What countries allow filtering or lane splitting?

Rhubarbray said:
In Ontario, yes, we can drive, BUT we can't drive WELL. Filtering is something that needs attention, recognition, and acceptance from all of driving society.
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While it is probably considered as courteous in most North American jurisdictions to not hold up others in the left-hand lane it is not illegal to drive in the left-hand lane in many jurisdictions so it can't be assumed that the person in front of you is disregarding a law.

People everywhere seem to think that the driver's in their area are worse than everywhere else. Truth be known drivers are probably equally as good and bad in most areas of North America when compared to other similar areas in North America with similar driving conditions.

Your point is well taken however. I think in most areas where lane-splitting has never been the norm a massive public education campaign would be required before it was allowed to take place. Otherwise there would certainly be cases of road rage and vigilante justice being executed by self-appointed cops who believe that they have somehow been wronged because motorcycles are not waiting their turn behind them.
 
Rhubarbray said:
Many times here and in the US I've been in the left hand ( passing ) lane only to come up behind someone doing exactly the speed limit and refusing to move over. I can plainly hear their thoughts as if there was a neon sign on the car roof. " I'm doing the limit and you should be too" . Just one example but I have many, many more.
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More likely, the left lane speed limit driver probably is enjoying a long trip by setting their cruise control at the speed limit and staying in the left lane where they won't catch up to anyone and need to hit the brakes or change their speed, nor worry about getting a ticket for speeding.

. . . and of course there's the added benefit of being able to focus more intently on texting, eating and catching up on their reading. ;)

Shuey
 
GryST said:
Here is my experience in the left lane: sometimes when I'm closing in on a left lane camper, they see me and move over to the middle lane. Other times, I have to flash high beams for them to get the message. And lastly if nothing works (totally clueless), I'd move over myself and pass.
If traffic is rather dens and you can't move cas there other cars in a parallel lane and the asshole is not passing or moving over, this can easily escalate into a road rage. These idiots who can check-brakes on you, or block you when you're filtering. The psychos are out there "enforcing" the law.
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In North Carolina, you can get a ticket for aggressive driving for flashing your headlights to tell folks to move over.
 
st11ray said:
In North Carolina, you can get a ticket for aggressive driving for flashing your headlights to tell folks to move over.
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Same here in the UK. You can also get a ticket for hanging around in the passing lane.
 
Upt' North said:
As far as I am aware it is legal in Europe with the exception of Germany where you will be shot at dawn at the waters edge for even minor infringement. That's if the Passat estate drivers don't swerve into you first to make sure you are aware of "Ze Highway Code Englander".
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Quite accurate description though... :thumb:
Far more: they actually live the ignorant misconception that the German Highway Code applies in ALL European nations... hence (attempting) "enforcement" by swerving into you in Italy, France or Spain... :mad:
Thus fequent hefty debates with those "Klingon tourists" here in AuSTria (filtering stationary traffic legal, lane splitting in moving traffic however not...), adressing me/othere riders with 'obscene names' over/for passing by them at red lights/queues... :rolleyes:
OTOH am I shaking my head in amused disbelief over german riders sitting endlessly in stationary traffic somewhere in France or Italy, with ambient temps of 35°C and more, despite the fact that literally hundrets of local riders (as well experienced ones from other countries) already show how to pass by...
We had Gendarmes actually holding the traffic for us near Nice while we were 'flying' by the gridlock at the town entrance... go figure...

My rule of thumb: when abroad, do as the locals do... within the boundaries of common sense of course...
 
ST1100Y said:
Quite accurate description though... :thumb:
Far more: they actually live the ignorant misconception that the German Highway Code applies in ALL European nations... hence (attempting) "enforcement" by swerving into you in Italy, France or Spain... :mad:
Thus fequent hefty debates with those "Klingon tourists" here in AuSTria (filtering stationary traffic legal, lane splitting in moving traffic however not...), adressing me/othere riders with 'obscene names' over/for passing by them at red lights/queues... :rolleyes:
OTOH am I shaking my head in amused disbelief over german riders sitting endlessly in stationary traffic somewhere in France or Italy, with ambient temps of 35°C and more, despite the fact that literally hundrets of local riders (as well experienced ones from other countries) already show how to pass by...
We had Gendarmes actually holding the traffic for us near Nice while we were 'flying' by the gridlock at the town entrance... go figure...

My rule of thumb: when abroad, do as the locals do... within the boundaries of common sense of course...
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+1 Buddy. Glad it wasn't my own perception. I was travelling North in Western Germany on the Autobahn a couple of years ago, it was at least 35c ambient and the Germans on their K1600GSRT1200RS thingymabobs just sat in line in the miles of stationary traffic. If looks could kill we wouldn't have got out alive. Even the German motorcyclists were waving aggressively at the stupid Englander and Er'Indoors.
Your point on the French attitude is very accurate and apt, if anyone has any doubts on filtering go around the peripherique at rush hour. I think rush hour is about 0500 to 2300. The French car drivers have a built in sense for the position of motorcyclists, it almost like watching automotive ballet to the backdrop of Akropovics. I wonder if it's because every French citizen are riding Scooters from an early age.
Upt'North.
 
fnmag said:
We have the same signs in Arizona as well as
calif. and most of the western states.
Sadly, I've never seen the signs enforced, much to my dismay.
Except for enforcement, I don't see any solution.
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+1 The US is not a country were 'Left Lane for Passing Only' is taught. Way back when- there was Drivers Ed in schools. No more and I have no problem with that. It did not teach me the left lane passing only culture as it was not CA law.

There used to be lots of SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT signs but also- no more. They're may be some still around but it's not an easy law to enforce as you have to see it to cite it.

