Daily motorbike news, views & reviews
Forty months after NSW allowed riders to lane filter and the laws have since spread throughout the country, drivers are still trying to obstruct riders and police don’t seem to care. This video from Newcastle rider Harry Criticos shows the lengths to which some motorists will go to stop riders doing what is legal. “I …
Motorcycle riders should be able to filtering between traffic and the kerb like cyclists, lane filtering fines should be lowered and demerit points scrapped, says a Victorian rider group. In its submission to the National Transport Commission over harmonising Australia’s Road Rules, the Independent Riders Group says the Victorian lane filtering laws “make most sense …
A simple lane filtering rule change could save the lives of riders who filter to the front of traffic at the lights and then take off immediately on the green. That’s what most lane-filtering riders do. However, they run the risk of being hit by vehicles from the side running a red light. We tried to …
Riders have been urged to challenge lane filtering fines in court to press the point that they are confusing and varied across state borders. Rider advocates Wayne Carruthers and Guy Stanford say that riders are confused about the rules and being fined heavily for minor transgressions of the lane filtering rules. The fines are more …
“Signs, signs, everywhere are signs, blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind, do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the signs,” sang Five Man Electric Band in 1971. More than 45 years later, there are still signs blocking the scenery and breaking our minds. Let’s just hope they don’t break our bikes, too! I went for …
The most dangerous place to ride a motorcycle is in traffic, according to statistics, but it can still be fun and you can do a lot to stay safe. Traffic is dangerous: There are many vehicles close to you that may not see you; there is more oil on the roads from trucks and old …
The video below shows the danger to lane filtering riders of a driver who gets out of their vehicle while stopped at traffic lights. It’s illegal for a driver to leave their vehicle while stopped at traffic lights or on a roadway, unless parked at the roadside. It is also illegal to “create a hazard” by opening …
Have you copped tyre punctures while filtering through traffic? You’re not alone, according to Queensland Motorcycle Breakdown Service. They have had a spike (‘scuse then pun) in tyre punctures since the lane filtering rule was introduced last year, including nine in one week and 24 last month. Director Peter Roussos says it comes mainly from …
South Australian riders and representative groups want to join most of the rest of Australia, California, Asia and Europe in legalising lane filtering for motorcycles and scooters. The group, called Ride to Review (RTR), has drafted a Lane Filtering Submission which is now being made public. RTR Spokesman Tim Kelly says the submission was personally handed …
California is the first US state to allow lane splitting, with riders possibly allowed to split lanes at up to 50mph (80km/h) but no faster than 15mph (24km/h) more than surrounding traffic. Over the past two years, the three eastern states of Australia have introduced lane filtering between stationary or slow-moving traffic and the ACT is running …