Motorbikes in slow moving traffic

jasonb · 23-11-2010 1:05pm #1

Hi there,

This isn't a troll, I promise, and I don't want this to turn into an argument. I'm just curious about the law regarding motorbikes in slow moving traffic.

Whenever I'm in traffic that's stopping and starting ( say before traffic lights ), I'm well used to seeing bikes go onto the other side of the road to move up to the front of the queue, or maybe to move up to a right turn they want to make. I'm also used to seeing bikes move up on the other side of the road and then maybe come back in between two cars, and continue up the road like this, over-taking and under-taking the slow moving traffic and cutting between two cars when there's a space. This can happen whether the line in the centre of the road is solid or broken.

All I want to know is if this is legal or illegal? I'm pretty certain it's illegal for a car to do this, but is it illegal for a bike to do it? Is it one of those laws ( god knows we have lots ) that are just ignored by the majority of the population and not enforced by the Gardai? Or are bikes specifically allowed to do this?

Once again, I'm just curious about the law on this, I don't want a debate on how safe/unsafe or fair/unfair it is. Thanks!

J.

djimi · 23-11-2010 1:10pm

Its called filtering and they are allowed to do it, unfortunately.

pa990 · 23-11-2010 1:10pm

its called filtering.. completely legal, as long as traffic is slow or stopped and there is a broken white line

jasonb · 23-11-2010 1:12pm

Excellent, thanks a lot. Just something I've often wondered about while sitting in traffic!

J.

Chippy01 · 23-11-2010 1:19pm

djimi wrote: »

Its called filtering and they are allowed to do it, unfortunately.

What do you mean by 'unfortunately'?

sleepysniper · 23-11-2010 1:23pm

Chippy01 wrote: »

What do you mean by 'unfortunately'?

+1

djimi · 23-11-2010 1:24pm

Chippy01 wrote: »

What do you mean by 'unfortunately'?

Too often Ive had some prat try to squeeze a bike thru a gap that doesnt exist and clip or nearly clip my car. Ive had my wingmirrors clipped a couple of times and the other day this moron actually managed to hit the side of my tire while trying to squeeze into a gap that clearly wasnt there.

Its a moronic rule; is it really that hard for bikes to wait in line with the rest of the cars at traffic lights?

Cookie_Monster · 23-11-2010 1:24pm

Chippy01 wrote: »

What do you mean by 'unfortunately'?

you see nothing wrong with bikers driving up the wrong side of the road to skip traffic?

sleepysniper · 23-11-2010 1:34pm

djimi wrote: »

Too often Ive had some prat try to squeeze a bike thru a gap that doesnt exist and clip or nearly clip my car. Ive had my wingmirrors clipped a couple of times and the other day this moron actually managed to hit the side of my tire while trying to squeeze into a gap that clearly wasnt there.

Its a moronic rule; is it really that hard for bikes to wait in line with the rest of the cars at traffic lights?

Its just one of the advantages of using a bike to commute, but I do think filtering should only be done when its safe to do so.

Jaden · 23-11-2010 1:35pm

djimi wrote: »

Its a moronic rule; is it really that hard for bikes to wait in line with the rest of the cars at traffic lights?

Just because you like sitting in traffic, doesn't mean the rest of us do. I drive a car and a bike, and the amount of idiots in cars who have tried to kill me vastly outnumbers the amount if idiots on bikes who've clipped me.

sleepysniper · 23-11-2010 1:35pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

you see nothing wrong with bikers driving up the wrong side of the road to skip traffic?

if the biker is not breaking a solid white line, and its safe to do so, I dont see a problem with it.

KamiKazi · 23-11-2010 1:46pm

Filtering is legal, so get back in your cages and quit your moaning.

djimi · 23-11-2010 1:51pm

Jaden wrote: »

Just because you like sitting in traffic, doesn't mean the rest of us do. I drive a car and a bike, and the amount of idiots in cars who have tried to kill me vastly outnumbers the amount if idiots on bikes who've clipped me.

With the greatest respect, the number of cars who you have had close calls with is irrelevant, and does not in any way excuse the moron bike riders (of both the motor and pedal varieties) who cannot judge the gap they are trying to filter into and end up clipping cars. Im not saying all bike riders are morons, and it is only a small percentage who cause problem, but even if 1 in 1000 clips the side of my car its 1 too many.

KamiKazi · 23-11-2010 2:01pm

djimi wrote: »

With the greatest respect, the number of cars who you have had close calls with is irrelevant, and does not in any way excuse the moron bike riders (of both the motor and pedal varieties) who cannot judge the gap they are trying to filter into and end up clipping cars. Im not saying all bike riders are morons, and it is only a small percentage who cause problem, but even if 1 in 1000 clips the side of my car its 1 too many.

You've had your car clipped I take it?

Did you report the rider to the Gardai for leaving the scene of an accident?

23-11-2010 2:01pm

djimi wrote: »

With the greatest respect, the number of cars who you have had close calls with is irrelevant, and does not in any way excuse the moron bike riders (of both the motor and pedal varieties) who cannot judge the gap they are trying to filter into and end up clipping cars. Im not saying all bike riders are morons, and it is only a small percentage who cause problem, but even if 1 in 1000 clips the side of my car its 1 too many.

