To gently remind car drivers of some things about motorcyclists?

[Sharkirasharkira]

Not really an aibu but since summer is here there seems to be more and more people on the road driving in a not very sensible way that makes just being outside a lot more risky for us bikers!

So (at least in the Uk), for those who are unsure or curious;

Hardly any bikes have a reverse gear, and it is nigh on impossible to reverse up a hill. So if we are refusing to reverse it is likely because we physically can't, we're not being dicks. Cars can, so please do.

Bikes are allowed to filter, it is completely legal and, when done appropriately, is encouraged by instructors and helps the flow of traffic. Please do not block us from doing it.

Small bikes (125cc or less, for example) do not have the power to go at high speeds uphill so if we slow down on one it's not to piss you off it's just that we physically can't go any faster. Ditto overtaking, if we aren't overtaking a tractor (for example), don't get pissed and tailgate because that won't do anything. We won't speed up because we physically can't.

You should give as much space when overtaking etc to a bike as you would a car. Please do not squeeze past leaving a 6in gap just because you don't want to go into the other lane. If it wouldn't be safe to do it to a car, don't do it to a bike. Ditto driving straight at a bike on a narrow single lane road and expecting them to just move over for you. Bikes are sometimes wider than you think.

Bikes sometimes 'weave' over the road to avoid obstacles, not to annoy you. Things such as animal poo, diesel, gravel, sand, dead animals etc are nothing to a car but can be really hazardous to a bike.

Not trying to be patronising, it's just that I've experienced a few close calls lately and last summer my bike was written off by someone pulling out in front of me and not looking which caused me months of grief. I don't want the same thing to happen this year!

I am a new driver and have read and noted all of this. Thank you

All good points. But I do hate it when a motorbike goes well into the other lane to overtake a long line of traffic and then scoots in at last second while I’m thinking ‘is he playing chicken?’ and starting to freak out.

Read and noted - useful to know!

My husband used to be a biker, so definitely worth pointing out.

Also can I add for those of us with classic bikes and mopeds...my 49cc toy is not allowed on the motorway so don’t cut round us and try and push us onto the slip road. We can’t go there and don’t want to.

Thanks for this. What does 'filter' mean?

I didn’t know any of this. Thanks OP.

@Pipandmum I'll admit I don't like watching bikers do that either. My own personal rule is that if the road is that narrow or the cars are too far over so that I have to fully pass over into the other lane, I won't filter. Maybe more confident riders would but I'd rather wait in traffic a little longer than meet a car head on unexpectedly. It's just not worth it.

Very true @AleFailTrail!

@Dickybow321 Filtering is essentially overtaking, it's when a bike goes down the right hand side of a lane of slow moving or stationary traffic to pass them and get ahead of the queue. Should only be on the right, when safe to do so, and at low speed. All the normal rules of overtaking should still apply (not on corners, approaching a roundabout, etc). Unfortunately some drivers think it's not allowed and the riders are 'pushing in' so will take steps to actively block riders by opening doors on them and knocking them off or pulling over so far in the lane they can't get past. Or just not allowing them to rejoin the queue of traffic.

Great post!

I'd urge anyone to do a CBT, even if they don't want to ride.

Once you've spent an hour or two on a 125cc or 50cc moped you realise how exposed a rider is - we can't emergency brake when you don't see us.

When you don't look and pull out of a junction, we only stop when we hit the ground.

@AltasCloud yes, and when you do hit the ground it bloody hurts, even with gear on

Some bikers (myself included) also use 'engine braking', where you lose speed just by stopping accelerating, it's safer in the wet as you don't risk skidding. That's why it's important to maintain a good distance and not tailgate because you won't necessarily have brake lights to warn you that we are slowing down.

Great points, thank you.

Having witnessed a biker come off a few years ago I am hyper vigilant for bikers (I thought a pallet had fallen off the truck that passed me but it was actually a biker having a spill and he was in jeans and tshirt).

Always looking for them especially in the better weather. That said, one overtook DH the other day on an A road between DH and a pick up coming the other way, looked like he was trying to keep up with his mate. He's no idea how the biker made it!

Stay safe everyone.

