Filtering and traffic light queues?

[YEN_POWELL]

Bike tax discs specify class is 'bicycle' - wonder if anyone's used that as a defence.....?

The exact wording from the regulations for the cycle reservoir says,

"Alternatives to the stop line shown in diagram 1001 showing seperate stop lines at a junction for pedal cycles proceeding in the cycle lane."

So as the tax disc doesn't say 'pedal' cycle I reckon not. On the other hand it also means that if the pedal cycle gets into the reservoir without using the attached cycle lane they've jumped the light too.

[pdsquire]

Bike tax discs specify class is 'bicycle' - wonder if anyone's used that as a defence.....?

They might have tried, but the law makes distinctions more on the basis of the means of propulsion rather than the number of wheels.

On Romford Road, Stratford, London there is an area in front of the solid white line for cars which is painted with the bicycle sign "& m/cycles". That is the only instance I know of it being pukka for motorbikes to use bike areas.

Meanwhile, on Blackfriars Bridge (where three cyclists have died during the time I have lived nearby) most bikers leave the cycle lane free. I think they (we) should. It is not easy pushing a bike around under your own steam, to say nothing of the huge vulnerability you have to other traffic. If bikers can't show some consideration for peddlers then we have a weaker case when asking for more care to be shown to us by cagers or StumpyFingers in his bus.

To answer the question, proceed with care appropriate to the situation, but realise that hofficers of the law can get jumpy if you overtake the lead vehicle in a zig-zag area (generally a crossing). I think that may be in the Highway Code, but whether it is or not, it is one of the more reliably upheld rules.

[blemco]

I leave the bicycle section in front of lights for just that.

The one that gets me is when I'm down in london. I'm getting to know my way around so that I can take advantage of the bus lanes that motorcycles can use. But every so often you'll get some bloke on his bicycle, with his flashing lights on his bike, bag and helmet, hi-viz glowing in the wind, right in the midle of the lane where you can't get round him. GRRRRRR

As for filtering.
When I did my lessons I was told to look at the front wheels of parked cars. "if the wheels are pointing into your road be aware they could pull out on you" I generally apply that principle to filtering, especially in motorway traffic where they could change lanes.

I never got the hang of going fast, I often pull out of the way of other bikes flying through traffic, if the traffics doing 25ish, I generally pull back in and roll with it


Something else I thought of, which nearly happened to me, and unfortunatly I've seen the results of twice.
When passing big vans, lorries buses etc, slow a bit and look left and right as you reach the front of them, all you need if a helpful driver to flash his lights to let a car out of a junction, you pop of from behind the big vehical.
Next thing bikes under the bumper and your on the ground.

[davsato]

.....I have even seen someone cut in between two objects thinking they were between 2 lorries only to get between the lorry and its trailer.........

what a great way to learn clutch/brake control!

[YEN_POWELL]

what a great way to learn clutch/brake control!

Plus bladder/sphincter control!

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Sorry for the hijack BUT, what are the opinions of the commuters on here for;

Filtering when there is a shared straight on/left or straight on/ right and I need to turn?
It is something that I'm never sure about and normally end up wedging in between cars quite a bit back from the front of the que & sitting there like a plonker.....
If I get to the front & end up trying to outdrag a car just to cut across their path it wouldn't be the best manouvre.....

Phil

[jarl]

Filter as usual, when you get relatively near the front look for your gap (or, rather, look for a lack of a gap at the front cars-if you can't see your gap then go into the next one you can see). Get as much as your bike as you can in the gap (don't be afraid to sit at quite a dodgy angle relative to the rest of the traffic, the steering lock on dualies is enough to turn you on a 5p at full lock), stick your indicator on and wait for the lights to change.

Alternatively, as above filtering down the middle of 2 lanes, but if you see a gap on your right between cages then cruise right through it then filter the last bit between oncoming traffic and the stopped traffic (only if it's a turn right, though...)- that way you don't need to cut in front of the lead car.

Alternatively cruise right over the stop line and wait in front of the first car.

NB: Not responsible for any tickets or runnings over that may result from following this advice

[icenian]

...if the pedal cycle gets into the reservoir without using the attached cycle lane they've jumped the light...

Indeed. There are lots of reservoirs around Edinburgh that don't have a cycle lane leading in to them, which means bicycles cannot lawfully use them at all!

Remember that the law says you must not cross a stop line (and that includes either of the two stops lines on one of these reservoirs) when a red light is showing; or when an amber light is showing, and you can safely stop.

If you find yourself within a reservoir when the lights turn red you must stop inside it. Riding out of it would involve crossing a stop line, which is not lawful.

This situation only occurs legitimately if the lights change as you approach, and you are too close to safely stop before the first stop line, but can safely stop before the second stop line.

[Source: head of traffic division, Lothian and Borders police.]

Remember this if you ever need to explain why you are stopped within a reservoir!

[pdsquire]

what are the opinions of the commuters on here for filtering when there is a shared straight on/left or straight on/ right and I need to turn?

Phil

I can't agree with jarl.

You never know the temperament of drivers in queues so you can't count on the person at the front being content with you sticking yourself in his/her way. It is dangerous to assume that they will not want to take off like a rocket, or even have a go at you.

My technique Phil is first assess the front vehicle. If it is a wagon, a bus or a milk-float then pull up in front in such a position that it can't fail to see you. When the lights change, pull away. The reason the driver needs to see you is that if you pull forward and have to stop to await traffic coming in the other direction, s/he could inadvertently drive into you. If getting to a visible position means going in the cycle bay, go behind.

If the front vehicle is a car, van etc the best position is alongside or in the gap behind it on the side you intend to turn into.

If it is slow to move you can nip past and take the corner.

If it shoots off you can drop in behind.

And before anyone says that the second vehicle could take off too, experience shows it does not work like that. For the second vehicle to accelerate hard its driver would have to be confident that the lead vehicle would get out of the way. It doesn't happen.

If the lead vehicle has started slowly you will have gone past it so the second vehicle can't touch you. If the lead vehicle has shot off you will have followed it quicker than the No.2 vehicle can.

Finally, it's arrogant in the extreme to just cut in front of the lead vehicle compelling it to wait for you when the lights change. Moreover it is usually the scooters (often Italian-registered ones with no insurance) or L-platers which do it, often crawling away from the lights and hogging the overtaking lane. It annoys me when I am in a car and it just contributes to our bad name.

Yesterday I watched an L-plate courier on an XR125 (fine bike, but slow) cut in front of a taxi at a crossing by Marble Arch, stop in the cycle bay, take a glove off and started consulting a map. When the lights went, I went past and must have been 250yds away before the taxi had managed to squeeze past him.

I hope he isn't knocked off but it can't make sense to put yourself in harm's way. His conduct was extreme, but none of us should assume we own the road.

[piguglyshandydrinker]

Ok, thanks for the tips
I suppose it's a bit of a grey area & like most filtering, carefully try different approaches & see what works

Phil