Filtering

There are risks to filtering, but know what they and you’ll be much safer

Q? It’s a big question but, should I filter

A: Certainly. It’s part of  part of what a bike is for and a large part of it’s advantage. It’s legal and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be safe provided you’re aware that other people might not be expecting you to be where you are.

Q? Legal, really? Not all riders believe that to be the case...

A: Filtering is legal in the UK, but it’s a grey area open to interpretation. In The Highway Code says “when filtering in slow-moving traffic, take care and keep your speed low” so the legality of filtering all depends on your interpretation  possibly a court’s interpretation of slow-moving and what speed is could be regarded as low. if you get hit when filtering, that’s what you’ll have to prove. If the car you’ve overtaken was going 10mph slower than you, they won’t bat an eyelid because it appeared reasonable to them. But if you were 40mph faster, then the decision might be that your speed was unreasonable.

Q? So I only have to keep within 10mph of the rest of the traffic and I will be ok

A: Maybe, but not necessarily. The biggest mistake riders make is going too fast at the wrong time. Filtering isn’t done at a constant speed - you should be altering you speed constantly as your observation warrant it. Approaching to junctions, entrances, and exits for example, you need to slow down, look and decide, it could be at that point 10mph could be too fast. What if there’s a gap you can’t see into, there may be a  car about to stick it’s bonnet but they can’t see you. Consider what you could reasonable expect to happen.

Q? Where is filtering most end badly 

Mostly in towns in an urban environment (rather than dual carriageways and motorways). often it’s the case of a car pulling out of a junction on your left that you haven’t noticed and they don’t expect you, or the car turning right across your path. It’s here that our choice of speed is crucial because it is the determining factor as to whether we end up on the bonnet or deal with the situation.

Q? So motorways are the safe place to filter then

A: Safer but not safe. They bring their own set of dangers. On multi-lane roads, it is common for a car driver to hang out in lane three until the last possible minute and then cut across at this exit. They may take a quick glance in their mirrors, see a gap and dive across. On a motorway, space is always dangerous when you’re filtering some impatient unobservant driver  is inevitably going to try and make use of it. If the traffic has stopped and is nose to tail the spaces between cars have disappeared, there no space to be made use of. However you still can’t relax because there’s a different danger that someone will open a door into your path.

Q? What speed should I carry on filtering up to on motorways?

A: Each rider has a maximum speed at which they’re comfortable filtering at on multi-lane roads. It may also depend on what type of bike they are riding too. There’s no set speed above which it’s dangerous - it’s down to judgement. Personally, once speeds get up to about 30 to 40mph I start to become slightly uncomfortable. I like to keep my speed different to around a maximum of 15mph. Also traffic is moving heavily but in queues at 60mph and you want to dive down the middle, good luck. Its not for me and in any case you would have to break the speed limit to do it in any case.

Q? What about I covering the front brake

I like to hover a couple of fingers over the lever. A fraction of a second less to stop the bike can make a difference. Also I make sure I choose a responsive gear so there’s plenty of engine braking if necessary and when I am going slow I use the rear brake as it settles the bike and adds stability. Believe it or not but this is one of the main times on the road that I find slow bike handling skill particularly useful.

Q? I may not be the fastest filterer in the world but what about if another bike comes up behind me. Do I make him follow or do I let him pass

A:Let him pass as soon as you can, every time. When there are few bikes, the more risky filtering becomes can be if you are the first one through. Drivers just aren’t expecting you. If there’s a constant stream of bikes through then drivers become more aware. That’s why if a bike comes up behind me I’m very happy to let them through. He take most of the risk, wake up the drivers and have them looking around just as I follow through. It’s a shellfish way to ride but you take what you can.

Q? Where do recommend I filter on motorways? Between lane 2 and 3

I always try to go for that gap between the two outside lanes, be it two and three or three and four. This is because in my experience there are fewer lane changes. there’s tend be  more space between the lanes because there are fewer lorries. I’m not a fan of the offside of the outside lane. There can be lots of rubbish on the road and there is also the vibroline to warn drivers of the edge of the carriage way. That is something I don’t want to ride over. So because of all the dead badgers/foxes, wing mirrors, litter etc, unless traffic stationary and you’re doing 10mph, that’s a no-go for me.

Q? That’s a lot to consider. Anything else

Night! It’s a lot worse because when a driver in their mirror, what do they see? Lights! Hundreds of lights. Yours don’t stand out and because you are unlikely to be moving laterally you just won’t be seen.  The risk can also increase early morning or evening when the sun is low. Bikers just disappear in the glare and the background noise if the sun is behind you. Coincidentally just the times of the day when lots of bikers will be taking advantage of the manoeuvrability of their bike to filter on the commute.