Why Lane Splitting / Filtering is GOOD for traffic

[AF4iK]

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Nice article. Theoretically speaking, I don't think a motorcycle's footprint drops quite to zero in heavy traffic though. More like very close to zero as long as cars and trucks still make up the majority of traffic. Imagine if 100% of motorists converted to two wheels lol

 

[油井緋色]

Guys, I perfectly agree with you but it won't stop the cops here from charging you if they're on duty with careless or dangerous

 

[Outlaws Justice]

The lawmakers need to be educated, and then drivers. Have hwy billboards posted up with big fat ******* letters. "Please be considerate to filtering Motorcyclists"

This is the way it starts. We as riders need to educate the lawmakers and the general public. No one is going to do it for us. If you want change then you have to work for and advocate that change and why it benefits everyone if you want others to support your cause as well.

 

[jonpurdy]

This is the way it starts. We as riders need to educate the lawmakers and the general public. No one is going to do it for us. If you want change then you have to work for and advocate that change and why it benefits everyone if you want others to support your cause as well.

The more I think about it the more I think this would be a good idea. Giant billboard on the Gardiner with that message would generate discussion, maybe even make it into the media. I'd drop money into a PayPal account for it.

 

[Outlaws Justice]

The more I think about it the more I think this would be a good idea. Giant billboard on the Gardiner with that message would generate discussion, maybe even make it into the media. I'd drop money into a PayPal account for it.

grass roots effort! Best place to start and the billboard is a great idea. putting fliers on bikes parked or at cruise nighs cannot hurt getting other riders to stand up and support as well.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

I see nothing to argue about, in the posted article. Now if we could just start enforcing the current traffic laws in order to create an overall safer environment for riders, then splitting and filtering might become a possibility. Unfortunately the vast majority of our drivers weren't trained in Belgium. In general the European standards for road use are much higher than are ours.

 

[kiterider]

This is the way it starts. We as riders need to educate the lawmakers and the general public. No one is going to do it for us. If you want change then you have to work for and advocate that change and why it benefits everyone if you want others to support your cause as well.

I agree 100%. We need to take the initiative. I've already passed the article around to a few colleagues, friends and family. Thanks for the article again Dave.

 

[Outlaws Justice]

In general the European standards for road use are much higher than are ours.

I think this is because there they take driving seriously and here most cage drivers and some bikers do not. It starts with education and better training.

 

[Kri$han]

The lawmakers need to be educated, and then drivers. Have hwy billboards posted up with big fat ******* letters. "Please be considerate to filtering Motorcyclists"

That being said, in more recent years driving schools have been teaching new drivers to stay in the passing lane. Apparently that's the safest lane to be in. Not sure if it's all schools or just a few.

It's all the new immigrant driving schools; teaching people who've never had a car or driven before (even in their home country), and being taught by a person who came to Canada within the last 5 years who's already doing it wrong in the first place. **** sakes.

They'll eventually learn that its not safe to be tailgated and cut off and flashed by angry drivers when youre at 103 kph in the passing lane

I promise you they will not; you are underestimating people's ignorance/obliviousness.

I see nothing to argue about, in the posted article. Now if we could just start enforcing the current traffic laws in order to create an overall safer environment for riders, then splitting and filtering might become a possibility. Unfortunately the vast majority of our drivers weren't trained in Belgium. In general the European standards for road use are much higher than are ours.

It will definitely NOT become a possibility here.

1) we have no hole in our ozone layer above us, so there is no- sorry,not enough of an- environmental push to reduce emissions (bikes on the road for less time = less emissions)
2) Bikes are a LOT more rare here compared to other places in the world. I think I saw 2 bikes on the way to work this morning, at least 1000 cars.
3) Who the f-bomb is gonna pay for the signs, the education of drivers, the promotion, the painting of lanes where filtering will be allowed (if you see videos of it in Cali, they have special lane markings to indicate filtering)... the tax payers?! yeah, right.

Just let it go, people. Let it go.....

 

[Rob MacLennan]

I think this is because there they take driving seriously and here most cage drivers and some bikers do not. It starts with education and better training.

Agreed. In Europe they generally understand that driving isn't a God given right, but rather a legislatively controlled privilege. Their training requirements are also much higher, in most respects. Here, people pay little attention to their skill level.

 

[mimico_polak]

Agreed. In Europe they generally understand that driving isn't a God given right, but rather a legislatively controlled privilege. Their training requirements are also much higher, in most respects. Here, people pay little attention to their skill level.

Agreed. When I speak with my cousins in Europe about their licensing restrictions it's ridiculous what they have to know how to do prior to getting a license...a simple thing as showing you can change a tire on the side of the road. Also I think they should have mandatory retesting every few years...it'll piss off the drivers but hey, the government will make more money!

Then as Kri$han states...the system that allows people who barely know how to drive open a driving school and teach other people from all different countries/regions, this further creates a larger pool of horrible drivers. Not only that...you can pay an extra couple of hundred $ and then they'll take you to do your driving test in the middle of nowhere with no traffic, barely any cross streets, and zero pedestrians in the middle of the day...then you get your G2/G and off you go...have fun in the busy streets of a metropolitan area. Hell I'll start my own driving school but most of my students will fail as I wouldn't let them pass...then my pool of students will dry up for being 'too hard'!

I would love there be more awareness made of motorcycles, and safety on the road, but this would take such a major shift that it needs to be a full push from Day 1. Not only that, go and find a politician which would support this and upset a large voter pool by toughening up the laws on driving and drivers. I don't want to sound negative...but I have a feeling this will not happen in my lifetime.

