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Lane Filtering

7K views 48 replies 16 participants last post by  kujawskir 
#1 ·
Call me uninformed. Just today I noticed last year Utah passed a bill that went into effect May, 2019 allowing limited areas where motorcycles can "filter" between stopped cars at intersections.

Please read the rules, then tell us what you think:
» The main reason is to prevent being rear-ended at red lights, i.e. it's safer between cars than behind them.
» Traffic must be stopped, no provision for any lane splitting between any moving vehicles at any speed.
» Must be between two lanes headed in the same direction.
» Maximum speed while filtering: 15 MPH
» The road must have a 45 MPH or lower speed limit. (Several sights say "under 45 MPH", the news site that seemed to be checking their facts said 45 or lower)

So what do you think, would this be good for other states as well?
 
#2 · (Edited)
I'll chime in with a few of my personal thoughts:

1) There's mountains of mole-hills to argue both ways about the problems in CA caused by splitting way outside the allowed CA law.
I'm interested more in IF we could follow any law in general and be courteous to cagers while doing it, what would make us the most safe?

2) I'm thinking the bikers between lanes should merge about even with the cagers to show them respect and gain their trust. Sure, if there's room in front of the stop line without blocking the walk-way, all MC in front will be gone before a car crossed the intersection. If MC's are lined up between two lanes, merging every other one shows more respect. Maybe more than they deserve, but a little can go a long way.

3) (In PA where splitting is not recognized as legal,) I usually line up behind the last car, aimed at and ready to jump into that space or the shoulder. I'm more nervous than I should be watching for the first car behind me to not be on the phone. I'd be more than willing to stay beside the car I was behind, and let that car go first if I could just be in more protected space, especially right after a hill or curve.

4) 45 MPH why? The danger when stopped in front of higher speed traffic is worse. This makes no sense at all to me.
 
#4 ·
First off, there aren't many over 45mph intersections. Those roads traveling that fast anyway are considered highways. Highways are designed to move mass flow quickly and orderly. Lane sifting is considered a small form of disorderly. I see two reasons to enact this rule. One, to keep the flow uniform - orderly. As for highways, you can always easily pass so there is no real need anyway. On the contrary, passing in slow speed area's are nearly impossible in traffic, so sifting becomes a plus at a red light to take advantage. Sifting in slow speed is beneficial for slower speed orderly cause slower speed is far less orderly, we have all seen how these crazies drive. Bikes ahead of the line usually disperse well ahead of traffic naturally, so this helps get them out of the equation.

So as to where you think the primary reason for sifting is rear end collision's is not the case. The real argument is traffic/logistics. The small safety factor here is just a bonus. A car behind a bike driving down the road isn't much different than one coming to a red light.

As for general lane spitting, it is total disorderly - chaos. Safety goes down for all!
 
#10 ·
So as to where you think the primary reason for sifting is rear end collision's is not the case. The real argument is traffic/logistics. The small safety factor here is just a bonus. A car behind a bike driving down the road isn't much different than one coming to a red light.
I agree with you, and the true hidden reason might be as you say. Most of the news articles on the new Utah bill state directly they used rear end collisions as the "stated" main reason, some including the statistic that 102 people were rear ended in 100 days.
 
#5 ·
Lane filtering and lane splitting are two completely different animals. Filtering allows a motorcycle to move slowly to the front at traffic lights while traffic is stopped. Lane splitting forces another vehicle at great risk to share the lane with a motorcycle while traffic is moving. Filtering is considered much safer over splitting in actual practice since it minimally interferes with the flow of traffic if done correctly. It normally poses only a small risk to rider and other surrounding vehicles compared to lane splitting. Its still a compromise and risk still does exist but not nearly as much. The biggest problem with filtering is overcrowding. Too many motorcycles and cars packed together at a controlled intersection can create logjams thereby interfering with traffic movement. Left and right turns can become a serious problem adding to the confusion. Another major problem deals with vehicles pulling out of parking lots. Filtering forward between stopped cars can easily result in T-bone type collisions.
 
#11 ·
The biggest problem with filtering is overcrowding. Too many motorcycles and cars packed together at a controlled intersection can create logjams thereby interfering with traffic movement. ...

