Lane filtering approved in Utah

[Gone in 60]

I can see what could have happened in that video, based on having seen it happen too many times. If someone is splitting at a speed they are comfortable with, and another splitting bike comes up from behind, the lead rider has two choices - either continue at his speed, wait for a large enough gap between cars to duck in and let the faster bike pass, or start to move faster so as not to upset the bike behind him, thereby splitting lanes at a speed that he is probably uncomfortable with, and will lead to him making a bad judgement call, such as clipping a mirror or glancing off of a car if the gap is too narrow.

Watching the video, the camera bike had three splitters behind him, and he moves to an open space to the right, and the three faster bikes move past him. Pretty much what I'd do in that situation.

The bagger was following the middle bike, and that bike may have made a bad judgement call due to going faster than he was comfortable with that bike behind him. The gap between the red and blue cars was pretty narrow.

I've ridden up on the scenario pictured in the video. I've also come across a situation where the following rider has become impatient, and has tried to swing around the slower bike on the left during a gap, which can lead to problems as well.

I glance in my mirror every ten seconds or so while splitting to watch for faster riders, as I'm very conservative in my splitting speed. As the rider approaches, I'll drop into a gap between cars and let that guy speed past. This gets him off my tail, and provides a rider in front of me to help part the way between cars - I'll have a wider gap to ride in thanks to him, and he will have put drivers in front of me on a higher sense of alert.

And, if his wads himself up a mile up the road, I can stop and help him when I get there.

[pdedse]

I'm just grateful that rarely do I have to ride in traffic where I would be tempted to lane-split.

[Gone in 60]

I’m just grateful that if I need to live somewhere with gawdawful traffic that it’s a place where splitting is part of the culture and I can get where I need to go with relative ease and safety as long as I’m careful.

[pekingduck]

If I'm splitting traffic between the 1 & 2 lanes, and I see traffic coming up behind me, I'll put my turn signals on so I can get out of their way as quickly as safely possible. They appreciate the gesture, usually with a quick wave.

But I've also had riders so impatient when I can't get over fast enough, bounce their engines off the rev limiters. Some will even go around between the 2 & 3 lanes.

To me, any potential time saving has to be weighed against the risk of accident/injury.

[flynrider]

After standing for a while far behind in the line in the sun before Zion National Park, I passed the line of cars and pulled in before the gate in front of a RV. The driver of the RV was indeed a little mad about me. I guess filtering has not completely arrived in Utah yet. I raised my hand and waved to greet him and calm him down a bit.

Unlike normal traffic situations, when there is a line waiting for a specific purpose (i.e. park entrance), it would be considered bad form to just cut to the front of the line. Same as it would be for a line waiting to get into an event or a movie.

[Gone in 60]

I was kinda thinking the same thing, Flynrider. My wife and I went to Zion recently and sat in line waiting to pay. There were two entry lanes, and one was open, the other was coned off. A driver came up the closed lane and tried to cut in on the open lane toward the entry. He almost got a beat-down by the two cars he was cutting in front of.

Peking, love the angry over-revving "I need to be in front of you right now" riders who fly up behind. Last Saturday, heading to LA on the 5, I got a quick siren blip from behind while splitting. It was an LAPD officer on his bike, and apparently I wasn't splitting fast enough for his taste either. A siren will stand the hairs on the back of your neck a bit quicker than a squid on a Ninja.

[SportsterDoc]

The west entrance of Zion is usually a line.
Frequently, I plan a trip to enter from the east from Mt Carmel Junction.

When not practical and on a bike, I would pull into a coned off lane then step behind the vehicle I had been following and advance on foot while removing gloves to access wallet for my senior pass.

Good opportunity to stretch legs, especially on a bike with slightly rearset pegs.

[LongRanger_imp]

In European cities, it's acceptable and expected that motorcyclists will filter to the front of the line at traffic stops. This way, when the light turns green, they can scoot ahead of the four-wheeled traffic.

Traffic patterns in my area are humorous. The impatient drivers immediately merge into the #1 lane when they enter the freeway. Before long, everyone is in the #1 lane and it backs up. I just stay in the #2 or #3 lane and whiz right past them.

[SportsterDoc]

In European cities, it's acceptable and expected that motorcyclists will filter to the front of the line at traffic stops. This way, when the light turns green, they can scoot ahead of the four-wheeled traffic.

Traffic patterns in my area are humorous. The impatient drivers immediately merge into the #1 lane when they enter the freeway. Before long, everyone is in the #1 lane and it backs up. I just stay in the #2 or #3 lane and whiz right past them.

That is a major peeve, especially when those drivers continue at or under the speed limit...and drive past "slower traffic keep right" signs.

[MM300_imp]

Awesome UT, good for you. I live in PA where all of this is illegal. 30 years of riding and I’ve lane split every time I ever needed to. Po's people off but, oh well.