well seen alot of biekrs do it. I will outlay my situation...

waiting at the train corssing gate is down. 3 cars in front of me. bike comes along the side into the front of the que and then takes off.

Is this right? if so what kind of roads and any tips on doing it. I would imagine it saves alot of time. But everytime I go there I always see anyone on a bike do it.

I stand by waiting to be over-ruled by any of the instructors on this forum but it's not what other riders do that's important.

I was taught that you can pull up to the rear of the first car in the queue at crossings, not in front unless there is a clear lane. I don't know if that applies to railway crossings too but I don't see much of a difference, it's still an obstruction to your progress and a hazard, to be treated accordingly.

Also, what road markings? IIRC, most railway crossing have double white lines up the middle of the road either side of them. The meaning of them has been discussed extensively here.

On those bases, I'd say the other bikers are in the wrong. They probably know they are too and take the risk knowing the consequences, but that wasn't the question you asked.

I do it at the Beddingham crossing. But there are no double white lines in the road

AFAIK a railway crossing is fine but you musn't overtake the first car waiting at traffic lights (I wait to be corrected here )

As Alan says tho - only do things if you feel safe to tho - not because other bikes do.

The overtaking the front car applies to pedestrian crossings where there is the Zig Zag lines. You can filter, but must not go further than the rear of the front car, if that makes sense.

It is a safety thing for pedestrians already crossing. As for railway lines as said, unless there are solid white lines (and you can still overtake in them as long as you don't cross them) then you are ok....


HTH

ok so the trian crossing has a solid white and dashed white line so I can overtake the traffic and go beside the front car? to play it safe i would probably only stay behing the first car but it took me 5 minutes waiting for the lot to shift atleast

Thanks for the correction and clarification StevePJ. Yes, it makes sense, to me at least.

If the solid white line is your side of the road, you don't cross it. If there's space between it and the traffic, you can filter up but, if not, you wait like all the cagers

thanks alan for explaining it simpily for me thanks guys is there anything else I should know?

Yes,

Don't ever ever under any circs try dodging around barriers that are on their way down

and dont stop BESIDE cars, be in front of them or behind them never BESIDE them.

Most of it doesn't rely on the law, just common sense and your experence.

I always go to the front of any queue if its safe to do so and I'll not be adding to congestion etc. Most car drivers don't mind as they realise I'll be coming past in a mile or so anyway as I'm a demon 'filterer' as well (but safe I hope).

One word of caution - don't start going to the front just before the lights change or barrier goes up as everyone's concentrating on getting away and won't notice you.

Oh, and a second word of caution - when going to the front look inside the cars you are passing and notice any with more than their fair share of switches/dials on the dashboard (unmarked police cars..!).

But of course the bikers rule applies - if in doubt, don't!

What does overtake mean Unless its a tractor of course, even I overtake tractors

the other thing to consider is you're on a small bike & you were running it in last time i looked. by all means filter to the front of the queue-but if the lead car is a scooby doo, then i wouldnt

You can filter through on zig-zags but you cannot wait on them

do you want to clarify that one?
i'm a bit confused

yeah please do...im a bit stumped by that one too

Zig-zags are keep clear and you cannot wait on the zig-zags on the outside if you stop for lights, so you can only filter all the way through or wait in the queue. Given that overtaking stationery vehicles is prohibited on zig-zags, filtering could be seen in the same view

Gotta disagree.

It is not prohibited to overtake stationary vehicles on Zig Zags. It is only prohibited to pass the rear of the first vehicle in the queue. This is a safety reason form crossing pedestrians.

You have also lost me with the first paragraph, what do you mean about waiting on the outside? The outside of what?

I do it why not, I be 200 yards away before they even move off

I agree with that sentiment. I would also have though that as most people drive right up to the line at traffic lights and level crossings ect, going in front of the vehicle at the front of the queue would not only put one in a vulnerable place, it would also be an offence albeit a somewhat technical one.
If there is room I will trickle up alongside the lead vehicle but not in front of it.
Each situation is different and the same traffice light/level crossing ect will be different each time you approach it.
(If one draws up alongside a truck in such situtuations make sure the driver has seen you)
(This all assumes you have a bike that is going out accelerate the vehicle next to you, obviously don't try it with a moped)

I've just learnt something. I thought you couldn't overtake stationary (as in waiting for people to cross) vehicles on zig-zags so didn't. Thanks for that Steve.

