So I'm working thru cycling behaviors. Last post was taking the lane, this time it's lane filtering (also called lane splitting). Lane Filtering is the practice of riding between slow or stationary lines of traffic to get to the front (typically at traffic lights). Now for the drivers out there this is an entirely legal practice.
Being legal doesn't though make it automatically responsible or safe - so pick your moments.
If the cars you are passing by filtering are just then forced to either (again) pass you soon after the lights or queue up behind you, I would suggest this is a incredibly bad point to filter. As a driver, it's bloody annoying.
The right times to filter are where you are accessing a bike lane just beyond the intersection or are about to turn off.
One could of course argue that filtering is entirely legal and a driver should pass you safely regardless, but I think as a cyclist one needs to realise that filtering can frustrate drivers, and frustrated drivers don't always drive as safely as one would like. How then safe a decision is the one to filter if the driver you pass are going to be passing you, frustrated, 100 metres down the road ? It also fails the test of being a considerate road user if you are filtering simply because you can, and are exhibiting that Must Get in Front mentality which causes many an accident.
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