Doesn't seem to be that bad up North.
But wait until you get to France.
There they nearly drive off the road to make way if they spot a bike in the mirror.  ;D
Except the tourists of course.  :-[

ah La Belle France, le trafic est très courtois!!

My Sister lives near Le Mans so we are over there as much as possible, filtering is a doddle on the odd time you come up against some traffic, tis like a parting of the red sea.  ;D

[Lonewolf]

You're pulling my leg, right?  NO

So if I want to turn right, put my indicators on, move to the middle of the road and wait for a gap in oncoming traffic, some twat on a bike who decides to "filter" past me while I'm turning has the right of way and I am guilty if he hits me as long as he's not going to fast? HE WOULDNT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY BUT IF YOU HIT HIM BECAUSE YOU DIDNT SEE HIM THEN PREVIOUSLY YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN DEEMED 100 % RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RTC AND THEIR INJURIES. DUE TO THE MOST RECENT CASE YOU COULD STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT BLAME ATTRIBUTED TO YOU BUT ITS NOT BLACK & WHITE. EACH CASE ON ITS OWN MERITS.
And then bikers are complaining being disadvantaged by the law?
BTW since I hardly ever drive a car these days, does that apply to bikes turning right too? THIS WOULD BE DOWN TO THE COURTS TO DECIDE BUT THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY YES, BIKERS SHOULD STILL BE AWARE OF VEHICLES WHICH ARE OVERTAKING OR FILTERING PAST THEM

Jeez - I wouldn't pass a vehicle that is indicating to turn right on the outside - That's not only risky it's just plain stupid! :o
Whoever sits in that car will be focussed on the other direction and take the first opportunity to move - Ouch!
Even if the oncoming traffic is very thick, what if somebody has a heart, stops and signals the driver to turn? MAKE SURE NOTHINGS COMING UP BEHIND YOU
Or he decides to inch a bit more out to let the van behind him through on the left - Ouch again!

Wow - up to now I thought line splitting was only a more or less tolerated activity in this country, but that you actually have the right-of-way...
I thought it was a grey area and as long as I don't ride like a twat the fuzz would just temporarily look the other way and not bother.
The mind boggles.

Which leads me to another question. Overtaking on the inside lane on dual carriage ways.     A DEFINATE NO, NO
And I don't mean filtering or a queue in the left lane moving faster than the one on the right.
Another potentially very expensive activity (at least outside of city limits and on motorways) in most countries (don't try this on the Autobahn!).
If I have some twat Audi driver doing 65 in the right hand lane in front of me and the left lane is empty am I allowed to pass him on the left? NO

[Ziderman]

Something I never do when driving four wheels is flash my lights to let some one out junction or cross path infront of me. I will hang back & give them the option. If you flash they see it as you giving them automatic right of way & won't consider Motor cyclist or cyclist on inside or motor bike outside. They will just go without looking for any one else.

If your on your bike you obviously have to be aware of this too so go even slower when filtering near junctions.

[coastrider]

I'm with Ziderman on the headlight flashing. By trying to be kind, you could end up contributing to the cause of a collision and be held partly to blame!
When I was was doing my IAM observer training, we had an associate who misread a headlight flash and nearly got in serious trouble. It was reiterated in no uncertain terms in a group meeting later that the headlight and the horn are there to make other road users aware of your presence. They can easily be misread if used for any other purpose, including being seen as aggression. Also with a lot of modern cars, they can appear to flash when they go over bumps which again can be misread so the safest thing is to question why they might be flashing and not take it for granted that its for your benefit.

On the risk taking front in traffic, one thing to remember is 'if I don't do this I might get there a minute later; if I do it and it goes wrong I might not get there at all, so does an extra minute matter?'

[mecki]

Thanks LW, that said it loud and clear.
I still wouldn't recommend overtaking a car that is turning right even if I can get a new bike if I manage to hit him. ;)