Another major problem deals with vehicles pulling out of parking lots. Filtering forward between stopped cars can easily result in T-bone type collisions.
Agreed, if we could take off and merge well as part of accelerating that might help. CSA coverage on this won't be easy.

Vehicles pulling out is why I think 15 MPH is too high a speed for some riders. At that speed I would slow to 5 before every break in the lines, I already do on a two lane when only one lane is stopped. I can't expect everyone to do that.
 
#6 ·
I "filter" at intersections and "lane share" (that's the legal term in CA) at slow speeds. We have many times, on freeways with 65 mph speed limits, and sometimes on the ones with 70 mph limits, that traffic is dead stopped for long periods. I "filter" through the stopped traffic, and "Lane share" when it's just crawling. My personal limit is around 20mph. CA Guidelines (not laws) suggest that the rider should not be going more than 5mph faster than the cars or truck they are passing between, so If traffic is moving at 15, I'm doing 20 and that's enough for me. Many times, I have to pull into a lane to let other, faster, riders go by me. My feeling is if they want to piss-off every cager, I'm not going to get in their way, but I won't participate in high speed lane splitting.

As I've said on other threads, I won't be sitting, stopped, behind a black smoke belching diesel pickup, unless I'm in a cage with a HEPA cabin air filter, on the A/C system.

This is just my opinion on what I see as "right" for me. I recognize all other riders' and cagers' opinion.
 
#13 ·
I hope anyone who against lane splitting has a huge experience of it to know all the pros and cons.

Nope. I don’t need to stick my bare hand into boiling water to know that it is a very bad idea.

First of all – for those who actually bother to look up NTSB and NHTSA studies when there is a rear end accident between a motorcycle and car, 2/3 of the time the motorcycle is the second vehicle and is at fault. Go watch some motorcycle crash compilations on YouTube for the anecdotal confirmations.

Second – If you don’t want to get rear ended, learn to use those things on your bike called mirrors. Every time someone is behind I watch the person. Are they middle aged with hands at 10-2 or are they young and I can’t see any hands (likely because there is a cell phone in one)? Are the weaving in the lane because they aren’t paying attention? Are they maintaining a proper following distance and slowing down when I slow down. When I’ve had someone behind me who keeps looking down below the dashboard line, I change lanes or let them pass me. Even to the point of entering the center turn lane, letting them go by and then pulling back in behind them. When I come to a stop I watch the person behind me until I’m sure they are stopping. If I don’t see eyeballs and am not sure they are going to stop I hold down the horn button until I get the “deer in the headlights” look and they hit the brakes.

Third – For those who haven’t spent much time overseas, this country has a very deeply ingrained tradition of “You get in line and wait your turn”. Letting bikes filter just will make people think “What in the heck makes you so special you can jump the line” and will piss people off. Maybe enough to have one of them have a nice road rage incident with you.

Filtering is a bad idea. So is lane splitting.

Steve
 
#8 ·
Saw lane filtering occur in Florida one day and immediately a cop chases the guy down into a Lowes parking lot....I followed and could hear the cop giving the guy "The Briefing" from a long ways away...


"I don't care how they do it in California, this is Florida and If I see you do that again"
Whew...


Shaking his finger at him and holding a ticket book in other hand...
 
#9 ·
So for those in the state that don't know the law exists, will see the bike coming up the side of his car and stop at the line, making the car guy mad.
NOT a good thing.
They had better make this WELL KNOWN.

And why only at a stop?
DO you have a lot of problems with bikes/cars getting rear ended in Utah??
Haven't heard of any here.
I just see this as a bit weird.
 
#12 ·
I'm nowhere near Utah, but I heard nothing until after it took effect. "They" in the news about it claim the waiting period after it was passed was to be used educating the people of Utah about the coming change. Maybe on local Utah stations? And none of our friends in Utah mentioned it? LOL.

Even worse, the same rule has a much lesser advertised automatic sunset date. They intend to force the law makers to study results and modify it for more safety. The affect, if nothing permanent gets backed, is the whole thing dissolves leaving riders possibly unaware when it becomes illegal again.
 
#15 · (Edited)
This water is surprisely cold.

