Legal or Reckless Filtering???

Does anyone know what speed filtering becomes illegal wreckless riding?
I had to do a 25 mile filter on the M1 yesterday and wasn't sure if I was filtering or riding like a lemon!!

My guess is this, technically filtering is only when the cars are stationary but I reckon they were travelling an average of 40mph and was doing around 45-50....

It's a matter of opinion of the policeman viewing and the courts I reckon, but I'm sure one of our many boys in blue will answer definitively soon. If I'm going past a police car in traffic I usually stick to within 10 miles of the speed limit, or 10 mph faster than the traffic, whichever's slowest, but if you get pulled don't say 'well Bear told me..."

More than 10mph faster than the other traffic is regarded reckless by most police officers, but it is a mtter of opinion to that officer. Another factor is also in your method of filtering, location, road lay out.

Basically on motorways, filter in one lane only (between 1&2 or 2&3 lanes) and less than 10mph faster than the other traffic and you will be ok.

There is no law on filtering, just a officers view of road safety and filtering traffic doing less than 30mph is really the only sensible option as you have time to react and will be less likely to be not seen.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Sevorg

My guess is this, technically filtering is only when the cars are stationary but I reckon they were travelling an average of 40mph and was doing around 45-50....

If you averaged 45mph and the traffic averaged 40mph, 25 miles later you would arrive 4.5 minutes ahead of where you'd be if you'd sat in the queue...

meanwhile you'd have spent over half an hour trying to pick your way through traffic doing 40mph, a speed at which i doubt many would be expecting a motorcycle to come between them and the lane next door, and your chances of getting side-swiped would be about as high as they get

illegal or not, i probably wouldn't think the reward justified the risk...

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

If you averaged 45mph and the traffic averaged 40mph, 25 miles later you would arrive 4.5 minutes ahead of where you'd be if you'd sat in the queue...
illegal or not, i probably wouldn't think the reward justified the risk...

Good point well put. Thanks - I will take this on board next time I'm trying to rush home to beat the fall of darkness. After all, what are headlights for?? probably see you coming just as well!!

Cheers for the help all.

I'm with t.l.w on this. If the traffic is making "decent" progress, I'm quite happy to be part of the queue.
I thought the law in the UK was that filtering through stationary or very slow traffic is legal but "lane splitting" moving traffic is not.

It can be very tempting to filter in situations like that, and I can't say I've never done it, but as lone_wolf has said, probably not worth the risk to you health / bike. I occasionally cut betwen two cars if the idiot in the faster lane is just dithering level with the slower one, but not down a whole line of cars.

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

If you averaged 45mph and the traffic averaged 40mph, 25 miles later you would arrive 4.5 minutes ahead of where you'd be...

With a massive grin on your face and a lot less stress and tension than the fools in cars. Stress and tension can lead to heart attacks you know. I just don't think the reward of being 5 minutes late justify the risk...

I usually initiate a moving filter when traffic speed drops to 20mph or so and come out of it when it gets back to 40 - 50mph

[Sid Squid]

Yes, if you're wreckless try to keep it that way.

If, however, you are reckless you're chances of staying wreckless diminish greatly.