Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique Lane filtering

We've got it in a couple of states in Australia and there's a petion to allow it in the U.S. too.
I hope the petion comes through on my post if not you people may be able to find it for your selves


Growing support for lane filtering


As NSW and Queensland accept lane filtering as a traffic-jam buster, other states are idling over the issue and an American petition has been started.

In the USA, California is the only state to allow lane filtering or splitting. On December 2, a petition to the Obama administration was started to extend lane filtering around the nation. So far they have 3767 signatures and need 96,233 by January 2.

AMERICANS CAN SIGN HERE

The petition says lane splitting “is something the rest of the world allows” which is not quite right, although it is accepted in most countries as a legitimate way of easing traffic congestion for all motorists.lane-splitting lane filtering

In Australia, we have a hotchpotch of rules and lane-filtering trials.

NSW introduced lane filtering in July 2014 and Queensland brings it in officially in February 2015, although already Queensland police seem to be turning a blind eye to filtering. There are slight differences between the two states with NSW banning filtering beside trucks and buses and Queensland making that a suggestion only.

Victoria is expected to be the next state to add lane filtering with the recent election of a Labor Government. Victorian Motorcycle Council spokesman Tony Ellis says incoming Transport Minister Luke Donellan made a commitment to lane filtering before the election and incoming deputy premier James Merlino reinforced that on radio 3AW.

West Australian motorcycle advocate Dave Wright reports that lane filtering is not an issue there as road rule 122 says you can’t overtake on the left if the traffic is moving.

“So if the traffic is stationary, you can lane filter so long as you are safe,” he says.

“I had a meeting with the Minister for Road Safety (Liz Harvey) and they say they are reviewing Queensland and NSW for the next 12 months and will consider lane filtering for over here.”

The ACT begins a two-year lane filtering filtering trial on February 1.

Lane filtering commuterUlysses Club road safety committee national vice president Jen Woods says they have been monitoring the NSW situation.

“Our trial will look much the same as NSW for obvious reasons. If it was very different there would be big issues, because we’re surrounded by NSW.

“We’ve had a good working relationship with the ACT government around this trial and our big issue here is the education of other road riders and they are behind a campaign starting at the same time to tell motorists they have to share the road.”

South Australian Motorcycle Reference Group member Nev Gray says lane filtering has been brought up as an item for discussion with the government, but it was deemed not to be a problem.

“We just don’t have enough traffic congestion to warrant a special law, so the police just turn a blind eye to it and I have not heard of anyone being BOOKED and that will continue,” he says.

However, at least one SA rider has reported that he has been fined for lane filtering.

Like SA, Tasmania and the Northern Territory report such low traffic volumes that lane filtering fines are not an issu

Ok the petition link didn't come through.It's on something called "we the people" maybe someone over there can get it for you guys.Or the Australian site where the petion is, is motorbikewriter.com

Our Congress people aren't going to bring this up for debate anyway. They're really too busy. They already spend a lot of time passing bills like "the month of october will be National Cooking Month", or, National Respect Your Park Ranger Month. Even then, they squeeze these bills in between looking out for their constituants general welfare. The Right Wingers spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to stop any idea the President (i.e., Great Satan) is promoting and the Left Wingers are coming up with more laws to protect us from ourselves.

Anyway,just thought I'd let you all know about it.

if you zig zag up the centre of traffic .. flicking each indicater on ... is that lane splitting ?

I wouldn't feel safe doing it unless there was about 10 years of driver education preceeding it. Eating an open door doesn't appeal to me.

I'm just glad we don't have enough traffic here to make it an issue.

I think it should be illegal. In PA it is legal to go slowly and safely up the shoulder in a traffic jam. The law dates back to around the 1930s if I remember right. It is because of the problem that an air cooled motorcycle engine will over heat if not moving. The police will still try and ticket you for it but you can beat it. I used to know the statute number but don't remember it anymore. If you go too fast then you are open to wreckless driving and traffic has to be stopped not slow moving.

It's not a job for the US congress. That's a state mater. Even though I think it should be legal under certain circumstances. Filter to the head of the cue at traffic lights, yes. Filter through stop and go freeway traffic , yes. Filter through normal traffic travelling at highway speeds , no.

Lane splitting is illegal in Kansas and Missouri, who knew?

FWIW

Lane Splitting Petition

Don't shoot me.I'm only the messenger.

I don't do it in moving traffic. but I "filter" slowly up non-moving traffic which was illegal here.
Lots of car drivers who're stuck get p'''off.Which I put down to jealousy"There goes another one" mentality.I had an SUV let my friend filter through on the outside lane on a jammed highway,then try to block the lane so I couldn't get through.It didn't work.Once when it was illegal two cops were there and I asked them if I could move to the head of the line they said no problem.