To filter or not to filter?

[husoi]

Actually, you are not supposed to filter through traffic...  

Are the engines on your comparison the same?

Usually that's what dictates the size of the frame.

[James in Brum]

Who says you are not supposed to filter through traffic @husoi

[Beans]

You are allowed to filter and it is referenced in the Highway Code

[husoi]

Never said it's illegal. Just that you're not supposed to do it.

 

"There are no filtering specific laws to define its legal status explicitly, however, because filtering is made allowance for within the highway code we can take that as it’s defined allowance on the public road within the UK."

 

From: https://begin-motorcycling.co.uk/lane-splitting-filtering-law/

 

Yes there is allowance in the highway code for it but nothing specifically saying it is legal.

Argument can be made for "if is not forbidden then it is legal" but riders are also responsible to ensure that enough care is taken to prevent accidents.

 

We all know that some idiot riders go way too fast while filtering.

[S-Westerly]

I filter and if my handlebars fit so do the panniers. It is wide though, a smidge under 1 metre.

Edited January 8, 2021 by S-Westerly

[husoi]

I have a lorry bike and also filter. Just do it at slow speed. 

Scary stuff in France where riders are mental. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by husoi

[Tiggie]

I think one of my favourite biking memories was filtering down a traffic jammed bypass for probably 1 mile. I did it with a big grin on my face the whole way 

[Throttled]

I think I filter less now because cars have got wider.

[husoi]

2019 I had a "friday bike day" rule and several times the M90 was packed because of accidents.

Was really nice to overtake some of my colleagues stuck in traffic  

The worst I got was queuing traffic from the junction before M73 all the way up to the M876, a good 7 mile car park.

Or those days when Queensferry crossing was shut. You can't help to feel sorry for the drivers stuck in traffic like if it was the M25..

[Liveware Problem]

1 hour ago, husoi said:

Never said it's illegal. Just that you're not supposed to do it.

 

"There are no filtering specific laws to define its legal status explicitly, however, because filtering is made allowance for within the highway code we can take that as it’s defined allowance on the public road within the UK."

 

From: https://begin-motorcycling.co.uk/lane-splitting-filtering-law/

 

Yes there is allowance in the highway code for it but nothing specifically saying it is legal.

Argument can be made for "if is not forbidden then it is legal" but riders are also responsible to ensure that enough care is taken to prevent accidents.

 

We all know that some idiot riders go way too fast while filtering.

 

My understanding is that is how UK law works - generally speaking, if it is not forbidden, it is legal

What do you mean by you're not supposed to do it?

[husoi]

1 minute ago, Liveware Problem said:

 

My understanding is that is how UK law works - generally speaking, if it is not forbidden, it is legal

What do you mean by you're not supposed to do it?

Meaning that if your unfortunate to have a crash with a car while filtering, your insurance company is likely to split the responsibility 50/50 or thereabout.

[Liveware Problem]

17 minutes ago, husoi said:

Meaning that if your unfortunate to have a crash with a car while filtering, your insurance company is likely to split the responsibility 50/50 or thereabout.

 

I think that would depend a great deal on the circumstances, and doesn't mean you are not supposed to filter.

We all know insurance companies are not interested in protecting their clients!

[husoi]

7 minutes ago, Liveware Problem said:

 

I think that would depend a great deal on the circumstances, and doesn't mean you are not supposed to filter.

We all know insurance companies are not interested in protecting their clients!

At the end is all about risk management.

If you're willing to take a bigger risk the law doesn't stop you, which is a concept I agree with and defend.

Never liked the "mommy state" structure. People stupid enough to take pointless risks don't deserve any oxygen.

[Stu]

Split from the other topic to create its own! 

[dynax]

Filtering is fun, especially during the summer when you see the look on the cagers faces as you casually ride past them

[S-Westerly]

Having happily filtered through stationary motorway traffic I'm not about to give it up anytime soon. I don't commute so I'm less comfortable doing it in heavy town traffic but will do it on occasions just not so dementedly as some loons on 125's and scoots.

[Bender]

Highway code 211

 

It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering

 

if you couldn't do it that wouldn't be in it.

 

if you do filter you have to do it safely, the faster you go the more blame is going to be put on you.

 

if you get hit by a vehicle turning accross your path into another Road it's likely going to be 50/50 as you should have seen the potential for someone turning and they should have looked.

 

do the same at 30mph over the moving traffic and it's likely going to be put firmly in your lap.

 

filtering is one of the bonuses of having a motorbike but not everyone is happy doing it and that's fine.

[Guest Richzx6r]

I am an advocate of filtering A) it annoys most cagers as they are just jealous that you dont have to sit in stationary traffic and they do and B) it's a good tool to build confidence in your own skills whether it be observation or position skills. 

