Lane splitting/filtering: the legal and commonsense answers

[Ixion]

He is wrong. The law says motorcycles must be SPECIFICALLY excluded. So the sign would need to say "No motorcycles" or "Motorcycles prohibited". But note, this does NOT apply on motorwyas.

[Squiggles]

get a ticket for that? if you did write'em a 'pleasant' little letter about it

[jtzzr]

some cops just hate bikes , it`s a fact and he`s one of them, most of the people who hate bikes can`t ride em and thats a fact as well , does anyone disagree.

[Macktheknife]

Now i got pulled over the other day for riding in a bus lane, even when i tryed to explain to the officer that bikes are allowed to use them he proceeded to explain to me that i was half right we are allowed to use them as long as the signs don't say "Bus Lane ONLY".

This guy clearly doesnt like you, if its not on the motorway, contest it and you should get off the ticket.

[kickingzebra]

I've only been pulled up once for riding in the motorway bus lanes, I said to the cop, as far as I am aware, it is legal, and I was polite and respectful, and he told me how it was, and said I wouldn't likely be chased if I split between lanes carefully.

The two annoying things though, firstly, the reason he got me, was because he had just pulled a car up... Onto the bus lane! yet his reasoning was, he didn't want to see a motorcyclist versus bus in the bus lane. (So its ok for a bus to take out a cop car, and someone suffering from a minor infraction, but not a motorbike)
The obvious other flaw. Buses are less than 5 per cent of traffic, and hence the bus lane sits empty for 95 per cent of the time. Safety obviously isn't the concern, It must be that the police are contracted to enforce the obligations the LTNZ sets forward. EG buses have precedence, as part of the incentivising program for public trasnport.

Damnably frustrating, and I still say, the only way I am using a bus, is if I am sitting in its lane. Thats my rant, and I'm sticking to it....

Hate dang buses, ggnnar!!

[Ixion]

In this case, odd though it is, LTNZ are not the bad guys. It is Transit NZ who are in charge of motorweays and insist that motorcyclists shall not use them

Transit NZ HATE (and I mean **HATE**) motorcycles.

[GIXser]

The Moral of the story is,,, dont have a plate on ya bike,, and dont stop if a cop chases ya!!!'''unless ya ride a honda or other piece of crap"""hehehe

[ManDownUnder]

It's pissing down, visor fogged up, just before 9am, the traffic is backed up, there is at least one accident ahead and oh, did i mention it's pissing down?

What do you do? try and remain semi legal and pass in between two sets of cars, some of who keep left, some don't and some think they may just not bother to indicate today (hands full with coffee and cell phone).

So you try for a while but eventually you start to get knackered holding your bike at 2 k/hr then up to 30, maybe 40 or 50 and down to 2 again. Nah, this is too dangerous you tell yourself.

What do you do?
Pull over to the side of the road and have a rest?
Keep in line with the traffic and stop and start with it?
Take the emergency lane and go for sympathy from the cops?

This morning I took the emergency lane option, it was definatly the safest option. IMHO 2 wheelers should have the option of using the emergency lane if the traffic is going less than 20 - 30 k/hr but we should be limited to 50k/hr or so.

Na mate - the simplest and safest, and most legal is to put the visor UP - get a wet face but see clearly all the way to where you're going.

Normal splitting guidelines apply... but add in the consideration the road is wet (aka greasy) and most motorists don't know how to adjust their driving for wet conditions.

[ManDownUnder]

Now i got pulled over the other day for riding in a bus lane, even when i tryed to explain to the officer that bikes are allowed to use them he proceeded to explain to me that i was half right we are allowed to use them as long as the signs don't say "Bus Lane ONLY".

If it says "buses only" that's tantamount to a specific exclusion... even though technically it's "inclusive" .

[sAsLEX]

If it says "buses only" that's tantamount to a specific exclusion... even though technically it's "inclusive" .

Bikes are not allowed to use this lane. That is a specific exclusion, buses only are old signs indicating bus lanes before the new legislation came out the allows other road users such as bikes to use them. Therefore they have to add to the signs if they want to follow their own silly law.

[Fatjim]

I quote from the regs. (LAND TRANSPORT (ROAD USER) RULE 2004 (1.6))

buslane means a lane reserved by a marking or sign installed at the start of the lane and at each point at which the lane resumes after an intersection for the use of—

a)buses; and

b)cycles, mopeds, and motorcycles (unless one or more are specifically excluded by the sign)

The word specifically means the sign must mention the word cycle, moped or motorcycle to exclude them.
"Bus lane "only"" is not specific, but implicit.

[Fatjim]

He is wrong. The law says motorcycles must be SPECIFICALLY excluded. So the sign would need to say "No motorcycles" or "Motorcycles prohibited". But note, this does NOT apply on motorwyas.

Do you mean the "hard shoulder" or a bus lane on the motorway?

[Fatjim]

If it says "buses only" that's tantamount to a specific exclusion... even though technically it's "inclusive" .

I think "Tanatamount to a specific exclusion" is an oxymoron. (note the non-edit of the original post to correct spelling)

[Ixion]

Do you mean the "hard shoulder" or a bus lane on the motorway?

The "bus lanes" .Transit claim, (though I think the claim dubious, and untested in law - just don't m'self to be the first to test it), that their "bylaws" override the general law about bus lanes, and that "their" buslanes are not really bus lanes at all, but rather the hard shoulder, and they have given buses (only) a specific dispensation to the law forbidding vehicles to use the hard shoulder.

All very dodgy.But you will still get a ticket if you use them. I hope someone gets one and fights it. But I am no martyr.

The reality is that Transit HATE motorcycles, and would very much like us banned completely. the last thing they would ever do is agree to something that might make bikes attractive to cagers.

[kickingzebra]

I say old chaps, remember those good old days of 5 horsepower motor perambulators and bloody revolutions... dear me what what what, have another cigar old chap

Death to all opposing worldviews!!! and Transit!!