First and Second - I'm not only about safety or rear end collisions. Lane splitting is better for everyone including motorists. If there are:
1 - good safety rules
2 - police officers will be watching for people following these rules the same way they are watching for non-lane splitting now.

Third - educate people. Time is going on. Not so far some white people was pissed off and it was enough for them to fall into "rage" if they see black people in the same bus or room with them... lots of examples like this (including California). It is "safe" to drive motorcycle without helmet, but no lane splitting. 100 years ago speed limit was 12-15 mph. etc...
 
#16 ·
This water is surprisely cold.

First and Second - I'm not only about safety or rear end collisions. Lane splitting is better for everyone including motorists. If there are:
1 - good safety rules
2 - police officers will be watching for people following these rules the same way they are watching for non-lane splitting now.

...
We can't expect police to correct main beams not striking the ground, or "off road use only" lights as a fog light on even when it's not foggy, or cell phone use when it's in plain sight, and, well the list just goes on. Now we want to add more the list they can be blamed for? Filtering only around stopped traffic, only at low speeds, etc, etc, may be easily watched but the police should have better things to do. Splitting at near posted safe limits within MPH difference allotted requires two locked in radar/laser readings and math in short periods of time, documented clear enough to pass a judgement test.

I think your education idea is more likely to be a better start. Policing is education by example, one at a time in front of very small audiences. IPV6 is up and running because there's more need for connections than 256 raised to 4th power could support. Surely we can do better than impromptu roadside lectures? Otherwise the good safety rules are pointless, and we may as well scrap the whole idea.
 
#19 ·
I would think that filtering on the Highway would make more sense as at the Intersections often times you can use the right turn only lane to quickly pass the slow poke in front of you. Heck, I've been doing that in my car too. On the highway, however, once you are stuck, you are stuck. You can't use emergency lane for passing and exits are few and far between. It gets so bad that when I ride the bike, I just take side roads, it's the same time, but at least I am moving.


Here in Maryland, they briefly considered lane filtering, but quickly nixed the idea at the root. Here is the biggest issue and why I only "right lane pass" at rural intersections, the red light running has been so blatant in my area that the going rule when the right turns green is to look at both directions for runners before crossing the intersection. Filtering motorcycle, assuming the try to beat the traffic and get ahead, would be killed on the spot by that runner.
 
#20 ·
Steve and igeorge -
Very good points.

I have never lane split, and do not want to.
It just seems like an accident waiting to happen.
And maybe in Cali where it has been in effect for a while people are used to it.

I went to San Fran two years ago and saw lane splitting, and just watched for the biker to get taken down by a car switching lanes.
It didnt happen but that was my take on it since it was so foreign to me.
If they did that here they'd need a ton of money to make a special lane just for that purpose, and tax the crap out of us for it!
 
#21 ·
Life is simple, so is the explanation for this. Lane splitting/filtering is great if EVERYONE follows the rules. As is, those idiotic cagers don’t even see and hit each other, and the idiotic riders think they are in a stunt movie. Thus, most not following the rules. No way in **** in LOUISIANA, no way.
 
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#27 ·
I've taken a variety of defensive driving courses and usually learn a thing or two from each (although I don't always apply them...). One tactic is to stop about 4 car lengths behind the stop line or the person in front of you. as a vehicle approaches you, you can slowly move forward as they get a bit closer. If someone is not going to stop, you have greater space to use to avoid the incoming driver or get the **** out of there.
 
#32 ·
4 car length's? That is huge!

#1, You will be observed as still approaching the light at a glimpse, so you are making it more dangerous for yourself as the driver is coming in faster and with even shorter distance for them to stop. You won't be knocked down, but rather launched like a ball getting hit with a bat.

#2 A car coming from speed is coming to you much faster than you can pull out of the way. Not unless you are eyeballing severely and on the throttle to go in an instant, then there is pretty much no hope to avoid impact anyway. Even if you did evade, where are you going? Into a busy intersection, a ditch, a car etc. Eyeballing the vehicle and whats going on around you can't be fully synchronized.
 
#28 ·
Love ya JFC but "Lane filtering and lane splitting are two completely different animals." is nonsense. No two vehicles can have legal authority over the same geography at the same time. A lane is never divisible and a second licensed vehicle, moving or not, cannot occupy the same space. No court is going to divide a lane to the judgement of a driver/rider. The only reason CA has lane splitting is the CHP. They advocate for it. I live here. I see it and read the laws. I love ya JFC, but lane splitting can never be legally supported.
 