 

Though I do remember from being a dispatch rider taking off a fair few car mirrors where the car would move over to block the bike when said bike was filtering past

[Mickly]

My best filtering experience was 3 Miles of stationary traffic on the west bound A30 2 years ago.

I carefully picked my way through watching out for opening doors etc, people we’re getting out & stretching their legs & dashing behind the bushes.

A couple of heavily laden 2 up  GS’s were stranded but I managed to wriggle through on the Mighty Speedtriple ( Only got tail pack & tack bag ), lots of people made space for me & no one tried to block me off.

When I got to the front, the copper waved me past the car/ lorry accident but there was no room for cars!!

I then had miles of lovely empty A30 all to myself !!

[Guest Richzx6r]

40 minutes ago, Mickly said:

My best filtering experience was 3 Miles of stationary traffic on the west bound A30 2 years ago.

I carefully picked my way through watching out for opening doors etc, people we’re getting out & stretching their legs & dashing behind the bushes.

A couple of heavily laden 2 up  GS’s were stranded but I managed to wriggle through on the Mighty Speedtriple ( Only got tail pack & tack bag ), lots of people made space for me & no one tried to block me off.

When I got to the front, the copper waved me past the car/ lorry accident but there was no room for cars!!

I then had miles of lovely empty A30 all to myself !!

Sounds like bliss, I'm surprised pc plank let you go though that's very unlike them

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

55 minutes ago, Bender said:

Highway code 211

 

It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering

 

if you couldn't do it that wouldn't be in it.

 

if you do filter you have to do it safely, the faster you go the more blame is going to ne put on you.

 

if you get hit by a vehicle turning accross your path into another Road it's likely going to be 50/50 as you should have seen the potential for someone turning and they should have looked.

 

do the same at 30mph over the moving traffic and it's likely going to be put firmly in your lap.

 

filtering is one of the bonuses of having a motorbike but not everyone is happy doing it and that's fine.

What Bender said 

 

My filtering tip is to watch the driver's door mirror and the leading edge of the car's front wheel. I look for eye contact in the mirror, otherwise assume they don't know you're there. And even after eye contact check the car front wheel. Some motorists have an inbuilt dislike of being overtaken and it's amazing how often eye contact is followed by the leading edge of the front wheel turn outwards to instinctively block you off.

 

When I rode through city traffic every day I noticed that when I was in leathers the front wheel often turned out and the car moved a few inches to close the gap. When I was in hi viz it turned out but then went back again and logic overrode instinct and they realised they'd look pretty dumb saying 'I didn't see you' when I was wearing hi viz.

 

It can vary on the bike as well. On the Honda I'm invisible. On the Bobber it's not unusual to see the traffic moving over several cars in advance. Again, it's down the exhaust noise, the Honda is too quiet. The Bobber has a deep burble which classic rather than aggressive.

 

The other thing to watch out for in city traffic is pedestrians running between lanes of traffic. They see stationary traffic and don't think of a moving bike. And sometimes they are so unobservant they will run into a stationary bike knocking the rider off. It happened to a mate of mine and did considerable damage to his bike as it broke the mirror which housed all sorts of gubbins. 

 

As ever, if someone makes space you say thank you. 

[manxie49]

Been filtering ever since I could ride a bike,  especially when I lived in Leicester, if I hadn't have filtered it would have taken me forever to get home.  I'm a lot more careful when I do it now though, seen one or two people filtering in the past at some crazy speeds.  Whilst filtering may be one of those things that some people frown upon,  there was a driver here prosecuted a few years ago for driving with undue care and attention, he decided to change lanes and hit a scooter that was filtering, so, the law was on the side of the scooter rider.  

[onesea]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Split from the other topic to create its own! 

I did not mean to start a filtering thread, atleast is about bikers but fear it will end in tears.

 

When I started on bikes I learned to filter by following scooters in Bournemouth.

 

Initially I could not keep up, then I learned many are idiots. 

 

I still filter sensibly, then I like my bikes thin, to enable me to make the most of gaps available.

 

Every time I filter I consider it my risk, however that does not give other road users the right to be idiots...

If I where to have an incident filtering the blame would come to others to decide, I know the is are against me.

 

 

[onesea]

Some questions on filtering:

Can you filter on double white lines?

Can you filter on ZigZags?

Can you filter on the inside (near side) of traffic?

[husoi]

Just now, onesea said:

Some questions on filtering:

Can you filter on double white lines?

Can you filter on ZigZags?

Can you filter on the inside (near side) of traffic?

They explain it here

From: https://begin-motorcycling.co.uk/lane-splitting-filtering-law/