Tuesday 2 September 2014

TRAFFIC FILTERING IN VIC

For immediate release. Please pass this on.
 
TO ALL VICTORIA MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
 
TRAFFIC FILTERING is defined in NSW as motorcycles & scooters moving between stationary or slow moving cars at speeds up to 30 kph. Above 30 KPH they call it LANE SPLITTING.
 
ACT will trial traffic filtering in February 2015.
 
 
QLD will also legitimise/legalise traffic filtering.
 
VIC's 2012 Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety recommended a traffic filtering trial in this state.
 
VicRoads keeps delaying that trial. Roads Minister Mulder told the media that three riders died traffic filtering so VIC would NOT be legitimising traffic filtering here. Mulder was given bad advice on traffic filteriing and gave the media false information on May 26, 2014. James Holgate was the motorcycle & scooter community's contact at VicRoads and the probable source of the misleading stats fed the Minister. Mr Holgate is on leave apparently and can't confirm accurate information on these crashes.
 
The three fatal bike crashes, it seems,  were over a decade, NOT a year and were at freeway speeds. Not one of these riders crashed traffic filtering as Minister Mulder led the media to believe.
 
FACTS
  1. Victoria should not follow the NSW traffic filtering model.
  2. Traffic filtering has existed since there has been traffic. It happens safely every day across Australia and around the world. It is not new.
  3. Statistics indicate traffic filtering is not a significant source of motorcycle, scooter or bicycle casualties. Experienced riders say it is the safest way to ride in heavy traffic.
  4. Traffic filtering benefits ALL road users by reducing pollution, road damage & congestion while improving safety and freeing up car parking space.
  5. There is no specific law against traffic filtering in Victoria. Victoria does NOT need/want a new law against lane splitting.
  6. Lane splitting is covered by dangerous riding laws with serious penalties.
  7. Traffic filtering can be quickly and economically legitimised in Victoria by A) including powered two-wheelers in bicycle regulations related to overtaking on the left of cars B) extending the bicycle stop line across all lanes at intersection to alloe riders to move ahead of cars while protecting the pedestrian right-of-way C) running an positive education campaign for car drivers on safe traffic filtering by ALL two-wheelers.
VicRoads has also delayed, again and again, permitting motorcycles & scooters to travel in most bus lanes in spite of the successful Hoddle Street trial completed more than 18 months ago. VicRoads are aware of the dangerous situation they have created at the Hoddle Street end of the Eastern Freeway but continue to do nothing to remedy that situation by allowing motorcycles & scooters to use the Eastern Freeway bus lane.
 
Members of the Victorian Parliament, in the run up to the November state election should move to legitimise traffic filtering and permit riders to use bus lanes. Both are safety measures that will also improve traffic flow and reduce car parking shortages thereby benefiting everyone.
 
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders Group

Melbourne.

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