Filtering - police view

lots of conflicting views here! its interesting that we can all be prosecuted for something we're not sure where its legal. Certainly my motorbike school said filtering was legal in stationary traffic only, but that link is well worth a read and seems credible.

Originally Posted by injury_ian

traffic was 55-65 i wanted to make progress 70-75

hope you wear lots of body armour ...............

thats just being daft, at that speed youd rightly atract plods attention...........if you last that long,
theres not much chance of you being able to react fast enough at that speed to an emerging hazzard, it doent matter how good a rider you are, cars just arent expecting stuff to move between lanes at that speed.

i recently did bike safe in north yorks, and was told that filtering is deffinately not illegal, whilst undertaking deffinately is, and that 10-15 mph above the speed of traffic your filtering through would be an acceptable speed, much faster, and things happen to fast in a hazzard, and also that regardless of fault if you have an accident whilst filtering its generally accepted (rightly or wrongly) that your behaviour will have been a contributing factor.

i commute daily through a city centre and theres deffinately an art to safe filtering, youve got to be smooth and steady and so awkae your eyes sting!!!
everything on the road either wants to wear you or block you, so many people drive half asleep.

Originally Posted by injury_ian

traffic was 55-65 i wanted to make progress 70-75

Originally Posted by Captain Nemo

hope you wear lots of body armour ...............

thats just being daft, at that speed youd rightly atract plods attention...........if you last that long,
theres not much chance of you being able to react fast enough at that speed to an emerging hazzard, it doent matter how good a rider you are, cars just arent expecting stuff to move between lanes at that speed.

i recently did bike safe in north yorks, and was told that filtering is deffinately not illegal, whilst undertaking deffinately is, and that 10-15 mph above the speed of traffic your filtering through would be an acceptable speed, much faster, and things happen to fast in a hazzard, and also that regardless of fault if you have an accident whilst filtering its generally accepted (rightly or wrongly) that your behaviour will have been a contributing factor.

i commute daily through a city centre and theres deffinately an art to safe filtering, youve got to be smooth and steady and so awkae your eyes sting!!!
everything on the road either wants to wear you or block you, so many people drive half asleep.

I'm with injury_ian on this one.

I quite regularly filter at "NSL" speeds. However, the only real danger to me most of the time would be getting squashed between 2 vehicles. Other times, I'm in a completely empty lane. All of this happens on dual carriage way, although I have been known to filter faster on motorways.

I fully accept that should I cause another driver to alter their behaviour in any way shape or form, that I'm commiting an act of driving without due care. Should police be around at the time, I also accept that I deserve what I get. Perticularly on the A55, if traffic drops below 70mph, I filter.

I know the chance of a car moving into the path of another car, and it's minimal at best. I also know the chance of a car deciding they want to drive into the armco (and yes, I've been between a car & an armco before now). Again, minimal. I also accept that they could have a blow out & that would make them swerve unintentionally. Again, minimal risk. I only place my bike where there's minimal risk, and I always have a get out clause. When I'm filtering, I'm there too long if I'm at the side of a car for half a second!

However, undertaking is definately illegal? Please refer that BikeSafe group to the Highway code! It quite clearly states that you're permitted to pass traffic moving in the same direction as you are, and that traffic is to your right (ie, you're undertaking) when traffic is "stationary or moving slower than your vehicle."

I'll get down off the soap box now, the above is how I ride. Feel free to throw stones, just be careful of the construction of your walls first.

Captain Nemo, as Baph says, the highway code is quite clear on the matter. Undertaking is not automatically illegal. It's only if a police officer deems you to be driving dangerously they'd do you for it (IE you're undertaking a line of middle lane morons at over a ton) and that is what you'd be charged with (dangerous driving).

I believe that an over-taking /under-taking manoeuvre is changing speed and direction to pass another car. SO... if you were in the left hand lane of a dual carriageway/motorway at 70 and there was a lane hogger in the right hand lane doing 65, as long as you dont speed up or change lane to pass them it is acceptable. This is because you have not done anything other than what you had been doing for the last X miles. If you understand this drivel.

Originally Posted by Colby

I believe that an over-taking /under-taking manoeuvre is changing speed and direction to pass another car. SO... if you were in the left hand lane of a dual carriageway/motorway at 70 and there was a lane hogger in the right hand lane doing 65, as long as you dont speed up or change lane to pass them it is acceptable. This is because you have not done anything other than what you had been doing for the last X miles. If you understand this drivel.

I am with you on this one. That's how I understand it. I am lso having inferiority complex here. I filter slowly and even so I always feel I am in a danger of being hit by some morons. I understand the risks of filtering and I try to balance the reward/risk issue. But reading about you guys filtering at 70 at A road I cannot help thinking
1) You are fantastic riders
2) You are just plane stupid

But perhaps it is a bit of both? But I admire people who have been riding for years and ride fast and smooth yet safe!

I would never claim #1. #2 I'm pretty happy with though.

Originally Posted by northwind

Just about every time someone passes me when I'm "making progress" on my commute is, IMO, riding dangerously. But then, just about everyone I pass probably thinks I'm riding dangerously

"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?"

- George Carlin -

[northwind]

Unsurprisingly he put it better than me! But I wouldn't quite agree, most of the people I pass are riding perfectly sensibly and appropriately. Progressing in traffic is really the only thing I do better than most people on a bike, I'm slow and cowardly in the twisties or on a track...

Still unsure if im being dangerous here. seems to make sense, if there is a gap, then i can fill it. I am moving same speed / few mph faster than traffic.

I dont concider myself as experianced at all, been riding since january, i have racked up 2000 miles.

I do wear full leather 2 piece in any weather. BTW

Im doing me Bikesafe on tuesday so i may ask mr plod what the score is. (i darent ask me dad as he'd have kittens - ex traffic cop)