#30 ·
Hate to tell you this but the official legal term in California making it legal is "Lane Sharing" and yes, you are required to share the lane. CHP actually recommended doing away with lane sharing/spitting but it was shot down in Committee based on political reasons. They then presented specific laws they wished to be enacted based on their previous rules and recommendations giving them some legal control over lane sharing. Again, this was shot down in Committee for political reasons. The Legislature did approve CHP to come up with non binding recommendations but these carry no legal weight and are unenforceable.
 
#29 ·
Dan, I will respect your opinion, but I will also state that I've been riding in CA since the spring of '65, and I "lane filter" (between stopped vehicles) almost everyday. If you can call traveling between vehicles at speeds under 15-20 mph lane splitting, then I do that too. I do NOT lane share when traffic is moving faster than 20mph. My "commute" is 150 miles from Sacramento to San Jose, and almost every morning there is a traffic report of "rider down in the left lane" which is usually a "High Speed, Lane Splitting, Organ Donor". When we look at the number of fatalities on motorcycles (there is a current thread about that here) the biggest causes listed are lack of helmet, and alcohol use while riding. I think that high speed lane splitting (in CA) can also be a contributor to that.
 
#34 ·
JFC you have more experience than most riders. It is appreciated here. Opinions and emotions about lane filtering/splitting/etc. are, unfortunately, irrelevant. No two registered vehicles can legally occupy the same geography at the same time. California has not had the case reach any court to legitimize any version or naming of lane splitting/filtering. What CHP (California Highway Patrol) says is irrelevant . Their opinions have no weight in court. The courts will never adjudicate that a motorcyclist has the authority to override the lane authority of any vehicle by any form of lane splitting. It will never happen. Motorcycle riders will always be vulnerable to careless vehicle riders. You know that, since you've personally experienced it.


Lane splitting/filtering/whatever will never be legalized. Motorcyclists will always be at the mercy of vehicles.


Your riding experience on this forum is invaluable. Lane splitting by any name will never be legal to the advantage of a cyclist.



IMHO.
 
#36 ·
For safety, I don’t think I would bother with filtering. However, when touring on our Vespas, we have been stuck in some pretty hairy construction lines, etc and just sitting there is sooooo frustrating. Our Vespas have an overheating fan that will turn on and off and on and off....filtering there would make sense. I just keep thinking some bloke will see me coming and block my way or open a door or something. People can be cruel to others when it comes to driving anything. I can’t get over the me first attitude in my state. No one cuts anyone a quarter around here.
 
#41 ·
For safety, I don’t think I would bother with filtering. However, when touring on our Vespas, we have been stuck in some pretty hairy construction lines, etc and just sitting there is sooooo frustrating. Our Vespas have an overheating fan that will turn on and off and on and off....filtering there would make sense. I just keep thinking some bloke will see me coming and block my way or open a door or something. People can be cruel to others when it comes to driving anything. I can’t get over the:( looking at some videos yesterday and a m/c was lane splitting. He passed between two vehicles that were centred in their respective lanes. Oh ya, one little point. One vehicle was a truck with high barn door type gates on the back; as the mc went by, the gate swung out and clipped him. He was lucky in that he got some damage to his bags; a fraction of a section earlier, could have hit him putting him down and under the wheels of a following vehicle... would not have been avoided.
 
#49 ·
Call me uninformed. Just today I noticed last year Utah passed a bill that went into effect May, 2019 allowing limited areas where motorcycles can "filter" between stopped cars at intersections.
Here's a simple and safe lane filter class from a license examiner in the UK. He uses the word filter for moving or stopped traffic where we get bent out of shape arguing over the terms they simple cover the safe methods and rules. Excellent addition of the zigzag line explanation, too.




I advocate not passing the cars with a break between them in several difference situations - looks like most of those would have a zigzag line in the UK. One might say we in the US *should* come up with any similar meaningful marks and install them before starting legal use of lane splitting, filtering, or whatever you care to call it. A little late for that now, I guess.

Part of why we fail is in not looking at why it works in other countries.
 
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