Biker visibility

SlickChick said:
No I wouldn't think so! The guy isn't looking for a biker passing him on the right he is looking for a break in traffic so that he can turn. When he sees the break he will turn and the biker will go straight into him! If you have to pass in that situation pass left.
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Yip, some common sense and caution is required when passing on the white line.
 
rakabos3 said:
Lane splitting is a privilege and not a right. Some bikers seem to think its the other way around.
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IIRC it is also only allowed in "slow moving traffic" by law. I feel motorists can be a tad more aware of bikers but in general bikers need to realise that a motorist will have a dent in his/ her car, and the biker will be the one with serious injuries, so they need to take extra care.
 
SlickChick said:
No I wouldn't think so! The guy isn't looking for a biker passing him on the right he is looking for a break in traffic so that he can turn. When he sees the break he will turn and the biker will go straight into him! If you have to pass in that situation pass left.
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In this situation the biker is normally on the central white line. This is not lane splitting - it's regarded as overtaking. Generally prohibited at an intersection. The biker needs to be really careful doing this since the car driver can not reasonably expect him to be there.
 
I just told my son this morning that maybe when he is older he can drive himself to school on a bike...bikes are really nice to drive or to be a passenger of, but shew it is so dangerous...
 
SlickChick said:
I just told my son this morning that maybe when he is older he can drive himself to school on a bike...bikes are really nice to drive or to be a passenger of, but shew it is so dangerous...
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Admittedly, it's much more dangerous on the roads now than 10 or 15 years ago. Traffic is hectic, every kid now has a car, where with us, usually we clubbed together 4 in a car, because we didn't have cars. And then of course you get the Fast & Furious generation with their Golfs, Corsas and Civics :p
 
Devill said:
IIRC it is also only allowed in "slow moving traffic" by law. I feel motorists can be a tad more aware of bikers but in general bikers need to realise that a motorist will have a dent in his/ her car, and the biker will be the one with serious injuries, so they need to take extra care.
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Traffic regulations are incredibly stupid in SA. Lane splitting should not be allowed, at most in stationary traffic. A bike should occupy a similar slot to that of a car. It's simply impossible to see these guys coming from the back, never mind the speed they go. It's also difficult sometimes to keep your car from drifting a few centimeters. You're gonna hit a biker then. Just because something is legal, like carrying people at the back on a bakkie (which would get you pulled over immediately in the EU), does not mean it's sensible or safe.

Daylight driving with headlines on for cars is on the other hand a stupid EU regulation which will hopefully not see daylight in SA.

What is retarded in SA however is the number of vehicles where the lights are not aligned properly or dipped. Add these white high power ?LED lamps and you have idiots blinding you from the back, or on frontal approach.
 
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Space_Chief said:
Traffic regulations are incredibly stupid in SA. Lane splitting should not be allowed, at most in stationary traffic. A bike should occupy a similar slot to that of a car. It's simply impossible to see these guys coming from the back, never mind the speed they go. It's also difficult sometimes to keep your car from drifting a few centimeters. You're gonna hit a biker then. Just because something is legal, like carrying people at the back on a bakkie (which would get you pulled over immediately in the EU), does not mean it's sensible or safe.

Driving with headlines on for cars is on the other hand a stupid EU regulation which will hopefully not see daylight in SA.
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I've never even almost hit a biker passing me on the white line. :confused: I'm always aware of them, and I'm always vigilant in traffic. And I thought it was illegal to carry people on the back of a bakkie, but I could be wrong.
 
Slootvreter said:
I've never even almost hit a biker passing me on the white line. :confused: I'm always aware of them, and I'm always vigilant in traffic. And I thought it was illegal to carry people on the back of a bakkie, but I could be wrong.
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I thought carrying people on bakkies was legal in SA, considering I see it every day. I see buckle up campaigns but never any "don't carry your workers or children at the back" campaigns. Also I've never seen anyone get pulled over for that. If it's legal, it's still pitiful because it's not enforced very well.

Yes it's very easy to miss a biker, as they're invisible between the cars.
 
Slootvreter said:
How many bikers have you hit with your car already?
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I haven't been in an accident where a seat belt would have saved my life either.

Actually a friend hit 3 bikers in Malaysia over the course of a year. The lane splitting there is much worse than here. This is the sort of person who never gets accidents.

And yes I've had close shaves.
 
Space_Chief said:
I haven't been in an accident where a seat belt would have saved my life either.

Actually a friend hit 3 bikers in Malaysia over the course of a year. The lane splitting there is much worse than here. This is the sort of person who never gets accidents.

And yes I've had close shaves.
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Please never compare traffic and driving habits in the East to traffic here. Over there, it's scooters and motorcycles even hitting each other, primarily because of large part of their population uses two-wheeled transport instead of cars. It's a whole new ball-game.

I have also never had an accident where a seatbelt saved my life, not that it is relevant in any way.
 
Is it illegal to overtake a bike in a single lane road or overtake him when he's driving too slow in the fast lane?
 
member2204 said:
Is it illegal to overtake a bike in a single lane road or overtake him when he's driving too slow in the fast lane?
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Just change lanes. It's easier.

EDIT: Sorry, that is not actually an answer to your question. I can't imagine it being legal, passing in one lane.
 
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Space_Chief said:
Traffic regulations are incredibly stupid in SA. Lane splitting should not be allowed, at most in stationary traffic. A bike should occupy a similar slot to that of a car. It's simply impossible to see these guys coming from the back, never mind the speed they go. It's also difficult sometimes to keep your car from drifting a few centimeters. You're gonna hit a biker then. Just because something is legal, like carrying people at the back on a bakkie (which would get you pulled over immediately in the EU), does not mean it's sensible or safe.
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Lets dissect this properly
Its more dangerous for a bike to occupy the middle of a lane in traffic - collisions from the rear in slow traffic result in more deaths than splitting. Also, many scooters get bullied into riding in the gutter when they occupy the space of a car, also leading to more accidents
Impossible to see them? Do you not use your mirrors?
They travel at speed - a safe rider knows to only go 20km/h faster than the surrounding traffic when splitting. If someone is going faster than that, its the added speed that is inherently dangerous, not the splitting.
You drift into the vehicles around you? :wtf: Are you that lady whose mirror I clipped when she closed the gap suddenly? I stopped to apologise and provide my insurance details, but the lady just kept driving (I think the phone in her hand was more interesting).
 
maumau said:
When a red traffic light changed to green and I was second in line to turn right we moved into the intersection waiting for oncoming traffic to pass. When there was a break and the next approaching vehicle could be seen in the distance the car in front of me turned. A nano second later a motorcyclist came flying past, shaking his fist. How he missed t-boning the turning car I don’t know. Without realising it he had been completely invisible against the backdrop of cars.
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Was he though? Or was the driver unconsciously only looking to see if cars were coming, saw no cars, went for it...
That type of accident was the most common (and dangerous) according to the famous Hurt report. Anyone on two wheels should be very familiar with the findings. The study is fairly old now but I think it's still valid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report
 
Lane splitting is BS and it should be banned. Bikers love having their cake AND eating it. The problem is that bikers demand to be treated like they are driving a car, but feel they do not have to behave like they are driving a car.

Drive behind me or in front of me so I can see you, quite simple really. And please, forget about the "I am trying to avoid getting crushed between 2 vehicles, that is why I lane split" BS excuse.

In peak traffic, we all move at 10km's per hour. But then the biker loves to claim his right to lane split and weave through traffic and don't dare to impede him accidentally...then you are a prick for "caging him in". Then mirrors get punched and cars get scratched while the coward speeds away.

Let the breathless, indignant and self righteous flaming begin......
 
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