Bad filtering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oeyk_UuT60&list=UUQl60-CGFn6JPZeJhVqT6HQ

Here’s a recent video of a knob on the A13. He couldn’t ride behind the small train of bikes progressing well between the traffic.
He decides to double our speed and filter between lanes 1 & 2. Seems to get away with it a couple of times but forgets
that he’s going way faster than the other traffic and ends up slamming into the back of the yellow VW.

Drivers on the A13 are fairly good to bikes for the most part, if filtering between 2 & 3, but will not be paying much attention to the gap between 1 & 2.

Please all remember that filtering is a fairly dangerous privilege we enjoy over other traffic, not a competition to see who can travel at 10 times the speed,
of a column of unpredictable tin boxes.

Only good thing about the guy is that he’s wearing leathers and gets up pretty quick.

(Light blue touch paper and wait for the show)

Wow, I really envy the gap the cars leave you. Wish they did this on the A4!

6.15.

This video is shorter, and more interesting

What’s wrong with using the gap between lanes one and two on a three lane plus road to filter? It’s no more hazardous than using any other lane. Did you see what happened? Can you be 100% sure that it was the bikers speed that was the cause of the collision and not the Veedub’s? I don’t condone fast filtering (I’m a right girly slowcoach wuss myself), but if the lead bikes didn’t have the courtesy to pull in and let the faster biker through, then surely it’s better for said faster biker to make his / her through via a different lane rather than harassing the bikes in front to let them pass?

And I notice that you didn’t stop to help and was more concerned with carrying on you journey. Offers to help move the bike or take photos, witness details etc. would’ve been greatly appreciated, I’m sure.

Touch paper smoldering nicely :stuck_out_tongue:

If you are not helping you were hindering so move on. Can’t be a witness if you didn’t see the collision, doesn’t need immediate first aid, other bikers have stopped to assist. Police vehicle is two vehiuckes away. Better to get out of the way once you have assessed the situation.

Yep, the guy was up on his feet, probably bruised, there were other vehicles already stopped and assisting, so got out of the way.
You were only seeing what the camera captured, not the activities out of shot.
If the guy was in a bad way, then I would have stopped.

As for Janey’s other comments, I’ll wait a bit longer for some more replies before I do. See what other opinions are about using lanes 1 & 2. and relative speed.:wink:

First post and you’re giving us a lecture already, welcome to LB :w00t:

First off I must second Janey’s opinion. There’s nothing in that video to suggest the motorcyclist is in any way at fault, you’re simple making an ASSUMPTION based on your OPINION of something that happened earlier.

Now follows a brief lecture from Art, did anyone see that coming :Whistling:

Filtering is a dangerous game at the best of times. In the name of self preservation I’ll always give way to anyone one filtering up behind me and that includes peds and ‘L’ platers. Not because they’re any faster than me because they’re not, they’re just willing to take more risks so I let them get on with it. The reward for my gallantry is I get a wider filtering path as more of the vehicles ahead check their rear views and move over a little. Giving me, the gallant hero of the filtering path, slightly more tarmac to play with and reducing my filtering risk, try it, you’ll like it :wink:

Janey, you surprised me there

You shouldn’t filter between lanes one and two on a three lane carriageway because its higher risk and is the wrong thing to be doing for so many other reasons. To help have a better understanding of what filtering is and how it should be done substitute ‘filtering’ for the Americanism ‘lane splitting’ and it becomes a little clearer where your road position should be. Imagine your a motorist in lane two with a regular stream of filtering motorcyclists coming up your nearside and offside, how would you feel about that?Some other considerations includeOther motorists expect motorcycles to be filtering between lanes two and three.There are more trucks, caravans and wider vehicles in lanes one and two leaving you a narrower filtering path, even though lane one may be wider than the other two.You’ll encounter more vehicles making sudden lane changes from two to one having seen their off slip late.You’ll encounter more vehicles making sudden lane changes from one to two as the boy/girl racers join from the on slip too eager to be the car in front.Vehicles in lane two will be randomly drifting left to make space for motorcycles filtering on their right. Note you’re likely to be part blame for a collision if a vehicle in lane two randomly drifts right into a filtering motorcyclist because you’ve come up their near side unexpectedly and startled them.

I like to keep you on your toes :D.

I agree with pretty much most of your points, especially that other road users don’t expect to see you filtering in any other position except between the innermost lanes. But can you post a link to the stats that show the breakdown of where on a three lane plus road accidents involving filtering bikers take place? Or is it more a case of perceived risk rather than actual risk for filtering between one and two? You could also argue that by using that position to filter, you become extra vigilant with your observations and therefore reduce the likelihood of a collision? Just a thought. In regards to your last point, whichever lanes you choose to filter between, you will always be undertaking someone.

the A13 is lovely and wide, I filter in both 1&2 and 2&3 on the A13 with relative safety. I agree with Janey on this, the lead bike should move, Like Art I always move aside if a braver bike comes up behind me and for the exact same reasons.

Filtering speed is to not filter once traffic is doing circa 30mph. You braking distances are just too short and reaction times won’t make up the loss. My opinion is that he was going far to quickly for the traffic conditions. Nothing you can do as a witness, you did not see anything happen. Your camera just captures the aftermath of the event. Rider was up and walking, had other people looking after him. Move on and clear the traffic queue. I’m happy to be part of the filtering train, but ride my own ride and don’t race past as cars to change lanes without looking/indicating.

Personal experience Janey. Giuliano is the one for the statistics, although I’d doubt if even he could point us in the right direction. I’d imagine it pretty much impossible to meaningfully calculate the number of riders using each lane vs the number of incidents for each lane, a proper Mark Twain but you knew that :wink:

I’ve often wondered why The Highway Code doesn’t include some detail on filtering protocol, every other legitimate road manoeuvre appears to be covered! I’m sure I heard of a new element to the car driving test that touches on filtering, but no mention f it in The Highway Code apart from the cautionary note for motorcyclists to take care when filtering in slow-moving traffic and to keep their speed down.

Shame on you filtering between lanes one and two Sam :w00t:

I was told when doing my DAS that filtering between 1&2 was an illegal manoeuvre along with excessive weaving and speed when doing it in 2&3, took the word of the instructor so anyone know if this is true

Taking into account correct lane discipline that would be a logical conclusion, what would the offence be

Driving without due care and attention
Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users
Dangerous Driving
Furious driving

They’ll all earn you 3 to 9 penalty points, which could be an instant ban for many

I hate people that filter between 1&2 it just pushes everyone towards the normal people who filter between 2&3.

Art, just seemed common sense to me especially ref your points on on/off slip roads, I never use 1&2, would rather wait for a suitable gap in 2&3

I filter like a slalom skier on crack. Do I win five pounds?

+10000 :D:D

£5.00 Woolies voucher in the post :wink:

lol.

I use 1&2 on the A13 as sometimes 2&3 is solid, and it’s so wide it doesn’t seem a problem, I don’t do it at breakneck speeds and not doing it to gain ground only if its “Safe” to do so. I wouldn’t do it on a tight road.

Last night on the M25 there was a 2 mile tai back up to the Tunnel, I was filtering in every lane to get through and went past a few police cars. but to be honest I will hold my hands up and say I didn’t know it was illegal, but reading your reasoning then it is pretty likely it could be illegal.

+2 :smiley: