Lane splitting, legal or not?

[Alex Kay]

Does anyone know for sure if lane splitting is legal in NSW? I was riding back home from the Sydney Motorcycle Show last Saturday. On one of the traffic lights I lane split and voila, there was a cop on the right lane (on a bike) I stopped just behind him, didn't risk to ride through, but he didn't seem to mind me lane splitting...

[javaman]

I lanesplit regardless legal or not. Just something worth doing (and paying?). Simply cannot see myself sitting on a bike, hot day, behind 20 cars without air conditioning and radio.

[Shifty]

There is no rule that specifically outlaws it, but it's what you do in the process that is illegal (eg. change lanes without indicating, overtake to the left, etc). The general consensus is that if you can overtake to the right of a stationary vehicle but still stay within the lane then you are doing it legally.

Doesn't stop many people though, and for good reason. Done sensibly lane splitting is great and doesn't hurt anyone, if anything it reduces traffic queues and unclogs intersections that would otherwise be blocked.

I guarantee that replacing every lane splitting motorbike with a car would destroy peak hour.

[Strika]

I had a young constable pull up next to me at the lights on the way out of town this morning. He just reminded me to lane split on the right of the cars. I gave him a thumbs up and followed him for about 4 klms before he turned off. I think I may have been a lucky guy, as for prob the first time in years, I was just tootling along being jonh d citizen.

[Gosling1]

Done sensibly lane splitting is great and doesn't hurt anyone, if anything it reduces traffic queues and unclogs intersections that would otherwise be blocked.

The crucial words here are " ...done sensibly...", and if you take care and do it sensibly, then it is safe.

The National Transport Commission are currently drafting a proposal to make lane-splitting illegal in all States and Territories. The draft proposal is Rule 151A, and is being formed by the Australian Road Rules Group.

Next meeting where this draft could be finalised is in Adelaide on November 29. The proposal aims to define the act of lane-splitting (where most State and Territory laws are very *vague* on this as a *seperate* offence).......however, the lane-splitting proposal could be delayed, as the ARRG don't want to 'rush' through a proposal without adequate consultation and feedback from industry groups and users (ie You and Me).

The 6-week period for public consultation will be posted on the web-site in early December 2005 http://www.ntc.gov.au

So if you have some views regarding lane-splitting or lane-filtering, and you want to get them heard, get on the web-site and do the business.

I have extracted relevant parts from the latest AMCN, the full story is on Page 8, Vol 55 #10, Nov16-29, 2005.

[MickLC]

Isn't there a push by an ACT group for them to define lane-splitting as going between moving cars which they think should be illegal, and lane-filtering as moving between stationary cars at intersections which they think should be allowed?

[Smitty]

....
The National Transport Commission are currently drafting a proposal to make lane-splitting illegal in all States and Territories. The draft proposal is Rule 151A, and is being formed by the Australian Road Rules Group.

Next meeting where this draft could be finalised is in Adelaide on November 29. The proposal aims to define the act of lane-splitting (where most State and Territory laws are very *vague* on this as a *seperate* offence).......however, the lane-splitting proposal could be delayed, as the ARRG don't want to 'rush' through a proposal without adequate consultation and feedback from industry groups and users (ie You and Me).

The 6-week period for public consultation will be posted on the web-site in early December 2005 http://www.ntc.gov.au

I note on the Road Rules page on that site-
"Please also note:
The Australian Road Rules are model Rules only and have no legal effect. They form the basis of Road Rules of each Australian State and Territory."
yeah right

anyway
if they wanna outlaw lane splitting, I reckon a few hundred
bikes could bring a capital city to stop....
in protest of course.
how ???
by doing 60kmh or less down the MIDDLE of each lane
on the various freeways... or other major arterials
in the middle of peakhour.
I am perfectly happy to occupy a car space on the road if our
dickhead politicians want it so........ especially around
parliament house

off the soapbox!!

cheers

[Smitty]

Isn't there a push by an ACT group for them to define lane-splitting as going between moving cars which they think should be illegal, and lane-filtering as moving between stationary cars at intersections which they think should be allowed?

now that is sensible......

[SNR]

If the boy/girl in blue is having a bad day! You can be done for dangerous driving/riding. Whether the car/s are stationary or not. Loss of points and money. Not enough traffic up here in Clownsville to worry about that


snr

[Gosling1]

Isn't there a push by an ACT group for them to define lane-splitting as going between moving cars which they think should be illegal, and lane-filtering as moving between stationary cars at intersections which they think should be allowed?

Yes, the local MRA are trying to push the idea that lane-filtering is OK, but lane-splitting should be banned I am still unsure what they have defined as 'splitting' and 'filtering' I think they have their terminology about-face ? ???

it is a load of frogshit. Cars that are moving, albeit only at 10-15kmh, can still change lanes quickly and without warning. If you lane-filter, you are toast in this situation. Additionally, cars tend to 'move' more within their lanes ( ie drift a bit from side-to-side), and in this situation, you can find that your 1m of 'room' has rapidly dropped to maybe 600mm, , this can be an underpants-defining moment......

However, if you lane-split at a row of stationary cars, then they cannot change lanes on top of you. Its that simple. No ifs, no buts, they are stationary, and you are not. A car sitting in a queue at a set of traffic lights CANNOT cause you *issues*, like a moving car can.

IMHO, the local MRA have got their priorities backwards............and you can be sure I will be *advising* them of this, I used to work with the current President...........

[javaman]

anyway
if they wanna outlaw lane splitting, I reckon a few hundred
bikes could bring a capital city to stop....
in protest of course.
how ???
by doing 60kmh or less down the MIDDLE of each lane
on the various freeways... or other major arterials
in the middle of peakhour.
I am perfectly happy to occupy a car space on the road if our
dickhead politicians want it so........ especially around
parliament house

off the soapbox!!

cheers

Yeah, I agree. And maybe give 2 meters between bikes too !

[Robsalvv]

Regarding the (model) road rules, Victoria has pretty much enacted them in full, with some mods. You can see the statuatory legislation via the links from the parliament site. [I had to look it up once for a bogus traffic infrigement notice that I objected to]

Regarding lane splitting, I don't know about NSW, but it's definitely illegal in QLD. It's legal in Vic if cars aren't moving and you're on the right hand side of a car, within the lane. i.e., without crossing the line.

Frankly, it's the prime benefit of riding a bike in traffic if you have your wits about you and don't push your luck.

Cheers

Rob

[diesel]

what's wrong with saying you can lane split providing u don't exceed the traffics speed by more than 20kph and no lane splitting if cars are moving at least 20 kph. i.e if cars are stationary, don't lane split at more than 20 kph. if they are doing 10, ur not doing more than 30. and effectively, u can't lane split at more than 40 kph?

[Gosling1]

Isn't there a push by an ACT group for them to define lane-splitting as going between moving cars which they think should be illegal, and lane-filtering as moving between stationary cars at intersections which they think should be allowed?

now that is sensible......

It is, but I have always understood that.......

Lane-filtering = riding between lines of slowly-moving traffic; and

Lane-splitting = riding between lines of stationary traffic........

If these terms have been swapped-around by the MRA, then I vote in favour of the motion. I have always hated seeing bikers riding between lines of moving traffic - except where the lights have changed, you haven't quite made it to the front, so need to jump into the closest available space (or create one with a withering stare ) - Sometimes you see people doing this up to 40-50kmh, its madness !!

[Strika]

I think we should all be allowed to wheelstand in between the lanes of traffic. OK it should be speed limited to avoid accidents. What say, 180kph. No more than that though otherwise it could get dangerous.