Should you filter on the left or right

DonDaddyD

When filtering should you filter on the left or right? Why?

Personally I dont buy the notion that as a rule you should not filter on the left. Sometimes its not possible to filter up the right, sometimes its safer to go along the left. Also if you are filtering on the right, approaching a junction and need to turn then you've got to cut accross traffic, which in some circumstance can be more dangerous than if you filtered up the left. Cycle lanes are on the left.

Discuss.

iPete

Much of my route has cycle lanes that mean there is far more space up the left than right where you'll get hit by on-coming cars.

Its a matter of whats safer, if filtering up the left, always ease off when there is a left turn when going under traffic and watch for cars swinging from the right through slow moving cars. I'm always super cautious of buses and HGVs that can quickly close the gap, will only go under if they are clearly stationary.

Monkeypump

Surely the "Whichever is safer" option is a bit of a no-brainer?

cee

nono i ALWAYS filter up the right, even if there are crocodiles and frikin lasers to get me.....

ok whatever is safer then

lost_in_thought

cee wrote:

nono i ALWAYS filter up the right, even if there are crocodiles and frikin lasers to get me.....

ok whatever is safer then

You must NEVER filter on the left. There be dragons.

:P

whyamihere

You're making the assumption, it seems, that filtering is mandatory. There are many times on my commute where it is utterly unsafe to filter along the right, so I don't filter at all. If you were turning left, then obviously you'd be daft to be on the right of the traffic coming up to the point where you need to turn, but I still wouldn't fancy going up the left.

I've seen many passengers just open doors and get out of cars in heavy traffic. They're not expecting anyone to be there, so don't look. I've seen people get off buses without warning (people sometimes operate the door controls themselves, so you can't expect the driver to check before the doors open).

Turning cars: You're right, sometimes cars will turn right without looking. However, as they also have to cut across the lane with traffic flowing against them, they will at least look somewhere instead of just going. This increases your chances of being spotted, at least slightly.

If there's no room to filter on the right, what makes you think there will be room on the left? Filtering on the left puts you riding over the drain covers and detritus which lies at the side of the road. Your tyres will hate you.

The only time I will filter up the left is when there's a long line of cars waiting to turn right. In this case, they're generally over at the right hand side of the lane anyway, so there's a lot more room, and you can be pretty sure of what they're about to do.

will3

I just bunny hop the cars. If you get it right and the traffic's dense enough you can jump from car to car without touching the road in between.

Mickey Eye

Whatever side there it is safe to do so on. Most often however, if the traffic is actually moving, I won't filter at all and just take it easy. I, unlike a lot of people it seems, don't actually need to get right up to the traffic light.

rolf_f

lost_in_thought wrote:

cee wrote:

nono i ALWAYS filter up the right, even if there are crocodiles and frikin lasers to get me.....

ok whatever is safer then

You must NEVER filter on the left. There be dragons.

:P

But there are monsters on the right :shock:

So which is worst? There's only one way to find out.....

iPete

!

bails87

Rolf F wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

cee wrote:

nono i ALWAYS filter up the right, even if there are crocodiles and frikin lasers to get me.....

ok whatever is safer then

You must NEVER filter on the left. There be dragons.

:P

But there are monsters on the right :shock:

So which is worst? There's only one way to find out.....

Commonly seen when a break in traffic allows them to meet in the middle of the road.

Clever Pun

Stationary cars will turn left or right without warning...at junctions

Stationary cars can do a U-turn at any point

% indicates left side is safer, yet peoples road positioning doesn't always make this easy.

for example on tower bridge I tend to use the middle of the road as I can judge on coming cars and I'm less likely to be impeded by cyclists or cars.

Clever Pun

bails87 wrote:

Commonly seen when a break in traffic allows them to meet in the middle of the road.

I need to see that film

il_principe

I don't think you can cycle commute in London without doing both. Or you could just sit in with the traffic, but then your journey would take 10x as long. I do both but keep my wits about me and my speed sensible. As much as I hate cycle lanes, they do at least allow for safer filtering on the left as cars should be expecting people to be filtering. Given the numbers of mopeds and bikes on the road in London I think most drivers are pretty aware of filtering anyway, I've not had many problems in 7 years or so.

Clever Pun

In motorcycle training (not cbt) a few years back they were very aware of when making a left turn a quick lifesaver to insure you're not going to squish a cyclist

I wonder if learner drivers get that now as well?

cee

Clever Pun wrote:

In motorcycle training (not cbt) a few years back they were very aware of when making a left turn a quick lifesaver to insure you're not going to squish a cyclist

I wonder if learner drivers get that now as well?