The highway code(yes i do own a copy) states on zigzag lines....
You must not park on a crossing or the area covered by the zigzag lines....you must notovertake the moving vehical nearest the crossing or the vehical nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians
laws ZPPPCRGD regs 18,20& 24 RTRA sec 25(5)

This is probably the best description of what your all saying (about the filtering, not the Zig Zag thing), so i'll quote you PJ ... not picking on you bud

From what i gather, you guys are saying when filtering past stationary traffic waiting at the lights (for example), that i've got to wait just behind the front car?

Unless i've misunderstood, because i'm filtering that would normally put me pretty close to the white line or sometimes on the otherside of the road once i stop, behind and right of a car that hasn't seen me and relying on the guy to my 'behind left' to give way to me, otherwise risk getting undertaken by a stream of cars? not to mention that the guy in front that i'm pretty certain to overtake anyway could make a un-indicated right turn at the junction and take out my front wheel?

Have i completely misunderstood this here???

Why on earth not filter past all of them, turn infront of the leading car so to block him doing any early manouvers on your inside and wait for the lights to change. Once YOUR the guy at the front you can pretty much take as much time as you want moving off, with no risk to the car behind because your parked across him and stopping him, and anyone else moving before you do

I MUST be reading this thread wrong?!

As for the pedestrian safety thing, if there were people crossing i'd gently pull up next to the leading car, so the driver had a clear view of me, and i had a clear view of the crossing... once it was clear i'd make a speedy escape and take the lead.

Basically because in many circumstances you will be in front of the stop line, putting you in a vulnerable position and legally in the wrong. Then there is the problem of not being able to see what is directly in front of the vehicle at the front of the queue. Knocking a child down who is crossing the road in front of the lead vehicle is not a plan.

Edited to add this may be worth a read:-
http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/consultati...de_response.pdf

Crikey... i didn't read this thread wrong then?

Ok... Not having a go papasmurf but i completely disagree, i'm not talking about filtering past everyone then parking the bike infront of whatever space there is, just edging a foot over where the car has to go so he has no room to go past me on the left.

As for approaching crossings and such, peds arn't normally at risk because they don't normally 'surf the car bonnet' as they walk past a car, even if a small kid was doing that, i'm talking about manouvering the bike at 3 - 5 mph 'into the left' with clear observation over the car's roof and then bonnet.

Either way, my bad if i didn't explain properly, but would people still recommend the option of parking behind the lead car, rather then infront of it??

If i'm reading this correctly (and seriously, give me a smack if im not) but i wouldn't dream of doing this manouver in a million years, screw the legal obligations and the highway code, i'd be dead in a week if i did this in birmingham rush hour!

The simple question that started this thread is not really one with an easy answer.
For one thing in this area there are very few traffic lights, level crossings ect where there is enough space the filter to the side of the lead vehicle.
I think one has to treat each situation on its "merits".
There also isn't much in the way of "official" advice on the subject either.
(Which is why I referenced to ROSPA document which is at least up to date).

Ah once again the good members of the ukbf tie themselfs up in knots

Don't knock it mate, you should hear some of the heated arguments at road safety seminars.

If you're filtering and you have to wait on the outside of the traffic (not in the queue) is where the problem arises

Yeah fair enough.... i naturally thought that you were talking about crowded roads and busy congestion, i suppose you have to take each situation as it comes

There is a lot of congestion here in the Summer, plus a lot of tourist drivers/riders seem to leave their brains East of the Tamar bridge.

I'm going to start taking you lot out on 1 to 1 courses when i'm at a meet.
oh i'm going to charge you of course, but its going to clear up a lot of questions......

I'd better organise you some medication.

yes please

Will you teach us how to slalom?

Overtaking is either ON or NOT whether overtaking stationery, slow or fast moving vehicles.
There can be no test of 'It may be possible'.
Yesterday, biker overtakes a car in front of me on a bend with a junction Doh. Wait for 5 secs and an open road...faster, smoother and 99% less risk to that lovely bike from some car driving nutter.
Car nutter says "Didn't see him coming did I!"

Funny, I never find the need to overtake stationary traffic here. Maybe I have more patience. Think I've only ever done it a few times, and that was for a bridge up when there was mega queues. I'm not happy doing it, and don't see the point if I know the lights are gonna turn green in a minute or so. We don't get huge amounts of queues here. Nice quiet roads.
UK's a completely different story though.