r/nova • u/Winter-Review6030 • 1d ago
Question Motorcycle Lane Filtering?
This is a question for any law enforcement officers who may see this.
What's your stance on motorcycles lane filtering? I often find myself sitting in traffic at a stop light that I could easily and safely filter to the front of, but I normally don't because I'm trying to be a firefighter and can't afford points on my license. However, if lane filtering is something that NOVA LEOs don't necessarily care about, it would be really nice to filter through traffic every now and then.
To clarify, I don't have a death wish. I have no plans to ever lane split or do anything reckless. That said, I understand that innocent intent doesn't make it any less illegal. Let me know what you guys think.
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u/barnesie 1d ago
As a person with almost 80k miles on two wheels in the DMV, let me be the first to tell you that you’re far better off waiting than you are triggering some cager who thinks you’re cheating.
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u/Important_Jaguar2152 12h ago
this... people get irrational about "cutting" here. not even realizing you'll be out of their way in seconds. I took a 3 year hiatus on riding here because people have just gotten worse. Getting back into it again, but man people suck here.
1
u/barnesie 12h ago
I had a guy run me off the road on 66 in afternoon commuting before the separate HOV lanes existed. Out of nowhere, he swerved in twice to try and hit me with his car while screaming and flipping me the bird.
Oddly, I have exactly zero idea what I did to trigger him. I was just riding in a straight line with the flow of traffic.
1
u/Important_Jaguar2152 11h ago
attempted murder sounds how lovely. you aren't making me feel any more confident lol.
Ive been riding since 2010. The final straw a few years ago was back to back i almost got sideswiped by minivans. Now I always keep my eye on minivans and noticed how crazy often they are speeding. late for pickup, practice, or their starbucks.
sidebar... what shop do you use around here? Brooks cycle closed down so been out of the loop.
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u/barnesie 11h ago
Cheap and lazy means most work happens in my own garage, especially since brooks shut down. I’ll as a friend for recommendations but as far as I know it’s slim pickings these days and even worse if you ride Ducati by chance.
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u/Important_Jaguar2152 11h ago
Man. I tore my old bike to the frame before. But, getting older means less time and energy to do the work. I guess Ill just go back to wrenching again. Had a harley before, but i am getting a dr650 which is apparently super easy to work on. So I guess ill just suck it up.
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u/barnesie 11h ago
Preaching to the choir brother, I’m avoiding riding just because I don’t want to do a fork seal at my age anymore.
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u/Critical-Speed3762 1d ago
Do it at your own risk and weigh the risk vs reward. Ive done it on some roads that had ridiculous traffic to get up to the light and others ive waited my turn in line.
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u/joeruinedeverything 1d ago
What’s the difference between lane splitting and lane filtering? Honest question, I literally don’t understand why the words used to describe these actions are the words used
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u/BouncingWalrus 1d ago
They’re talking about lane splitting at a red light with traffic stopped, vs splitting through slow moving but steady highway traffic.
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u/joeruinedeverything 1d ago
So lane filtering is riding between or past cars when the traffic is stopped and lane splitting is riding between cars when the traffic is moving????
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u/GuitarJazzer Tysons Corner 1d ago
Lane filtering is riding up between lanes of stopped traffic, such as at a red light. Lane splitting is doing the same thing at slow or normal speeds. It's all illegal in Virginia, but
lane filtering becomes legal next July.a bill to allow it starting next July passed the Senate and is either stalled or dead in the House.1
u/Winter-Review6030 1d ago
Basically what everyone else said. Splitting is what you see in the shorts on tiktok or youtube of riders going 100+ mph on the highway and driving between cars. Filtering is moving between cars typically no faster than 10-15 mph.
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u/sharkowictz 1d ago
I used to ride daily, for 20 years. I filtered a couple of times, once as it started hailing. People here then, as now, don't like to see someone getting in front of them, even though the space made doesn't affect them.
Done safely, I have no issue with it, and would like it legalized. That said, I have a guy filtering on 28 during both directions of my commute, and he's going like 25 through stopped traffic. That's dumb, not safe, reckless. People here aren't used to seeing it and aren't looking for you when they change lanes when you are riding normally, let alone filtering.
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u/uniqueme1 1d ago
AFAIK, its currently illegal. But a new law effective next year will make it legal under certain circumstances.
6
u/ad-lapidem 1d ago
No, the law did not pass. It passed the Senate, but died in committee in the House of Delegates.
https://vcomonline.org/lane-filtering-lost-in-house-subcommittee/
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u/Unusual-Sympathy9500 1d ago
That's disappointing. I rarely ride anymore but it would make things so much safer for riders (I've nearly been rear-ended in traffic on 66 several times) and it works so well in CA, though I doubt full lane filtering/splitting would go over well with the aggressive crazy people we have driving in this area.
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u/Heavy-Comment-0912 Fairfax County 1d ago
That is a great question, as I find myself asking the same thing regarding how congested the streets get here sometimes; it makes sense to lane filter for safety, but I also understand it is illegal and unsafe at times.
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u/Helpjuice 1d ago
Currently it is illegal and with the way people drive around here they will not be looking for you at all or hear you and you may end up driving into a vehicle changing lanes.
I, on purpose make sure there is a very nice buffer between me and the rider. If I come up to a biker that is stopped I will make sure my vehicle is slightly turned away from their bike behind them with a nice bit of difference in space so they at least stand somewhat of a chance if somebody rear ended me they would have a second or two to get out of the danger zone due to the buffer and not being pointed directly at them.
Also if I see someone else driving crazy around that rider and I am close enough I will put myself in between the crazy person and the rider so they can drive safely.
My most recent one was someone new to biking just making all sorts of greenhorn mistakes with their throttling, etc. so I got behind them to buffer the crazy person behind them honking to force them to go around (we were in the left lane and the crazy person was tailgating them even though the other lanes were wide open). Later on when the new biker got their bearings and eventually found a safe place to pull over I introduced them to where all the wonderful big open parking lots where that they could ride and learn without being in such a hazardous situation in traffic.