“It shouldn’t be allowed. Period.”
Frustrated motorists have slammed the NSW government after they released a video demonstrating the legal methods for lane splitting, causing many drivers to lash out saying they’ve “never seen it done legally”.
Lane splitting, otherwise known as lane filtering, is when a motorcyclist switches lanes in between slow or stationary cars, and is most commonly done when cars are stopped at traffic lights.
The video, which was posted to the NSW Government Facebook page, demonstrates the circumstances when lane splitting is allowed and when it breaks the law.
For a motorcyclist to split lanes, they must have a full motorcycle licence, traffic must be travelling under 30km/h, and a safe gap must be present between the vehicles sitting in the lanes.
Furthermore, they must not split lanes around heavy vehicles, if they are travelling in a school zone during school zone hours, or close to the kerb.
However, despite the manoeuvre being legal, many motorists are frustrated with the laws surrounding lane splitting, calling it “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.
“It shouldn’t be allowed period. It opens up a can of worms and people abuse this. Plenty of rider’s filter at 70+km/h,” one Facebook user wrote.
“I’ve NEVER seen a single rider filter as per the law. Most do it dangerously” another added.
The video was released just 24 hours after a Melbourne man lost his life in a lane splitting incident after colliding with a truck.
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Written by Kate Stevens
Images: NSW Government Facebook
