Filtering on zig zag markings?

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NastyEvilNinja

NastyEvilNinja

4 wheel racer, 2 wheel lunatic
I got pulled (kind-of) the other day for 'overtaking on zig-zag markings' leading up to a pelican crossing:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFCQwB8tOW4[/youtube]

I ate humble pie, and after a stern word the Officer let me go on my merry way. Fair enough.

In my defence, I'd come off the motorway on fumes, and was gliding to the first petrol station, so I was trying to make progress past slow traffic before my bike died. Plus I was a bit cocky when I KNEW I was bending the rules by overtaking the Police car where I did.

So, I know according to the Highway Code you must not overtake a car within zig zags that is stationary to allow a pedestrian to cross, but is it a grey area when you're filtering?

If you don't do a lot of busy city riding, you might have stricter views - I've been overtaking on zig zags whilst filtering for years, often in front of Police, and never been pulled up for it.

Do you bend the rules here?
 
I've always been told by police officers that filtering is technically overtaking, so it falls under the same laws.

Glad to see you were polite to the officer. Last week, I was pulled for riding through a bus lane where bikes aren't permitted. I didn't know, as I wasn't local to the area. The copper let me off with a warning because I was polite, and while I was breaking the law, I put noone in danger.
 
Bikermole said:
I've always been told by police officers that filtering is technically overtaking, so it falls under the same laws.

Glad to see you were polite to the officer. Last week, I was pulled for riding through a bus lane where bikes aren't permitted. I didn't know, as I wasn't local to the area. The copper let me off with a warning because I was polite, and while I was breaking the law, I put noone in danger.
Click to expand...

That's where real life Police win over cameras - they can make a sensible distinction that even if you weren't strictly within the law, you were still doing things safely.

I'm always polite to Police - they might be needed to help me out, one day.

(unless I'm in my teens drinking in the village bus stop/graveyard underage - then i'll leg it! :mrgreen: )
 
Filtering is classed as overtaking so rule 165 of the highway code comes into play which states

You MUST NOT overtake
If you would have to cross or straddle double white lines with a solid line nearest to you (but see Rule 129)
If you would have to enter an area designed to divide traffic
If it is surrounded by a solid white line
The nearest vehicle to a pedestrian crossing, especially when it has stopped to let pedestrians cross
If you would have to enter a lane reserved for buses, trams or cycles during its hours of operation
After a ‘No Overtaking’ sign and until you pass a sign cancelling the restriction.

Laws RTA 1988 sect 36, TSRGD regs 10, 22, 23 & 24, ZPPPCRGD reg 24
 
So no filtering to the front at any traffic light ever then? Because that's where you'll find those zig-zag markings...
 
Not shameless self-promotion, but look at this video, specifically at 0:51, 1:11 (traffic lights with zig-zags)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BnjnyCGn5I[/youtube]
 
Thats because they are both pelican crossings. Any pedestrian crossing will have white zig zag lines before and after them. Next time you come to a large junction or roundabout that has traffic lights you wont see any zig zags unless they are padestrian crossings.
 
Here you go. Just dug this out of the archives :lol: Towards the end of the video I approach a roundabout controled by traffic lights. Note the lack of zig zag lines due to the lights not being a pedestrian crossing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmiwZdA59mU[/youtube]
 
On the way to work this morning I filter onto a zigzag behind the leading car. car pulls across the crossing so I move up to crossing. Car to my left also moves up... who is in the wrong here?

So if a policeman didn't see me move up legally first I could also get ticketed here. Its a bugger the zigzags.
 
Its a real minefield in the sense that how many road users know the highway code sufficiently well to avoid such misdemeanors? Although as bikers we should definitely brush up on such areas of the code in regard to overtaking etc.

I think the policeman handled it well as it would be a tad harsh to book someone for it unless there was excessive speed or a near miss etc.

I've got my IAM test coming up and so I'm having to swot up on the highway code. I'm dreading what questions I'll be asked!
 
Why not just hold back a few seconds when approaching a pedestrian crossing? If the crossing is on a duel carrigway you will have the opportunity to overtake soon and if the crossing is on a single carrigway road is it really wise to move off into oncoming traffic or even filter into oncoming traffic?
 
Brick Driver said:
Why not just hold back a few seconds when approaching a pedestrian crossing? If the crossing is on a duel carrigway you will have the opportunity to overtake soon and if the crossing is on a single carrigway road is it really wise to move off into oncoming traffic or even filter into oncoming traffic?
Click to expand...

You don't commute through city traffic, do you? :mrgreen:

Basically, you'd be there all day. Like a car.

There seem to be differing opinions on whether filtering is 'overtaking'... A lot of bikers seem to overtake on zig zags when it's safe, and I've done it in front of Police a million times.

