Even more reasons to avoid France............ I Hope our lot have more sense. Thousands of motorcyclists turned out at the weekend to support the motorcycle group La Federation Francaise En Colère and protest against the ban on motorcycles filtering through traffic. In France, starting from the 1st of February, motorcycles are not allowed to filter between lanes of stationary traffic when trapped in a traffic jam. The fine for doing this is now 135 Euros and three points on your licence. This new law has come out of a trial to test the safety of filtering, which has been taking place in three areas in France. The government has decided that it is not safe so has now banned it by law. Technically this is not actually a new decision, as it has only been legal on some roads since 2016 as part of the trial, whilst already being illegal most roads. However in reality many motorcyclists will weave their way through trapped traffic when the opportunity presents itself. The trial was to determine whether the practice should be legalised and written into law in the French Highway Code, but the powers that be have decided not to legalise it and motorcycles are now expected to behave like cars and wait in the queue. This does not sit kindly with many French motorcyclists who descended on Paris, Toulouse, Lyon and Lille amongst other cities, en masse at the weekend, to protest against this decision. Although technically illegal, many motorcyclists have been habitually wiggling through the traffic when there's a jam and thinking of it as one of the advantages of two wheels over four that they can get through the gaps and shorten their journey time. Now the fear is in France that the blind eye will no longer be turned and it will be strictly enforced going forward, hence the protest. Here in the UK motorcycle lane filtering is legal and is considered to have benefits such as saving journey time and fuel, and reducing overall traffic congestion as motorcycles are through and away, not stationary pumping out fumes like the cars. So how do you feel about lane filtering? Is it something you do when riding in heavy traffic on your bike, or do you think it is too dangerous and side with the French traffic department in thinking it should be banned?
In fairness,when i took Rudolph across to France,if you avoid as many large cities as possible,the French are far better about motorcycle awareness than us...and the only truly stupid and dangerous manouvres in 1500 miles were performed by cars with GB plates....one towing a caravan,almost inevitably.,lol Worst part of whole holiday was working my way around that 6 lane car park,the M25 Southern Half..
Filtering is fine if exercised with absolute caution. I have had drivers verbally abuse me and my immediate response is; if I were in a car the queue you are in would be longer' which sums it up completely. The French investigation was very limited and the decision should be overturned. I was cautioned by friends when last in Germany..5 years or so ago..to be careful if filtering as a lot of car drivers will submit video of bikes numberplate to the authorities..as far as french authorities go..its a money raiser.
Never mind the filtering, how about making tailgating and overtaking as close as possible and then cutting up. As someone said above, most french drivers are more aware of bikes and do move to let bikers filter on by. And as said above, most that don’t as you get nearer the ports at GB badged. My little group are giving euro runs a rest for a couple of years. Going to pump our dish back into the U.K. economy.
Yes - to filtering with caution, yes - it does reduce the traffic, yes - it does lower emissions and shorten the journey, true - it creates new cash-cow for the cops, yes - it takes even more of our freedom and NO to the ban under any circumstances! In the UK it is getting silly enough with speed reduction to 20 miles on the roads where it doesn't make any sense and constant 'road blocks' pretending to be road works. Hence slowing down traffic even more and causing greater congestion, which later can be used as an excuse to introduce new congestion areas and rake the price to enter those. I'm not converting to bicycle!
French, British or any other nationality can surely see that there is no sense in making traffic queues longer by adding motorcycles to them...so the explanation has to be anti-motorcycle (for whatever reason that may be); if filtering per se is actually to be a 'reasoned' policy, then, logically, bicycles would also not be allowed to filter through traffic.
I've always filtered in traffic but some bikers do go to fast and it makes me cringe, it people like that that will get it banned, as for France I've always enjoyed riding over there and found them great and the police most helpful, be nice to get over to the Alps again
Riding a motor Bike has always been a get to my location quickerthing for me 25years and more so far,Filtering has always been the normal practice. The french have in my ride experiances been more bike aware and tolerant towards us as most car drivers started out on 50cc mobelett bikes. If the law in france is legalised on filtering ,sooner or later it will land on our door step We have bus lanes to usebut not indefinately as its only a concession at the mercy of TFL mayors"" Fight it as yet again we will, lose out No i'm not going to get a electric scooter
If riding in France i would suggest sticking to national roads where you can.National might be a bit slower but there is more to see.Plus there are more stopping points.
I agree totally with all the above and a blanket stopping of filtering can be seen as overkill. May I add another point, when travelling in France I have seen what I would describe as ludicrous acts of riding. It involves the rider starting on a hard standing adjacent to the motorway and then jointing, going across the 3 lanes to the fast lane wearing short sleeves and what can only be described as jodhpurs and a helmet. Yes you've guessed its the good old motorway police on their FJR 1300's. Surely they should be the ones leading by example,, do they have super human powers that stops their skin being left on the road if it goes t#ts-up. Viva la France.
Bit late on this thread, but thought I'd throw my tuppence in... Yes, been side-swiped on 2 occasions over the years, one fairly slow and little to no damage to the bike or me. Second one wrote the bike off, and I spent an hour in an Ambulance getting checked over (Police told the paramedics to keep me in there as the 'cager' who caused the accident was in jeopardy of being silenced forever... Both caused by drivers not checking mirrors! However, I do still filter, albeit quite slowly and carefully, with eyes out on stalks. It is good to see more and more drivers (especially trucks) move over and create more space as soon as they notice the twin headlights and two driving lights in their mirrors. Not had too many issues in France or Germany, but then I do ride the 'D' roads whenever possible!
Hello everyone, I’m a newborn on the site,so please forgive if I’m not up to speed,although I do ride a Harley so that could explain 😂( no comments chap’s 😂),yes I’m in agreement with the above,filtering is absolutely fine if done sensible with care ,observation, and carful speed,it’s the total benefit with a motorbike and environmentally better surely, and why should we be stuck behind 4 wheeled vehicles breathing in all the so called cleaner environmental friendly E10 and very soon E15 fumes which smell absolutely awful ( wanted to use another word really 😁), I’m off into France 🇫🇷 in a few days time,could I ask anyone who knows exactly what if any paperwork I may need,I’ve got my covid pass sorted it’s just I’m getting conflicting information about an Advanced passenger location form which the ferries need b4 boarding,any help would be gratefully appreciated,thank you in advance 👍👍
instead of telling bikers they are illegal if they filter because it's dangerous....
why don't they fine the car drivers that make it dangerous and pull out and knock syndrome off...... they might think about checking before they manoevre if they were fined .....
just another example of restriction of freedoms of choice..... always reminds me of the attitude towards bikers in Easy Rider...... i always filtered if it was safe and using loads of sixth sense etc.....
As I'm a plodder, a lot of my overtaking is done by filtering. Done safely and showing appreciation to the vehicle you might end up sat in front of (at the lights or behind the badly positioned vehicle in front), the world is a happier place. You also sow the seed in the minds of the drivers you filtered past about maybe taking up riding.
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