Filtering

You are approaching an uncontrolled T-junction and wish to turn left.

Traffic is quite heavy and a line of vehicles is backed up at the junction ahead of you. You see the possibility of filtering to the head of the queue, passing it on the nearside or the offside.

If you go up the nearside, it’s (strictly speaking) illegal and you may not be noticed by the driver at the front who might be concentrating on the view to the right.

If you go up the offside, you will have to cut across queuing vehicles and you might fall foul of one turning right.

What would you do?

[Trouble 61]

Sit in the queue

[magick]

with you on that one Bexx

[Crispy]

Filter past the queueing traffic on the offside until 2 or 3 cars from the head of the queue.

Indicate left, ease into the queue and then wait your turn.

Always worked for me, and a little thumbs up or wave to the car driver you're moving in front of always goes down well.

[CrazyIvan]

Originally Posted by Crispy

Filter past the queueing traffic on the offside until 2 or 3 cars from the head of the queue.

Indicate left, ease into the queue and then wait your turn.

Always worked for me, and a little thumbs up or wave to the car driver you're moving in front of always goes down well.

That's what I'd do. The wave/acknowledgement being crucial for good PR

And when I see bikers sitting in a queue of traffic I think 'why, oh why, oh why'..... sorry girls!

[Trouble 61]

cos I have only been riding a little while and filtering scares me! Sorry! Mind you, at the top of my road are some temp lights while they do a long stretch of road works. I want to turn right, and I generally sit in the queue. I watched one numpty on a scooter coming whizzing past and almost hit the car coming the opposite way head on! Silly twat had forgotten about traffic cme out of the side roads!

[BaZa®]

Don't ever put you or your bike in a position where you can't get out of trouble (escape route).

If and when I am overtaking cars in a queue I have already read the sequence of lights changing ahead while approaching. I anticipate cars coming out of side roads and cars oncoming. I over take or undertake (nearside kerb) and give myself enough room and slow speed to maneuverer around any doors that open from the stationary cars.

Because they do sometimes. A passenger will decide 'Oh sod it I'll get out here while you are stopped'

Whenever I pull in, if it is not with the flow of traffic so that I do not slow or hinder the car I have just pulled in front of I stop as said before and give a thumbs up / nod and always get the ok to get in line. If there is plenty of room at the front of the first car and I do not have to go over a front white line I will go straight to the front.

This I must add is WITHOUT my >>>>siren<<<< on...

[sKorch]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

..And when I see bikers sitting in a queue of traffic I think 'why, oh why, oh why'.....

the answer to that is easy....we wait cos we want to ( Not Have TO)

Its no use having a H-D if nobody sees it??

While I do filter through stopped traffic, I seldom filter through traffic moving at any rate of speed. Both are legal in California - with the caveat that if there is an accident, you will stand little chance of being able to claim the other driver was at fault. Also, it is technically illegal to filter on the curb side, in most cases, or in a breakdown lane. I also do not usually filter if there is no good reason for doing so. For example, a line of cars is just starting up after a red light. I could gain some position by filtering, but the advantage is marginal, and the potential aggravation to drivers is not worth it.

Bexx and Magick; you are right in not following riding habits that you are not comfortable with. There may come a time when you'll filter, but not if you have the least hesitation. It is always a risky maneuver.

If you're riding for enjoyment, why do things that lessen the enjoyment?

70 mph down the white line, making as much noise as you can and flicking the vees at the gridlocked cars. At the front of the queue, screech to a stop using the back brake to neatly slide in at 45 degrees across the front of the first car, lined up ready to make your left turn


Nah, just kidding.