I can confirm that when i did my driving test nearly 14 years ago :oops: I was taught to check my nearside mirror for cyclists just before turning left. I was also taught that it was good practice to check the blindspot on that side too.

bails87

Clever Pun wrote:

In motorcycle training (not cbt) a few years back they were very aware of when making a left turn a quick lifesaver to insure you're not going to squish a cyclist

I wonder if learner drivers get that now as well?

Yep. Well, I did, my brother and sister did too. Sister only passed a few days ago. If people drove like they were on their test there'd be very few collisions. The problem is turning without indicating, using mirrors or checking blindspots, all three of which you're constantly told to do when learning to drive. (that is, you're told TO use indicators, etc, not told to turn WITHOUT using them)

bigmat

Il Principe wrote:

I don't think you can cycle commute in London without doing both. Or you could just sit in with the traffic, but then your journey would take 10x as long. I do both but keep my wits about me and my speed sensible. As much as I hate cycle lanes, they do at least allow for safer filtering on the left as cars should be expecting people to be filtering. Given the numbers of mopeds and bikes on the road in London I think most drivers are pretty aware of filtering anyway, I've not had many problems in 7 years or so.

That sounds about right, left, right, down the middle - basically wherever there is room as long as its safe. I frequently will do all three along a stretch of road as factors like vehicles' road positioning, bus stops, left and right turns mean there is never a constant "correct" way. I'd also agree that you don't have to filter - if no option looks safe I'll just sit in line (although that is usually a last resort!)

There's always the pavement as well of course...








(that last comment was a joke before people start moaning)

salsarider79

After nearly being taken out by a car doing a u-turn in traffic this morning, while I'm filtering on the right, and nearly being squashed while filtering left by a very angry BMW driver ( :roll: ), I'd go with neither side is safe. I also had the car behind the BMW try to over take me, while I'm turning right to use the cycle path.


Seriously, I'm scared. :shock:

Clever Pun

bails87 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

In motorcycle training (not cbt) a few years back they were very aware of when making a left turn a quick lifesaver to insure you're not going to squish a cyclist

I wonder if learner drivers get that now as well?

Yep. Well, I did, my brother and sister did too. Sister only passed a few days ago. If people drove like they were on their test there'd be very few collisions. The problem is turning without indicating, using mirrors or checking blindspots, all three of which you're constantly told to do when learning to drive. (that is, you're told TO use indicators, etc, not told to turn WITHOUT using them)

well it's good to know people are at least being told to do the right thing

soy_sauce

i will only filter on the side which i will be making the next turn. if the queue is too bad then i will use the pavement as long as its quiet and doesn't bother anyone.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

For me, this is a no-brainer... Overtaking on the road should always be done on the right in the UK, in my view.

always_tyred

whyamihere wrote:

You're making the assumption, it seems, that filtering is mandatory. There are many times on my commute where it is utterly unsafe to filter along the right, so I don't filter at all. If you were turning left, then obviously you'd be daft to be on the right of the traffic coming up to the point where you need to turn, but I still wouldn't fancy going up the left.

I've seen many passengers just open doors and get out of cars in heavy traffic. They're not expecting anyone to be there, so don't look. I've seen people get off buses without warning (people sometimes operate the door controls themselves, so you can't expect the driver to check before the doors open).

Turning cars: You're right, sometimes cars will turn right without looking. However, as they also have to cut across the lane with traffic flowing against them, they will at least look somewhere instead of just going. This increases your chances of being spotted, at least slightly.

If there's no room to filter on the right, what makes you think there will be room on the left? Filtering on the left puts you riding over the drain covers and detritus which lies at the side of the road. Your tyres will hate you.

The only time I will filter up the left is when there's a long line of cars waiting to turn right. In this case, they're generally over at the right hand side of the lane anyway, so there's a lot more room, and you can be pretty sure of what they're about to do.

I thought you NEVER filtered on the left.

I filter on the left when it is so self evidently the obvious thing to do that it would render filtering on the right more dangerous. If there is a long line of stationary traffic, space on the left, no side roads, no parked cars and filtering on the right would entail heading into oncoming traffic, then filtering on the left is obvious.

But never filter to the left or the right at speed, and never assume that a door won't be opened, that someone won't suddently decide to park, or pull a U turn, or pull out to look down the queue etc.

i.e. assess every situation on its own merits. If you don't, no matter how many rules of the road you apply, you'll come a cropper.

iPad

I would go with which ever is safer.

However if you are unlucky enough to be hit by a car...

On the left, you're thrown onto the pavement

On the right, you're into the path of oncoming traffic

I know where I'd rather be.