Good points, @Sharkirasharkira. I've never really thought of some of those before so it's been an eye opener. Thanks for sharing and happy biking this summer! 😊🛵🌞

Are motorbikes allowed to drive between lanes on motorways? For example overtaking middle lane by weaving between middle and outer but sometimes undertaking outer? I always thought that was filtering so always watch out for it but seen a lot of close calls with cars changing lanes not expecting someone to undertake.

Hopefully motor cyclists will refrain from treating roads as their personal race tracks and realise that the speed limits apply to them too. Not all, before you mount your high horse, but enough particularly when they're out en masse.

@Weepingwillows12 cars changing lanes is one of the exact reasons why you are not supposed to ride like that. Technically you could filter on the middle lane if it was very slow or stationary traffic but you aren't supposed to filter at speed at all so definitely not weaving in and out of lanes. People who do that are idiots and probably would also be idiots in a car! I've seen videos of people 'filtering' at 120mph in stationary traffic on a motorway and it's so insanely dangerous, makes me angry

Unfortunately it is usually the ones who are in a group who are the worst for dickish behaviour and speeding as they egg each other on but I've seen the exact same behaviour in convoys of boy racers in cars so twats will be twats regardless of the vehicle I guess!

Read but my issue is with the idiots who do 60+ on my street (30mph urban area) those who do 100+ on the motorway, weaving and scraping my car and the Harley lot who clog up restaurant car parks but aren't actually eating anything in the peaks

I wish my bike could go that fast, I’m lucky to get 25 out of the old beastie. I stick to the inside and ok cheekily if it’s uphill into on road cycle lanes (the bastard thing has pedals I need on the steepest of slopes anyway). A lot of drivers get very....close and squish you for room.

I also have to arm signal since there’s no indicators on her either. Trying to turn a corner keeping monentum and signalling with your accelerator arm is hard enough with knobs up your arse

I was in a nasty accident in Greece where the motorcyclist was at fault. Can’t stand them, they still scare me five years later

I live in a part of the Country with a massive number of bikers that come out on nice days in the summer - I have always lived & driven around here so I am very used to and aware of motorbikes, but you can really tell the drivers that aren't used to them, but also the bikers that aren't used to the area and can often be reckless. The two together is sadly too often a lethal combination.
Both drivers & bikers need to have more awareness and be safe & sensible.

Nice post OP.

DP has been riding for 43 years, and has been accident-free for 42 of them. He has taught me a couple of things that help bikers, like tucking your car in close to the kerb so they know you've seen them and that it's safe to filter past, and to do the "Dutch grip", ie open your car door with the "wrong" hand, so it forces you to look over your shoulder.

Re my previous ost, I wasn't trying to imply people on motorbikes are dicks anymore than people in cars. Agree you get idiots in every vehicle type. Genuinely it just makes me nervous when you see bikes doing that and wasn't sure if they were allowed. Really interesting post thanks. I know one person who lost a parent in a bike crash and another friend who had a serious crash and was in hospital for months. I try and be really vigilant.

I regularly drive into a big city and the road is full of twats on motorbikes.

I’m sure everyone need to learn to be considerate but it’s certainly not just the car drivers.

Bike drivers scare the shit out of me - they weave in and out of slow moving traffic, pop up in your blind spot and are a general menace on commuter routes.

@tillytrotter1 absolutely. The ones that come through our village thinking that they’re somehow above the law do my head in. I heard one from my garden the other day. By the sound of his screaming engine he must have gone from one end of the village to the other in about two seconds. We have numerous hidden driveways, field entrances with tractors about, being harvest time, and bridleways and a riding school. I dead to think what would have happened if someone had tried to pull out. By the time you’d looked both ways he’d have been upon you. Bloody halfwits.

Bikes scare me because I don't want to hurt anyone. I just stay well back from them, they usually pass fast enough anyway.

Nice post however in response to a couple of them -

vehicles travelling uphill has priority regardless of whether you can reverse. If you cannot reverse uphill, you will need to be more vigilant about pulling in.

It is legal to filter however it is not an entitlement. If the traffic is in a position that blocks you from filtering, that is too bad.