Can we legalize lane filtering yet? | Page 17 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Can we legalize lane filtering yet?

Jerry Agar is supposed to be talking about lane splitting some time during his show tomorrow, on CFRB. It runs from 9:00am to noon.

Interesting. He's a rider. Wonder what his position will be?
 
I would never lane-split in traffic here, but filtering? Oh yes.

I have been riding in Italy for 20+ years before moving here, and filtering is absolutely standard practice...
 
Everyone's getting in on the act now.
[video=youtube_share;pReVmU9EJp0]http://youtu.be/pReVmU9EJp0[/video]
 
Since the beginning of this riding season I have been passed in my lane 3 times. I ride the blocking position like I am supposed to but people still pass me. This never happened to me before.
 
You're wearing the wrong camouflage. I drive a light coloured bike and wear high-viz gear. Drivers think I'm po-po from a distance and behave nicely.
 
Bump for this thread - I just got back from a Europe trip that included 4 days in Paris - on our last two days the wife and I rented a Vespa 125 (haha!) to get around the city and cover more distance.

The lane filtering practice in Paris has changed my effing life - it is amazing: As you approach a red light, you position yourself for filtering, and all the cars MOVE OVER TO LET YOU THROUGH! It's staggering. We need this here.

Its like the one reward for accepting the risk of riding a motorcycle/scooter in traffic... here, there's no reward, just risk LOL (well, aside for the joy of riding itself, that is)

Aside: Paris was awesome to see via bike. I'd get a bigger (and less dumb looking) scooter if I could though. Tons of motorcycles there, and NONE of them were pretty; all gritty, dirty street-fightered/supermoto upright bikes, with aluminum hand guards and such, meant for real urban riding. I also have video of riding around the huge roundabout around the Arc De Triumphe, which was, less dramatic than people warned it would be...
 
I agree, it would be amazing to have filtering here. But until those in power actually start to listen to reason, nothing will happen. Can anyone think of a way to actually help legalize filtering and/or splitting? I know one member here (in this thread I think) posted his letter and the response back from the transportation minister and it was down right laughable at how easily they dismissed it due to "safety".
 
Sure get elected, spend the next 20 years clawing your way up in the party, then become premier. then you can change it without an arguement, well other than from the beaurcrats at MTO..lol

Whie your doing that can you also increase global warming and ban winter from Ontario???lmao

I agree, it would be amazing to have filtering here. But until those in power actually start to listen to reason, nothing will happen. Can anyone think of a way to actually help legalize filtering and/or splitting? I know one member here (in this thread I think) posted his letter and the response back from the transportation minister and it was down right laughable at how easily they dismissed it due to "safety".
 
California had a recent study done showing it was safer under certain conditions. However, it appears that the asshats in charge in Ontario (and possibly the other 49 states) don't care about "Real" safety. They are very concerned with "perceived" safety i.e. 30km/h speed limits proposal. In our land of winters and only a few months of riding, I don't think we can build up enough critical mass to get this kind of thing going. We can't even seem to hold on to the free street parking in DT.

So if you catch me humming in my helmet at a light, i'm probably singing "California Dreamin'" :rolleyes:

I agree, it would be amazing to have filtering here. But until those in power actually start to listen to reason, nothing will happen. Can anyone think of a way to actually help legalize filtering and/or splitting? I know one member here (in this thread I think) posted his letter and the response back from the transportation minister and it was down right laughable at how easily they dismissed it due to "safety".
 
Well.. in north muricah, we like doin thing diffrent frum the rest o' the world, cause we better then all them hut-living tree humpers

I already see it being done on my daily commute. Some in the "safe" way, some not.
But as mentioned, lets fight for free parking then we can take on another fight.
 
I agree, it would be amazing to have filtering here. But until those in power actually start to listen to reason, nothing will happen. Can anyone think of a way to actually help legalize filtering and/or splitting? I know one member here (in this thread I think) posted his letter and the response back from the transportation minister and it was down right laughable at how easily they dismissed it due to "safety".

It seems that half this board is against filtering in Ontario... let alone politicians that don't even ride. Gotta convince the bikers first.
 
California had a recent study done showing it was safer under certain conditions. However, it appears that the asshats in charge in Ontario (and possibly the other 49 states) don't care about "Real" safety. They are very concerned with "perceived" safety i.e. 30km/h speed limits proposal. In our land of winters and only a few months of riding, I don't think we can build up enough critical mass to get this kind of thing going. We can't even seem to hold on to the free street parking in DT.

So if you catch me humming in my helmet at a light, i'm probably singing "California Dreamin'" :rolleyes:

I just came back from LA. Riders lane split on the freeway between the HOV lane and the left lane legally.
This would be insane in the GTA 400s...where people drive back and forth across the HOV double white lines all day.
I would wait to see how it works out in California, because the law states it's legal up to 10mph over the traffic speed, but most bikes were 30 mph over traffic speed.
It may work there because bikes are plentiful on the freeways, they pass you at a rate of 10-15 a minute, so people are aware, but bikes are far rarer in Ontario. In Europe, cars are much better because most vehicles on the roads are motorcycles and scooters at rush hour.
What works elsewhere doesn't always work here, i.e. there are no guys in flannel shirts in pickups driving one-handed drinking Timmies on the Autobahn doing 150.

It's funny to hear the locals go on about LA traffic, I find GTA much worse.
 
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There was a White BMW S1000RR lane splitting in the eastbound 401 express lanes near 400 with heavy traffic. He was straddling the centre line between Lane 1 & Lane 2... went right be my dashcam. Won't upload the video. For what it's worth I didn't see him again so, he safely negotiated the traffic.

He went at a steady speed, it appeared safe enough.
 
UC Berkeley study determines that lane splitting is safer for motorcyclists than non-lane splitting

Conclusions:

  • Lane-splitting, while it may irritate drivers, is relatively safe for motorcyclists
  • Surprisingly, lane-splitters were judged as better, safer and more responsible riders than non-lane-splitters

Conclusions could be extensible to GTA if drivers become more motorcycle-aware IMO, however that isn't going to happen any time soon.

I think we went through this article or study before.
If you compare all accidents where there was lane splitting to all accidents where there wasn't,
isn't it obvious which will be less severe?

IMO motorcyclists would have to up their driving skills significantly, which just ain't gonna happen.
 
There was a White BMW S1000RR lane splitting in the eastbound 401 express lanes near 400 with heavy traffic. He was straddling the centre line between Lane 1 & Lane 2... went right be my dashcam. Won't upload the video. For what it's worth I didn't see him again so, he safely negotiated the traffic.

He went at a steady speed, it appeared safe enough.

To be truthful, back in the 1980s I did it all the time without a second thought when the traffic slowed below 20kph. Splitting, shoulder, whatever it took. You got the odd jerk who tried to squeeze you out, but you have to be wary of that. Never, ever got a ticket. I was not exactly a conformist back then. I tend to be a lot more legal about things now that I'm older, but I'm surprised by how many motorcyclists are so timid about doing it these days. Where are all the young rebels?
 
To be truthful, back in the 1980s I did it all the time without a second thought when the traffic slowed below 20kph. Splitting, shoulder, whatever it took. You got the odd jerk who tried to squeeze you out, but you have to be wary of that. Never, ever got a ticket. I was not exactly a conformist back then. I tend to be a lot more legal about things now that I'm older, but I'm surprised by how many motorcyclists are so timid about doing it these days. Where are all the young rebels?

I think you're confusing timid with sensible. I much prefer to spend my cash on farkles, holidays and alcohol rather than tickets, paralegals and insurance hikes.
 

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