February 2, 2015
It is now legal for motorbike riders to “lane filter”, ie drive between queued traffic, in Queensland.
The RACQ said new traffic laws take effect from today after a review by the Department of Transport and Main Roads last year.
RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding said the changes would reduce confusion around the common practice.
“Many motorbike riders often work their way to the front of a queue to try and get away from heavy traffic quickly,” Mr Spalding said.
“We are glad to see the law has caught up and has given riders and motorists more clarity on what is the right thing to do.”
Mr Spalding said “lane filtering” was only legal for experienced motorcyclists. Learners and provisional riders were prohibited from doing it.
“Lane filtering can be dangerous if you don’t have a lot of on-road experience,” he said.
“You need to be able to manoeuvre through queued traffic slowly and safely, ensuring you don’t go too close to other drivers and be alert for a driver switching lanes at the last minute.
“For safety reasons, we wouldn’t recommend you lane filter through narrow gaps or in traffic with large vehicles such as trucks and buses.
“Motorcyclists are vulnerable to a side-swipe so drivers need to take extra care by checking carefully for passing motorcycles before changing lanes.”
- More information is available on the Transport and Main Roads website