 

[kiterider]

It might or might not happen, but I still think that we need to take some sort of initiative. I know people that don't vote that have the same attitude. I've been guilty of it in the past too. I ended up supporting a candidate who I knew had a snowballs chance in hell of winning, but I still took the 15 mins out of my day to have my say. He lost by a landslide, but at least I know I played my part a bit.

A bit off topic but I think related ni a way. Look at the work, that Rob, Face and few others have done concerning downtown parking. I'm sure the folks that contacted their councillors had a part to play in them still keeping it off the agenda thus far. Did it have a huge or small impact? I'm not sure, but most of the motorcyclists (at least the regular downtown commuters) should be grateful to the effort that the concerned people have put in. I, for one, would definitely be in for buying a round of beers for Rob and Face.

 

[Rob MacLennan]

I would love there be more awareness made of motorcycles, and safety on the road, but this would take such a major shift that it needs to be a full push from Day 1. Not only that, go and find a politician which would support this and upset a large voter pool by toughening up the laws on driving and drivers. I don't want to sound negative...but I have a feeling this will not happen in my lifetime.

I think that you would be surprised. Since no one seems to think that they suck as a driver, it would be all of those 'other idiots' who would be penalized

 

[MarcosSantiago]

It might or might not happen, but I still think that we need to take some sort of initiative. ...

Agreed. At least we need to try.

Since I came to Canada I was surprised at how the gov' here treats motorcycles like cars, so bikes behave like cars and cause even more congestion, and parking scarcity.

Things should change, and it is about time to make adjustments to laws and by-laws to grant motorcycles special treatment, for parking, use of HOV, lane splitting, and more

 

[Rob MacLennan]

It will definitely NOT become a possibility here.

1) we have no hole in our ozone layer above us, so there is no- sorry,not enough of an- environmental push to reduce emissions (bikes on the road for less time = less emissions)
2) Bikes are a LOT more rare here compared to other places in the world. I think I saw 2 bikes on the way to work this morning, at least 1000 cars.
3) Who the f-bomb is gonna pay for the signs, the education of drivers, the promotion, the painting of lanes where filtering will be allowed (if you see videos of it in Cali, they have special lane markings to indicate filtering)... the tax payers?! yeah, right.

Just let it go, people. Let it go.....

Really? I saw 6 motorcycles on the road, from 5:30am to 6:00am.

 

[awyala]

People here aren't really comfortable enough with their cars in this country.

I have driven many places. I am used to being so close to the car next to me that I can touch it. If you were that close to another car in Canada, the other driver just freaks out.

Word.

I filtered up on some Dodge thing today at the front of the queue. Didn't even come close to his mirrors, but he leaned over his lady and said "hey *******, don't f'n touch my car, hey *******...", to which I leaned back and replied "Relax, I didn't touch your car, ok, didn't touch it, everything is cool". Then he crept up passing his mirrors ahead of mine, and dropped the hammer at the green.

No probs....one more educated ******. Now he knows we can both pass each other without crossing "swords", hell he can even take the lead at the green. I'm cooooooool G.

 

[awyala]

At what point does filtering become lane splitting?

"filtering" as colloquially understood is proceeding between two lanes of occupied traffic which is either stopped or at slow speed.

"lane splitting" is understood to be at slowish to regular moving speed.

I would argue "lane splitting" would begin when traffic exceeds 20 kph IMO. However for the sake of simplicity and due to the controversy it causes in this forum and Ontario, go with the simpler definition. If traffic is moving around you, you're splitting. We need to play with semantics here to intiate this awareness campaign. Shun the word splitting and promote the new and improved "filtering"

I would also argue "filtering" in moving traffic (cars moving to the left) is actually illegal, as this contravenes HTA passing rules. The passing lane must be clear of oncoming or overtaking traffic. So unless you filter past moving cars exclussively in the right lane, which reduces the amount of "safe" distance, you really are splitting hairs.

However if you see a car turned out to the right, or parked in the right lane, and you filter past, either a stopped or slow moving car (yourself in the right lane with enough room), then this is legal. The legal line comes when you cross into the left or oncoming lane to make a pass, and it is NOT clear of overtaking or oncoming traffic.

I repeat, it is stated in the HTA, unless the car in the left lane is signalling left, or is not moving, you cannot share a lane with a vehicle to your left!

So an instance where a full on moving filter would be legal is the following:

2 lanes in one direction. Car in right is slow moving, or indicating a right hand turn. Car in left, is moving slowing but signalling to make a left turn. You are NOT within 30 m of a pedestrian crossing!!!!

In this case it would be within the law to "filter" past these 2 moving vehicles to either side....IF there is sufficient room and the action is "safe"....which is of course subjective.

If however the 2 cars are stopped, then you can "filter" past them both even within 30m of a pedestrian crossing.

There are some subtle nuances to legal "filtering" in Ontario.

 

[mimico_polak]

I think that you would be surprised. Since no one seems to think that they suck as a driver, it would be all of those 'other idiots' who would be penalized

LoL that's right! I remember reading somewhere that the majority of drivers think that the majority of other drivers are idiots on the road...the stats just don't add up! Everyone's a superstar behind the wheel...

 

[awyala]

LoL that's right! I remember reading somewhere that the majority of drivers think that the majority of other drivers are idiots on the road...the stats just don't add up! Everyone's a superstar behind the wheel...

I'm the stig.

 

[mimico_polak]

I'm the stig.

The fired one? Or the current one?

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