Motorcycle Filtering on multi lane motorways.
Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:37 pm
At the risk of awaking a sleeping dragon, a healthy discussion on Motorcycle Filtering has been ongoing for some time on another website, and a poster there has said
To which I have replied
I will at time filter like the OP (who is himself a biker) in 2/3 but I will do so with even more care than usuall but I wonder at his NEVER EVER stance. what think the rest of our PTW.
In regard to filtering on motorways etc, NEVER, EVER filter between lanes one and two - pure stupidity, and bikers regularly get the wayne kerr handshake from me if I see them doing it. I very nearly took a biker off once when I was in a van because he was going that. I saw the guy filtering between lanes two and three and moved over to make space, didn't check my nearside mirror and very nearly hit the guy racing through on my nearside.
I do however filter between lanes two and three, sometimes at speed (within the limits, but through "flowing" traffic).
To which I have replied
D***,
I have to ask you why not between 1/2 as there is indeed reduced likelyhood to be conflict from other vehicles.
The lane 1 nearside traffic, is only in general having to be aware of offside hazards so is not likely to be moving out without a mirror check (usuall caveat there though and also aproaching on and off slips and junctions ) particularly as it is not having to allow for the nearside checks and the lane two traffic will be anticipating a lane 1/2 swaps and should be watching for that, but out in 2/3 you will have folks moving in all directions with the potential of even more conflict, particularly from folks doing the lane 1 (its for lorries), 2 (I stay here all the time unless I want to go faster) 3 (and I own the fast lane) shuffle who will not have seen you in the offside edge of lane 2.
I will however say up front that the Mways up here are in general twins with 3s only in certain urban sections and that they are in general less congested than down there, (tell that to the q's approaching the M8 Kingston bridge sections in glasgow, which is one of the busiest river crossings in europe at peak times) but the principal maintains.
I will at time filter like the OP (who is himself a biker) in 2/3 but I will do so with even more care than usuall but I wonder at his NEVER EVER stance. what think the rest of our PTW.