A guy at my college (all those years ago) was crippled as a result of being hit by a car coming the other when when he was thrown from his bike by a driver opening his door.

whyamihere

Always Tyred wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

You're making the assumption, it seems, that filtering is mandatory. There are many times on my commute where it is utterly unsafe to filter along the right, so I don't filter at all. If you were turning left, then obviously you'd be daft to be on the right of the traffic coming up to the point where you need to turn, but I still wouldn't fancy going up the left.

I've seen many passengers just open doors and get out of cars in heavy traffic. They're not expecting anyone to be there, so don't look. I've seen people get off buses without warning (people sometimes operate the door controls themselves, so you can't expect the driver to check before the doors open).

Turning cars: You're right, sometimes cars will turn right without looking. However, as they also have to cut across the lane with traffic flowing against them, they will at least look somewhere instead of just going. This increases your chances of being spotted, at least slightly.

If there's no room to filter on the right, what makes you think there will be room on the left? Filtering on the left puts you riding over the drain covers and detritus which lies at the side of the road. Your tyres will hate you.

The only time I will filter up the left is when there's a long line of cars waiting to turn right. In this case, they're generally over at the right hand side of the lane anyway, so there's a lot more room, and you can be pretty sure of what they're about to do.

I thought you NEVER filtered on the left.

I filter on the left when it is so self evidently the obvious thing to do that it would render filtering on the right more dangerous. If there is a long line of stationary traffic, space on the left, no side roads, no parked cars and filtering on the right would entail heading into oncoming traffic, then filtering on the left is obvious.

But never filter to the left or the right at speed, and never assume that a door won't be opened, that someone won't suddently decide to park, or pull a U turn, or pull out to look down the queue etc.

i.e. assess every situation on its own merits. If you don't, no matter how many rules of the road you apply, you'll come a cropper.

I will admit, that particular exceptional circumstance, which I've experienced around 3 times in 10 years of riding on the road, does make me slightly hypocritical.

Under normal road conditions and normal circumstances, if I can't safely filter on the right or between lanes on a multiple lane road, I won't filter at all.

always_tyred

You can't be in any hurry to get anywhere in rush hour commuting then.

Oh, wait, you are doing a PhD in Oxford aren't you? That explains it.

whyamihere

Always Tyred wrote:

You can't be in any hurry to get anywhere in rush hour commuting then.

Oh, wait, you are doing a PhD in Oxford aren't you? That explains it.

Undergrad, Birmingham. So, you were right except for all information.

It could just be that traffic in Birmingham flows relatively well compared to other cities, and where it doesn't there's bus lanes, but I've never felt the need to filter on the left. Anywhere I do need to filter, there's plenty of room to do so on the right.

always_tyred

whyamihere wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

You can't be in any hurry to get anywhere in rush hour commuting then.

Oh, wait, you are doing a PhD in Oxford aren't you? That explains it.

Undergrad, Birmingham. So, you were right except for all information.

It could just be that traffic in Birmingham flows relatively well compared to other cities, and where it doesn't there's bus lanes, but I've never felt the need to filter on the left. Anywhere I do need to filter, there's plenty of room to do so on the right.

A bit like some directions I was given the other day - to the wrong numbered door in a building on the opposite side of a square, to a library with a different name to the one I was trying to find.

prawny

Clever Pun wrote:

bails87 wrote:

Commonly seen when a break in traffic allows them to meet in the middle of the road.

I need to see that film

It was on the sci fi channel a couple of weeks back, funnily enough I couldn't convince the wife it would be amazing. Although I did manage to get her to watch part of the emmanuel with the alien girl in - class.

On the subject of filtering I mainly agree with whyamihere, although that could be to do with the fact we ride pretty much the same route, I have no experience of london traffic so chances are it wouldn't be the same. Going up the left side is fine and dandy if there's no side roads/houses though.

attica

prawny wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

bails87 wrote:

Commonly seen when a break in traffic allows them to meet in the middle of the road.

I need to see that film

It was on the sci fi channel a couple of weeks back, funnily enough I couldn't convince the wife it would be amazing. Although I did manage to get her to watch part of the emmanuel with the alien girl in - class.

On the subject of filtering I mainly agree with whyamihere, although that could be to do with the fact we ride pretty much the same route, I have no experience of london traffic so chances are it wouldn't be the same. Going up the left side is fine and dandy if there's no side roads/houses though.

IMDB is a fantastic thing.

That is THE Deborah Gibson, formerly girly pop star Debbie Gibson
I always prefered Tiffany myself (despite the awful knitwear)

Porgy

Monkeypump wrote:

Surely the "Whichever is safer" option is a bit of a no-brainer?

+1