Oz filtering & splitting regs

19th November 2015

Australian | traffic laws | Regulations | Filter

◄PREVIOUS STORY                     NEXT STORY►

In the UK, there's a lot that we take for granted. Lovely wet weather, for instance. Tailgating drivers. Crowded streets. Multiculturism. But at least we can filter through traffic on our motorcycles—and not everyone on the planet can do that legally.

However, the legislators in the Australian state of Victoria have finally woken up to the manifold benefits of lane-filtering, and as of 2nd November 2015, filtering is legal. It's not just a question of "mere" riding enjoyment. No, being able to filter through traffic has safety benefits too—provided you're sensible about it.

Our experience of biking (which includes years of negotiating Central London traffic) is that you're far more likely to get rear-ended (and injured) in a queue of stationary or slow-moving traffic than get knocked off your bike when slipping through the gaps. However, lane splitting (i.e. travelling at "speed" through lines of traffic) will still be illegal. Note, that lane filtering never was explicitly illegal. But you could still get nicked for careless or dangerous driving. That won't happen now, unless you're being obviously careless or dangerous while you're making your manoeuvres. But lane-splitting invites instant trouble.

◄PREVIOUS STORY                     NEXT STORY►