Off the top of my head CA has two vehicle impeding traffic laws but none say anything about 'passing only' for left lane traffic. In truth we have far too many vehicles to make that anywhere close to practical. As it is we have far too few police to really enforce our HOV commitment to <10% violators.

Every driver figures they're better than anybody and everybody else. . 'It's not me- it's The Other Guy!' Therefore they can speed safely but not TOG. They can break the law because they do it safely. It's TOG that's the problem. 'Why are you giving me a ticket? Go find TOG!'

Trouble is even TOG can break the law safely from time to time. So a good general rule is cite everybody. Because whether it's the first time in years somebody to come to a completed stop or didn't use their signals or drove faster than posted or it's how they roll a cop's not doing to know the difference.

Operating a motor vehicle is largely done on the honor system and that's just wrong. There are too many casual drivers to presume who's habitual and who's just haven't been caught. Yet.

I've seen both sides of an 'impeding traffic' situation. The guy's doing the speed limit and won't budge. Agreed- not good. But then there's the driver who rolls right up in their tail- unsafe at any speed. (Sorry Ralph.) Honking and madly flashing headlights- they need to be jacked up. What also amazes me is that often there is nobody or next to nobody in the 2 lane and that second vehicle on seeing they were rapidly overtaking someone could have safely changed lanes and gone around. Boom done. But nooooo. 'I'm in the fast lane going fast! Outta my way!!'

I would thing hanging back a safe distance and blipping your lights a couple of times shouldn't be considered agressive driving. But I guess in some places you end up trying to plead that position in court.

And I see nothing wrong with vigorously enforcing actual laws as determined by statute and case. Making revenue for the city county or state is just a perk. Cite everyone. Let the Judge sort them out.
 
Upt' North said:
filtering go around the peripherique at rush hour. I think rush hour is about 0500 to 2300. The French car drivers have a built in sense for the position of motorcyclists, it almost like watching automotive ballet
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Termini station and around the metro lines in Rome is much the same. With the added fun that every once in a while, a bus catches fire.

Motorcycle is always my preferred method of travel in/around Rome. My Italian friends think I'm :nuts: though one wants to have a pillion ride through a UK city on the back of my 13, because to quote him "it's bigger than my car!"

No clue on the legalities of filtering in Italy... locals do, so I do. Probably helps that I'm always riding a hire bike than my own (Italian plates).
 
Upt' North said:
+1 Buddy. Glad it wasn't my own perception.
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Nah, that's universal... even in the abandoned wilderness of Scotland or Norway I'd such 'unpleasant' encounters... their just everywhere... :rolleyes:
Your point on the French attitude is very accurate and apt, if anyone has any doubts on filtering go around the peripherique at rush hour.
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LOL! :biggrin: Love it there
Imagine the scene: 3~4 lane m/ways into/out Paris, dense car traffic moving at 60~80kph, motos dart by in between at 120+...
And you on your big ST join in, cause it just works absolutely flawless! :cool:
Within the fraction of the second your headlight hits their outside mirror, they move those 30~40cm aside...
Not taking the gap would actually confuse the hell out of them, as it is absolutely expected that a moto rushes through...

I wouldn't dare such here in Vienna, or any German city though... total havoc... :rolleyes:
 
There was a trial run in Toronto Ontario for filtering. It was in the downtown area on two one way streets,Adelaide and Richmond. The test area was for 15 blocks and motorcycles could filter to the front of the line at a traffic light. The test period is over and no results posted.
 
ST1100Y said:
My rule of thumb: when abroad, do as the locals do... within the boundaries of common sense of course...
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Ahhh. I think you've just hit the nail on the head. Common sense is apparently disappointingly uncommon nowadays.
 
I was recently in Belgium. I was surprised by how well everyone follows the rules of the road including bicyclists and pedestrians. Out in the open country on multi-lane highways not only do they not drive in the left-hand lane they don't drive in any lane except the right-hand lane. They pull to the left one or two lanes as required to pass other vehicles then they pull right back in to the right-hand lane until they need to pass again. We often saw the two left-hand lanes empty while everyone was moving along in the right-hand lane. Works well as faster moving traffic has one or two lanes to use to pass others. I wasn't there long enough to see what happens when the highway is really busy but its hard to imagine that they would leave lanes unused when there is a lot of traffic.

I do not recall seeing any motorcycles lane splitting or filtering that I can remember.
 
ad.hom said:
No clue on the legalities of filtering in Italy...
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I spent all of this past October riding in Italy, from the north all the way down to Sicily. Everyone filters and lane-splits, everywhere.

A local explained the overall interpretation & enforcement of Italian traffic regulations to me this way: "In Germany, a red light is an obligation. In France, a red light is a recommendation. In Italy, a red light is a decoration". The same concept applies to filtering & lane-splitting.

Michael
 
Upt' North said:
Your point on the French attitude is very accurate and apt, if anyone has any doubts on filtering go around the peripherique at rush hour. I think rush hour is about 0500 to 2300. The French car drivers have a built in sense for the position of motorcyclists, it almost like watching automotive ballet to the backdrop of Akropovics. I wonder if it's because every French citizen are riding Scooters from an early age.
Upt'North.
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Or experience "reverse filtering" in Vietnam.


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THAT is incroyable!


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That is incroyable in a claustrophobically terrifying manner.

CYYJ said:
A local explained the overall interpretation & enforcement of Italian traffic regulations to me this way: "In Germany, a red light is an obligation. In France, a red light is a recommendation. In Italy, a red light is a decoration". The same concept applies to filtering & lane-splitting.
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THAT is just plain :rofl1: right there!
 
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