European filtering
 

I just read that 'filtering' or trickling past queues of traffic was guaranteed to get you pulled by the Croatian police. I hadn't realised that was an issue anywhere in Europe - only in the US have I seen the amusing sight of a biker sitting right in the middle of a jammed line of cars.... I have never had a problem in France or Spain, but am expecting to get a bit further this summer - possibly including former Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary. My normal London approach to dealing with traffic does get toned down a bit abroad, but is there anywhere in particular that is very tough on what we would normally regard as standard riding practice ?

Sorry - I know this is a bit anal, but would prefer to avoid disputes with armed policemen who don't speak a word of any language I have ever heard of !!!

It,s illegal in Germany, so don't get caught, not sure about anywhere else where it is forbidden, I suspect it's not allowed in the UK but the police aren't bothered.

Thanks - being anal, and once having been an IAM observer, I am fairly sure it is still legal in the UK if done safely and sensibly. There is an accepted and 'police approved' method of doing it which you would be expected to demonstrate if you take an advanced bike test in London - and the examiners are police officers. Although its fair to say that most commuters and couriers push the limits, and the police don't seem to mind unless you are really stupid.

It is legal in Australia, but only if you can be considered to be 'overtaking'. That is, you must be passing a vehicle on its right, not its left. This means you can filter between lanes of cars, but not ride between a car and the left kerb. I have been pulled over and fined for this.
Sean

[This message has been edited by seanh (edited 20 July 2005).]

It seems to be legal in Italy, or they all do it anyway. Laws are discretionary in Italy anyway.

It is legal to ride between lines of cars in a traffic jam in the Netherlands as long as the speed of the moving cars is not to high and the speed diffeence between the cars and the bike is not to big.
If you use your common sense, you'll have no problem with it in Holland.

It's definetly legal in the UK but its considered overtaking. So if you have a crash or a car pulls across you turning right as you are filtering (classic bike accident) then 9 times out of 10 it will be seen as your fault!

It is funny watching bikes trapped in traffic, I just don't understand why over here! A mate of mine a few years ago went biking with some of his mate in the US. He didn't know the laws regarding filtering there and rode as he did in the UK. He got to the destination well before the others and they all thought he was a nutter!!! Mad me laugh!

Wheelspin said:
"Sorry - I know this is a bit anal, but would prefer to avoid disputes with armed policemen who don't speak a word of any language I have ever heard of !!! "

Dont worry about croatian police, you can always negotiate about fines, and mostly they will tell you "ok, next time be more careful" . Croatian police is dangerous same as lamb among wolfs, do not listen folks stories, and, welcome, of course....

AnteK

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Twit!:
[B]It's definetly legal in the UK but its considered overtaking. So if you have a crash or a car pulls across you turning right as you are filtering (classic bike accident) then 9 times out of 10 it will be seen as your fault![QUOTE]


I had such an accident in Sept last year and the driver has found to be 100% in the wrong and prsoecuted for dangerous driving as I was filtering a t well below legal speeds and he failed to observe to his rear before making an agressive right hand turn.

Filtering is 100% legal in UK and required in the advanced test i too am a IAM Observer.

CC

not just iam. is now an expected part of standard bike test. if you can filter safely and choose not to, you will lose marks on "failing to make progress"

and surely if you are filtering "properly" the police shouldn't be able to catch you anyway??

dan

Unfortunately, the police have bikes too. Even worse, theirs have extra lights which tend to open the gaps just that little wider http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif Years of riding in London made me very forceful in dealing with traffic. As it does to most other regulars. I can assure you the IAM would not approve of standard London traffic behaviour ! I've relaxed now I don't ride to work any more. Or its old age.... That earlier post was right about shocking Americans - they are horrified by what we can get away with.

Filtering and/or lane splitting seems to be illegal but "silently accepted" in most European countries.

I've done it in something like 20 countries and never had any issues except with some jealous drivers trying to block the gaps in Finland.

Of course, there are stories circulating of stiff penalties for this sort of activity, and once a motorcycle cop held a sermon about it to me, but generally there seems to be no issue.

I have been to Croatia many times, and never had any problems lane-splitting, as long as I have done it with courtesy (meaning, in traffic jams, not just to get to the front of a 3 car lineup at a traffic light).

My only encounter with Croatian police was once when I was stopped for speeding on a remote road - the policeman told me to slow down because there was dirt and gravel on the road, he did not want to see me drop the bike. He was very gracious, courteous, and spoke English well.

Michael

we got fined for 'filtering' by a very unhappy policeman in montenegro, allthough he lowered the fine because we 'didn't need a ticket' and were told by locals that 'on every white line there's a cop' ... same in croatia: we saw many 'filtering checkpoints'...

In France it's illegal, but everybody does it anyway and agressively. In Paris they are starting to crack down on it.

The other drivers seemed a bit put out by us doing it a few weeks ago on motorways in Germany. But I wasn't going to sit in a stationary 5 mile jam on a 30 year old air cooled two stroke MZ 250. Good fun with 10 of us doing it !

I'm back from my trip now and had no problems. I even got right to the front of massive queues caused by accidents to have the police or ambulance drivers allow me to pick my away around the wrecked cars and broken glass. That happened in both Italy and France, several times. I filtered everywhere else, although did find some drivers in Poland and elsewhere in Eastern Europe would deliberately block you - and in Poland wheel 'ruts' caused by heavy trucks made filtering a bit wobbly at times.

Adler,i think i know why the Germans you mentioned seemed to get a bit "shirty".A German biker friend told me it is very much verboten to filter there(as it is in USA),though when i was there in August i had a little smile on my face when i did it!Other German bikers seem to either totally ignore it,or stick to the rules like jam.

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Just going for a short ride on my bike....

I know it's illegal in Germany but you have other considerations when riding an air cooled stroker, ie keeping the bugger cool.

No problems in Norway, and I think in neither of the Nordic countries. I have been filtering in all of them with no problems. In Norway, you MUST filter on the left hand side of the cars, i.e. not between the cars and the curb. That will result in a fine of biblical proportions...

In much of the US filtering or lane-splitting is illegal and drivers will go after you agressively for it--here in Northern Calif., though, it is fairly well accepted. I'm just starting to test low-speed lanesplitting and I'm grateful for the time it saves me.

can't understand why people got upset with me doing it in my landcruiser!

Andy
TLC H60
Landrover 101 ambie/camper
1968 morris minor traveller

You must've forgotten the indicator then...It only can be it!!! http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/tongue.gif