I did see one story where a bike filtered level to a car which had stopped to let someone use a crossing, then he waved the biker away first (as most do). An unmarked car saw this, and the biker got 3 points and a fine! :o
 
I've just lost count of all the bikers I've scraped up off the floor after being hit off through dangerous/illegal filtering that I just think to myself why not wait a few seconds and wait till it's safe and legal. I need my licence to do my job. Any more than 3 points and i'm out of a job. So you won't find me doing anything risky in the city. I'd rather arrive a few minutes late and alive.
 
Brick Driver said:
I've just lost count of all the bikers I've scraped up off the floor after being hit off through dangerous/illegal filtering that I just think to myself why not wait a few seconds and wait till it's safe and legal. I need my licence to do my job. Any more than 3 points and i'm out of a job. So you won't find me doing anything risky in the city. I'd rather arrive a few minutes late and alive.
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That's kind-of the point though, isn't it? Do you think what I did in the video was dangerous or safe?
 
Well, the fact that you had a talking to by plodd answers that question. ;)

My take on it.... There is a deflection arrow on the road just ahead of the freelander, they generally instruct you to move over just before solid lines or a hazard. In this case the pedestrian crossing. You overtook a car on the zig zag. You overtook into oncoming traffic and then quickly moved across the lane into the petrol station. It all comes across a tad aggressive which is another reason why I think the copper made the effort to have a chat with you. You saved yourself all of 30 seconds by doing what you did. Is taking risks riding through the "coroners corridor" really worth a saving of seconds?

Please don't take what I have typed as me having a go. I'm an IHCD D2 qualified advanced driver and IAM observer. I'm just giving you my observations. No malice intended.
 
Brick Driver said:
Well, the fact that you had a talking to by plodd answers that question. ;)

My take on it.... There is a deflection arrow on the road just ahead of the freelander, they generally instruct you to move over just before solid lines or a hazard. In this case the pedestrian crossing. You overtook a car on the zig zag. You overtook into oncoming traffic and then quickly moved across the lane into the petrol station. It all comes across a tad aggressive which is another reason why I think the copper made the effort to have a chat with you. You saved yourself all of 30 seconds by doing what you did. Is taking risks riding through the "coroners corridor" really worth a saving of seconds?

Please don't take what I have typed as me having a go. I'm an IHCD D2 qualified advanced driver and IAM observer. I'm just giving you my observations. No malice intended.
Click to expand...

I appreciate everyones thoughts on this. :)

It's not really clear from the video, but that section of road is actually 2 lanes going into one - that's what the arrows are for, rather than for the crossing. The red car at the start was blocking me when they could have moved all the way to the left and I could have passed easily at that point. The traffic ahead was all stationary, and so when I went past him I'd pretty much commited to riding down that side until I could find (or force) a gap.

When I turned left I was signalling my intention, the car let me go, and I gave him a wave of thanks for it.

I am a very aggressive rider - but only in terms of dominating my road position, and especially on the commute which is to and from Birmingham city centre. My primary aim on the roads is to make sure not other road users have to brake or otherwise take any action to avoid me. I also have a background where I've been taught roadcraft from Police, advanced riders... but also from close protection, escape/evasion, and specialist security drivers - who of course have a totally different way of going about things! :)

I don't think my riding was aggressive here - but then it's the perception of other road users that counts, ultimately.
 
Brick Driver said:
I've just lost count of all the bikers I've scraped up off the floor after being hit off through dangerous/illegal filtering that I just think to myself why not wait a few seconds and wait till it's safe and legal. I need my licence to do my job. Any more than 3 points and i'm out of a job. So you won't find me doing anything risky in the city. I'd rather arrive a few minutes late and alive.
Click to expand...

While I tend to agree a bit here I also commute into central London everyday mostly on city streets. I cross over, over 40 pedestrian crossing points and at rush hour they are all in use. I do filter up to the car behind the car on/waiting at the crossing before proceeding and find this to be perfectly safe (your see this in my next video I upload tonight where I do this but a BMW driver coming the other way almost hits someone on the crossing even tho I and the car that pulls up besides me have stopped.).

I think common sense was the warning here, just saying be-careful and noticing that dangerous riding was part of the warning.
 
OoxTruExoO said:
So no filtering to the front at any traffic light ever then? Because that's where you'll find those zig-zag markings...
Click to expand...
Same question from me bro..
Why there was no filtration to the top side at any visitors light?
 
Simanto said:
OoxTruExoO said:
So no filtering to the front at any traffic light ever then? Because that's where you'll find those zig-zag markings...
Click to expand...
Same question from me bro..
Why there was no filtration to the top side at any visitors light?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I wanted to say... word for word... almost?
 
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