I'm not saying it's you but I often come across drivers that deliberately appear to leave as small gaps between themselves and obstructions as possible, hindering the progress of other traffic.

Maybe you should think it this way: The mornings I have to take the car I'm one of the drivers in front of you, possible just that car that last time stopped you making it through the green light :-)

Cuddlesworth · 23-11-2010 2:06pm

jasonb wrote: »

Whenever I'm in traffic that's stopping and starting ( say before traffic lights ), I'm well used to seeing bikes go onto the other side of the road to move up to the front of the queue, or maybe to move up to a right turn they want to make. I'm also used to seeing bikes move up on the other side of the road and then maybe come back in between two cars, and continue up the road like this, over-taking and under-taking the slow moving traffic and cutting between two cars when there's a space. This can happen whether the line in the centre of the road is solid or broken.

If its broken it perfectly legal. If it is unbroken its not. That being said, I will happily do it slowly if both sides of the road are in gridlock regardless of the state of the line. Its a common sense thing.

jasonb wrote: »

All I want to know is if this is legal or illegal? I'm pretty certain it's illegal for a car to do this, but is it illegal for a bike to do it? Is it one of those laws ( god knows we have lots ) that are just ignored by the majority of the population and not enforced by the Gardai? Or are bikes specifically allowed to do this?

When laws and rules are created they tend to be aimed at the lowest common denominator, in traffic law it tends to be the car. There is also no pure black and white in the actual crime, just varying shades of grey. This is one of those gray areas. The laws are clearly there to stop cars doing this but have little or no consideration for bikes.

For example. It illegal to cross a unbroken white line except to get around a obstruction when safe to do so. To me, in a bike, a line of traffic not moving is a obstruction. And I can do it safely with traffic on both sides of the road.

jasonb wrote: »

Once again, I'm just curious about the law on this, I don't want a debate on how safe/unsafe or fair/unfair it is. Thanks!

J.

you can't discuss one without the other.

As for the clipping of bikes off of cars. I would seriously look at where you place your car on the road and your ability to keep a straight line. I only know one driver who has ever been hit and he has been hit more then once. His road positioning is terrible and his habit of swinging his car out like a artic truck to take bends and sitting over the white line so he can see past traffic is what causes his problems.

djimi · 23-11-2010 2:13pm

KamiKazi wrote: »

You've had your car clipped I take it?

Did you report the rider to the Gardai for leaving the scene of an accident?

Had I gotten their license plate number then I probably would have done tbh. Unfortunately I didnt.

Anan1 · 23-11-2010 2:14pm

KamiKazi wrote: »

Filtering is legal, so get back in your cages and quit your moaning.

You might want to go easy on the attitude, thanks.

djimi · 23-11-2010 2:18pm

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

As for the clipping of bikes off of cars. I would seriously look at where you place your car on the road and your ability to keep a straight line. I only know one driver who has ever been hit and he has been hit more then once. His road positioning is terrible and his habit of swinging his car out like a artic truck to take bends and sitting over the white line so he can see past traffic is what causes his problems.

I take what you are saying, but the reality is that it is irrelevant how a car is stopped; if you cant squeeze thru a gap then you dont attempt it. If you hit a stationary vehicle then you are in the wrong 100% of the time, doesnt matter how inconsirately the car is stopped.

Obviously its a different matter if the car is moving, and the onus is then on both car and bike to ensure that they dont collide.

Idleater · 23-11-2010 2:24pm

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

If its broken it perfectly legal. If it is unbroken its not.

I don't think that's correct. The continuous white line refers to "not crossing" the line as opposed to banning overtaking.

It is perfectly feasible and legal to filter/pass on the left of a continuous line.

Cuddlesworth · 23-11-2010 2:34pm

djimi wrote: »

I take what you are saying, but the reality is that it is irrelevant how a car is stopped; if you cant squeeze thru a gap then you dont attempt it. If you hit a stationary vehicle then you are in the wrong 100% of the time, doesnt matter how inconsirately the car is stopped.

Obviously its a different matter if the car is moving, and the onus is then on both car and bike to ensure that they dont collide.

I'm not condoning or justifying the hitting of cars. I've only ever hit one, it was my second week and I scuffed the wing mirror. I went back to check and talked it over with the driver. He was ok and happy to let me go.

But if you find yourself being frequently hit by bikes I would take a cold hard look at your own driving style to reduce the chances of being hit again.

Idleater wrote: »

I don't think that's correct. The continuous white line refers to "not crossing" the line as opposed to banning overtaking.

It is perfectly feasible and legal to filter/pass on the left of a continuous line.

Quite right, but in my experience I would cross the white line to increase the distance between myself and the stationary cars. So its rare I won't cross the line.

djimi · 23-11-2010 2:34pm

Idleater wrote: »

I don't think that's correct. The continuous white line refers to "not crossing" the line as opposed to banning overtaking.

It is perfectly feasible and legal to filter/pass on the left of a continuous line.

Im pretty sure this is correct. Its only filtering so long as you remain on the correct side of a solid white line. Cross the white line and it becomes an illegal overtake.

Motorbikes in slow moving traffic

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