Who's At Fault ?

[def90cars]

Ridden bikes for 32 years, driven cars for 31 years.

Ride like everyone is trying to kill you, drive like a rider.

Always worked for me, although pulling the steering wheel on approach pot holes never seems to initiate front wheel lift in my C63 like it does on my Fireblade.

 

[219]

Perfectly legal to do this despite the best efforts of ignorant car drivers.
Also legal to pull to the front at lights and pedestrian crossings!!!

'Filtering' on a bike is , at best , not specifically unlawful . Bikers ( I used to be one ) don't have any particular right to do what amounts to overtaking and it comes down to exercising due care , common sense and a bit of courtesy to fellow road users .

As for progressing to the front of a queue of traffic , an offence is committed if the bike crosses the stop line whilst the traffic signals are red , or if it encroaches onto a pedestrian crossing whilst a pedestrian is using it - there is also the specific offence of overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing ( regardless of whether the overtaken vehicle is moving or not ) and this carries a penalty of disqualification .

Even if the stop line is not crossed or a crossing entered , the practice is just plain rude .

As for the case being discussed , both parties were at fault and either could have avoided the incident with more care .

 

[219]

If their observation is up to scratch, yes.

An experienced motorcyclist is generally very good at quickly assessing which drivers in a queue are likely to do something that endangers them and which one's aren't. Experienced motorcyclists choose when to filter through and when to hold station based on constantly assessing the risk of proceeding. In 99% of occasions when a car driver is taken by surprise by a filtering motorcyclist it's because their own observation is poor.

As E55BOF says, when I'm on two wheels the only crumple zones I have are my flesh and bones and I have no intention of testing their impact absorption capabilities. I therefore use all my senses, all the time, to make sure I don't.

I agree that the majority of bikers ride well and are very observant - however , when it does go wrong one could equally say that the filtering motorcyclist was taken by surprise by another road user because their own observation was lacking .

Filtering is just a form of overtaking ; it is incumbent on everyone who chooses to do it to do so safely , and they do it entirely at their own risk .

 

[stwat]

It's great to see you back, Derek.

You have been missed mate.Not only on here but also on the 190 forum

 

[219]

It's great to see you back, Derek.

You have been missed mate.Not only on here but also on the 190 forum

Thanks Stu - I look in periodically , but don't have the spare time I used to and don't internet that much these days

 

[zipdip]

This whole business of bikes undertaking and going down the middle of traffic has long be passed as ok,I think it is wrong but the vast majority of people see it as acceptable and the law seems to be on the bikes side,in the case of this accident the car will always be wrong because if he had looked in his mirror he would have seen the bike and stopped.

 

[Alex225]

Sounds like the Focus was at fault as he changed lanes without checking.

That said I have seen bikers do things which may be legal but put them in precarious situations which people aren't expecting.

Saw a biker the other month kick off at a driver because the bike nearly rear ended the car. The driver wasn't paying attention and had to brake hard when the car in front stopped. Mistake on the drivers part but if the biker hadn't been inches off right hand corner of the cars bumper he'd have not had an issue.

I agree drivers don't notice bikers but there are some legal manoeuvres which bikers can perform which put them in a situation which many drivers don't expect so should be extra cautious too!