How do drivers in <Your Town Here> React to Filtering?

[ttaskmaster]

Because you can? Even if the area in front of the lights isn't clear, you can still filter your way through it

No, that's what I meant when I said it's *not* clear - There are cars in the lanes ahead and cars crossing your path halfway across the junction, blocking anything wider than 6". There is no space to filter through even on a bicycle.
Some of these do have yellow hatch boxes, but not all of them.

I see bikes almost every day, filtering past and sometimed even right into this sort of mess, usually on motorway junction roundabouts. All they do is add to the traffic crowding, because there's nowhere for them to go either. Invariably the cars move forward too, leaving you trapped and collectively blocking the junction.

Just to be clear - Filtering I take to be going between two lanes of traffic in the same direction, rather than overtaking which is passing with one same direction on the left and oncoming traffic on the right.

 

[Craig321]

Anyone want to make me mod so I can delete these constant, pointless filtering arguments?

 

[4T5]

Anyone want to make me mod so I can delete these constant, pointless filtering arguments?

Hopefully you get a few car drivers pass by & read it though as I still meet/read/see car drivers that think filtering is illegal.

 

[Flack88]

Only one way to decide this argument!

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Hopefully you get a few car drivers pass by & read it though as I still meet/read/see car drivers that think filtering is illegal.

Probably because they don't actually know what filtering is, some motorists who see bikes blatantly riding right out and down the wrong side of the road also consider that filtering. Although there's a fine line, I believe that is technically illegal.

Even though I don't ride myself, I think I have more time and respect for bikers, yes, like everything you get your idiots, but on the whole, bikers are out of the way and out of your life long before some of the annoying cars I encounter on my travels and I've never had a bike attempt to overtake me on a merge road when there clearly isn't enough room or jump a red light and nearly hit me head on like my journey home yesterday!

 

[tom_e]

Probably because they don't actually know what filtering is, some motorists who see bikes blatantly riding right out and down the wrong side of the road also consider that filtering. Although there's a fine line, I believe that is technically illegal.

That's overtaking and is just as legal

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

That's overtaking and is just as legal

It's usually in traffic jams / slow moving traffic. You aren't allowed to overtake in slow moving traffic

Rule 163

Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should

• stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left

 

[TallPaul_S]

Lol, you might want to tell that to the 10's of police cars I've overtaken/filtered past on the wrong side of the road.

It's not illegal.

That rule refers to queues of traffic on a DC, i.e don't move lanes all the time just because one queue is moving 0.1mph faster than the one you're in.

 

[tom_e]

It's usually in traffic jams / slow moving traffic. You aren't allowed to overtake in slow moving traffic

Rule 163

Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should

• stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left

At that point then it is filtering and the reason for that extreme road positioning is safety, we're much more visible there to cars to our left that may suddenly decide they want to cut right.

 

[Fireskull]

Police riders do that also, perfectly legal.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Fair enough.

 

[tom_e]

After going into the side of one white van who "didn't see me" yet could comment on the blistering fast speed I was coming up the traffic on the dog slow 125 I was riding at the time I now stay as far as sensibly possible away from the side of traffic when filtering!

 

[TallPaul_S]

Yeah it's actually safest to be right over on the right side of the 'wrong side' of the road, provided there's nothing coming the other way, and no junctions on the right. Better visibility, more room if someone decides to open a door/do a U turn.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Probably because they don't actually know what filtering is, some motorists who see bikes blatantly riding right out and down the wrong side of the road also consider that filtering. Although there's a fine line, I believe that is technically illegal.

Nope, as mentioned, that is Overtaking. I do it often, as do most cars.
So long as you're within the speed limit and not crossing solid white lines or something, it's perfectly legal.

Filtering is considered an overtaking manoeuvre, but not all overtaking is filtering - You are overtaking the traffic on your left, but also 'legally undertaking' traffic on your right. Overtaking is more when passing traffic to your left only, whether you have oncoming traffic or not.

 

[TallPaul_S]

Don't forget about solid white lines - you can't cross or straddle them, but you can overtake a car if there's room to go past without crossing the white line.

Although if there was a police car in the queue I'd probably not chance it, in case they're having a bad day

 

[Craig321]

Don't forget about solid white lines - you can't cross or straddle them, but you can overtake a car if there's room to go past without crossing the white line.

Although if there was a police car in the queue I'd probably not chance it, in case they're having a bad day

Someone I know recently won a case where they overtook on double whites (crossed them completely) as the cars in the lane were stationary. A car from the stationary lane decided to make a u-turn and knocked him off. The fact that the biker had crossed double whites wasn't even questioned (even though as soon as the driver jumped out of the car, he started saying how the case would go 50/50 cos the biker crossed the line, haha).

Rule 129: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-hig...-advice-for-all-drivers-and-riders-103-to-158

Now whether or not they deemed what the car did far more dangerous and so the biker won the case despite crossing the line, I'm not sure. But from what I understand in rule 129, you can cross the solid white if the cars are moving at <10mph.

 

[TallPaul_S]

Yeah it's a bit vague that rule:

"You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less."

Which I would read a car that's not moving (parked or in traffic?) OR a bicycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle that's doing under 10mph. Not a car that's doing under 10mph. Because surely if the vehicle is doing 8mph, it's not stationary...

 

[ttaskmaster]

Not a car that's doing under 10mph. Because surely if the vehicle is doing 8mph, it's not stationary...

Technically yes, that's how I read it... but you drive along at 8mph and see how many times you get overtaken!!

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Yeah it's a bit vague that rule:

"You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less."

Which I would read a car that's not moving (parked or in traffic?) OR a bicycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle that's doing under 10mph. Not a car that's doing under 10mph. Because surely if the vehicle is doing 8mph, it's not stationary...

So you CAN overtake a cycle on solid white lines then! I have done in the past, but usually second guess myself whether I should have or not.

 

[Craig321]

You get extra points for making them fall off as you go by as well.