Read this on ABC Melb site, haven't quite got through all the msg board comments yet to read of any reference to cyclists.
Now some of *us* lane split too, so is this proposed Victoria legislation relevant to cyclists? Could it be enforced against cyclists, as we are legally road users?
*Ponder*
Lane splitting! Splitting hairs?
http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/stories/s1549432.htm
Monday, 16 January 2006. Reporter: Florenz Ronn
The government is planning to legislate against ‘lane splitting’, which is basically when a motorbike passes between two cars in the same direction, to get to a bit of clear road. Another one is ‘lane filtering’, when the traffic is stationary at a set of lights and the motorcyclist passes slowly between them.
Alex Money, Media Communications Officer for Victorian Motorcyclist Union, explained to 774’s Penny Johnston during the Safe Driving segment, that the law says that if you pass another vehicle on the inside of the same lane, to the left of the vehicle, it’s illegal. You can’t really ‘lane split’ without breaking the law. And so it’s been illegal for that reason.
Late in 2005, the National Transport Commission (NTC) released a draft Regulatory Impact Statement for a package of Australian Road Rules Amendments. The proposals primarily clarify the intent of existing rules and reinforce current practices. One new rule is proposed to address the practice of ‘lane-splitting’ by motorcyclists. It attempts to clarify the intent of existing Road Rules, which require motorcycles to pass other vehicles at a safe distance and drive within a single marked lane or line of traffic.
"The new rule explicitly requires motorcycles to move into an adjacent lane or line of traffic when overtaking other vehicles and pass at a safe distance," said NTC Chief Executive Tony Wilson. "The change is expected to reduce the crash risk for motorcycle riders and improve safety for all road users."
Motorcyclists are up in arms about this. They don’t want the change; they feel it’s a deprivation of their freedom, of their rights, and their privileges. "We do it because we can, however, the government acts on facts and figures and statistics. And statistics show that, in manoeuvring and over taking crashes, and this includes u-turns, parking, the whole bit, 21% of fatalities are caused by that, i.e. manoeuvring accidents. And so, I guess, the onus is on us as motorcyclists, not to be ratbags out there, to do things properly, and we should be doing that. It’s the small percentage of people that we see, that you see in the traffic, that give us a bad name," says Alex Money.
Do listeners think the government has got it right by telling motorcyclists that they shouldn’t lane split? Tim from Reservoir is both, a motorcyclist and car driver. "I’ve done both for more than 15 years and I think that the discussion is very valid in that we need to take responsibility for our safety as motorcyclists, and that lane splitting is an increased risk activity. Obviously, doing 70k passed stopped traffic is stupid, but if I’m sitting in a position where I feel vulnerable, I may well do something that could be perceived, by a non-rider, as dangerous, to get myself out of what I see potentially as a more dangerous situation."
Rick in Daylesford says that lane filtering has got to happen at the traffic lights. A lot of rear end accidents can happen at traffic lights, when cars bump the bikes. Bill from Flowerdale agrees: "You get cars bunched up, you go between them and then you get out in front of them and you get away from the cars, which is the safest place to be on a bike." Penny from Korumburra, called with the female perspective: "I’m 54, been riding for about 15 years, love it, and I’d just like to say that lane splitting and lane filtering are just so essential for motor cyclists out there. I know it’s been raised several times already, but that little bit of space, probably has saved my life so many times."
The Motorcycle Riders Association of Australia (MRAA) also called upon the NTC to withdraw their recommendation to ban lane splitting by motorcycles. It claims that some of the anti-lane filtering approach by regulators appears to stem from an attitude that motorcyclists should "wait their turn" and "be treated like other traffic". The MRAA maintains that to make this accepted practice illegal would not only increase congestion but also reduce the safety of motorcyclists.
To demonstrate the impact, that making Lane Splitting explicitly illegal and a ban more easily enforceable, the MRAA will conduct a Ride to Rule – Congestion Awareness Ride on Wednesday, January 25, 2006. The purpose of this Awareness Ride will be to demonstrate just how much extra congestion will be created, if Lane Splitting is not legalised. During this ride, riders will proceed at normal traffic speeds but will explicitly ride in a manner that the proposed rules require. Congestion Awareness Ride starts at the Springvale Road entrance to the Eastern Freeway, commencing at 8am.
The NTC’s Chief Executive Tony Wilson said the NTC acknowledged motorcyclists’ concerns regarding lane splitting and encouraged their participation in the public consultation process. "We will listen to, and consider seriously, comments from all parties – including motorcycle groups and riders – before submitting final recommendations to Ministers for approval," he said.