Motorcycle lane-filtering is to be allowed on roads in the state of South Australia, beginning April 15, 2017. This change in road rules is implemented by the South Australia Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) on safety grounds, in order to reduce a rider’s “risk of being hit from behind by an inattentive driver.”
The move is to improve safety for motorcycle riders as it will allow greater control over exposure to traffic, particularly from vehicles following behind. From the DPTI website, “South Australia is aligning our laws with similar laws interstate. Lane filtering is currently allowed in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, and is being trialled in the ACT.”
There are several restrictions in place for motorcycle lane-filtering in Australia, foremost amongst which is only full motorcycle license holders are allowed to do so. Other restrictions include filtering only when traffic is at 30 km/h or less, and no filtering at school zones and pedestrian crossings, or between parked or moving cars and a kerb.
Learner riders and P-permit holders are not allowed to lane-filter, and riders are forbidden from using bicycle, bus or tram lanes to filter. Failure to abide by these lane-filtering rules will attract an AUSD 363 (RM1,232) fine, and three demerit points on the rider’s license.
In Malaysia, and a lot of other ASEAN countries, motorcycles splitting lanes in traffic has been accepted practice for decades. However, with the increase in traffic density on urban roads, the margin for error has diminished, with the resulting increase in collisions and broken wing mirrors.
Kapchai riders are notorious for this, weaving in between cars at unsafe speeds. On the other hand, as an experiment, the author tried riding Kuala Lumpur city roads the same way he would in, say, Europe or US states, excluding California, where lane-splitting is legal.
What was found is that Malaysian drivers are unused to this, and the fear factor of being rear-ended by an inattentive driver playing with the mobile phone increased tremendously.
What do you think? Is the attitude of both Malaysian drivers and riders in need of improvement? Should lane-filtering continue to be accepted traffic practice locally? Leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions below.
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Won’t work in Malaysia. Motorcyclists are allergic to laws.
I’m ok with lane splitting. Honestly.
BUT. And this is a huge BUT, the motorcyclist need to do it cautiously and in good taste.
Speeding between cars knocking off wing mirrors and honking at motorists trying to merge lanes (do you really think we merge lanes just for fun????) leaves car drivers with a very bitter taste that does motorcyclists no favours.
Motorcyclist fail to understand that irregardless who is at fault, they are in a world of pain when an accident happens. They should stop blaming cars and be responsible for their own safety.
When you split lanes in speed, you forget that the car driver may not see you as his/her vision is impeded (by the car or truck behind). I do not see any motorcyclist slow down when I have my signal on to merge. They just zoom through honking. What if I leave a gap too small for it to zoom through? We all know you the kapchai’s brakes are useless…and you will not be able to stop in time.
Nobody wants to involved in a traffic accident. Biker needs to remember one thing, they are the vulnerable one when accident happens thus they must be extra careful for their own sake.
Blaming other drivers for not seeing them/give way to them is really stupid. Remember, when a serious accident happens, 99.9999% it would be YOU biker, that is getting buried/cremated/become OKU.
Hek eleh Kitorang mat despatch panggil nie selit-selit …tak heran
So what? Our motorcyclists can always give bribes when they break the law like what the rest of Malaysians always do
In MY its not illegal to lane filter, unless motor was banned on that hiway
Hopefully Malaysia can adopt this lane filtering rules as well, travel less than 30km/h and go back to lane rather than horn the car in front if unable to lane filtering etc.
It’s in grey area but if you applied the same rules yourself and still involved in accident (it must be the other motorist fault like lane switching without using signal or side mirror and have proof like having gopro or similar)you can still win
Been there done that just the process take times (you know lah our police and insurance company)
“What do you think?…”. Buang masa jer tanya… Motorcyclists in Boleh Land don’t a give a damn one…
Lane filtering enables robbers to rob handbags and personal belongings during a traffic jam or waiting for traffic light.
Ownself ride recklessly, break car mirror then dare to blame driver for the injury
Ah Kow does not support lane filtering in Malaysia. Too dangerous. The risk is way too high
If all cars queue properly in their respective lanes, bikes no need to weave on and out. Its a good idea too not allowing bikes to filter. They can just queue behind other cars. And guess what? 80 metres become 250 metres. And instead of 2 times green light to pass, one may need to wait 8 times. Go ahead. Try.
Exactly, peak hours at kl u can see more than 20 motorcycles waiting at traffic light at 1 time. Imagine if they all queue up how long the line will be. Regardless, even if the law implemented, its useless without enforcement. Rempit can still smile while langgar a red light until today.
I think both drivers and riders need to improve their attitude.Riders need to remember during filtering they may be in the car’s blind spot.Drivers need to look at their mirrors before lane changing.Last but not least turn ON those indicators please.
motorcycle…please turn on indicator plus the buzzer (remember our old Yamaha SS110) when lane filter…hehehehehhe
Sorry about that.I’m actually referring to both drivers and riders.
THIS. Attitude on the road
If all 3rd world mentality behind wheels/handlebar well you get what those elitist wannabe comment above
I think its as simple as cars stay within their lanes, it solves a lot of the lane filtering problem for bikes. Then again, drivers should also be considerate for other users on the road. If everyone is less selfish and only care for themselves things would be much improved.
“What do you think?”
In MY, 2 wheelers will blame 4(or more) wheelers. Meanwhile 4(or more) wheelers will blame 2 wheelers.
No need all these nonsense rules. Bike is king, no need stop at traffic lights, at junction squeeze through in between cars, hit side mirror, terus pecut… wait at tol, bila buka kereta nak lalu, terus pecut and tol barrier hit car… federal highway car lane very wide… good to ride in the fast lane… there are good ones.. there are bad ones… same with car drivers…
why non of the pics are from south Australia btw ??\
i see the first pic of those thugs on big bikes and i cringe big time…these laws wont work here…in australia has a chance to work , the quality of the law abiding human beings over there is abt a million times better than here…this is the reality of it..like it or not…we need a holistic approach to this over here…from the ground up…not just some cosmetics here and there…
Look at the fed hiway. The kapcais & big bikes are lane splitting every day. They are filtered when they got knock down. By that, motorists will say, you’ve earned it.
It’s because of their ignorance
Once they on motorcyclist boot in which they will never be that mindset/mentality/attitude will continue
Any logic or common sense suggestions wont work here…
Just like yourself and your every past comment about motorcyclist
“What do you think?”
Dude how long have you been riding? Even a blind man knows the answer.
And stop degrading the kapchai riders. Only small fraction are “notorious” to something. I’ve been riding daily for >10years and I never seen a kapchai purposely knock out the wing mirrors.
Key word you mention is “purposely”.
Yet I had 3 wing mirrors knocked off (even one big scratch on my front fender) “accidentally” by them trying to squeeze into a gap too small. Yet, they ride off unapologetically….
As if we get into accidents on “purpose”.
Riiight. Stop defending the wrong. You get lumped into the same shit hole.
I supported lane filtered in MY.
it does feel abit “scary” especially when you are sandwich between a bus and a lorry. and the risk of being hit at the rear is real. lots of cars unintentionally hitting the bumpers of the front vehicle during a traffic situation… either due to misjudge the braking distance, or simply not 100% focus.
is not uncommon to see people reading newspaper, eating breakfast, putting makeup during rush hour.