As usual non-motorcycling officials have put their opinions to the media on motorcycling matters with a negative bias.
In this case they have an opinion on lane splitting / traffic filtering (LSTF) and channel 9 in Melbourne was happy to run a reasonably balanced report. Although some of the lane splitting footage was suspect. I suspect the speeding scenes may have been a set up and possibly sped up. Dramatic licence?
And, no one mentioned that what looks like a tight spot from the seat of a car looks perfectly safe from the saddle of the bike. Most bike riders own and drive cars. Most car drivers do not ride bikes nor do they know much about operating a motorcycle or scooter safely in traffic but they are ahppy to give you their opinions.
Have a look at the clip and let me have your comments.
In this case they have an opinion on lane splitting / traffic filtering (LSTF) and channel 9 in Melbourne was happy to run a reasonably balanced report. Although some of the lane splitting footage was suspect. I suspect the speeding scenes may have been a set up and possibly sped up. Dramatic licence?
And, no one mentioned that what looks like a tight spot from the seat of a car looks perfectly safe from the saddle of the bike. Most bike riders own and drive cars. Most car drivers do not ride bikes nor do they know much about operating a motorcycle or scooter safely in traffic but they are ahppy to give you their opinions.
Have a look at the clip and let me have your comments.
LSTF is not new. It's been going on since there were two cars pointed in the same direction.
The fact is that officials have, over the decades, consistantly failed to come up with hard evidence, based on good science, that there is a road safety problem with traffic filtering. Where is the casualty data showing that TFLS is dangerous? Lane splitting at speed is not supported by any rider group I know of.
Victorian roads are set up to encourage bicyclists to filter. It is therefore inconsistent for mostly non-riding officials to say this activity is good for one group of two wheelers but bad for another.
In heavy traffic, filtering eases congestion making life easier for gridlocked car drivers, and we produce less pollutants.
Comments?
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
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