VIC ROAD RULES

Here are the rules from the Vicroads website.

Interesting one on lane splitting.  I always thought it was classified as over taking and must be done on the right, and you can over take moving vehicles…...

Lane splitting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lane splitting refers to a two-wheeled vehicle moving between lanes of vehicles that are proceeding in the same direction. More narrowly, it refers to passing stopped or slower moving traffic between lanes at a speed greater than surrounding traffic. It is also sometimes called lane sharing, whitelining,  filtering, or stripe-riding. Alternatively, lane splitting has been used to describe moving through traffic that is in motion while filtering is used to describe moving through traffic that is stopped.

Lane splitting by motorcycles is generally legal in Europe, and in Japan and several other countries, and is legal in some U.S. states.

Also  legal and practiced extensively throughout Asia.

The Oxford Systematics report commissioned by VicRoads, the traffic regulating authority in Victoria, Australia, found that for motorcycles filtering through stationary traffic "No examples have yet been located where such filtering has been the cause of an incident."

Lane splitting is permitted in the following countries:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Netherlands (jurisprudence assigns responsibility in case of accidents to the car driver)
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Oman
• Poland 
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Singapore
• Spain
• South Africa
• Taiwan
• Turkey
• U.A.E.
• United Kingdom
• United States

In Australia a furor erupted when the transport authorities decided to consolidate and clarify the disparate set of laws that collectively made lane splitting illegal. Because of the very opacity of the laws they were attempting to clarify, many Australians had actually believed that lane splitting was legal, and they had been practicing it as long as they had been riding. They interpreted the action as a move to change the law to make lane splitting illegal. Because of the volume of public comment opposed to this, the authorities decided to take no further action and so the situation remained as it was.

Riding a motorcycle
A rider of a motorcycle must obey the same road laws that apply to drivers.

Helmets
Riders and their passengers must wear helmets approved to Australian Standard AS1698 or AS/NZS1698, and these must be securely fitted and fastened on their heads.  The helmets must have a mark indicating AS1698 or AS/NZS1698 approval.

Parking
In Victoria you may legally park your motorcycle on the footpath (unless otherwise signed) as long as you do not obstruct pedestrians, delivery vehicles, public transport users or parked cars.

Lane splitting
You must drive with your vehicle completely within a lane. Riding between lines of moving vehicles is illegal and dangerous.

Transit and special purpose lanes
Motorcycles are permitted in transit lanes but you must not ride your motorcycle in tram lanes, bus lanes, bicycle lanes or other lanes designated for special vehicles, except as permitted under the rules, for example for the permitted distance when entering or leaving the road.

Pillion passengers and animals
Riders must not ride with:

• more than one pillion passenger.
• more passengers in a sidecar than the sidecar is designed to carry.
• an animal between the rider and the handlebars (working farmers exempt for 500 metres on a road).
• a child under 8 years old unless the passenger is in a sidecar.

Pillion passengers must sit astride the motorcycle and behind the rider, face forward and keep both feet on footpegs provided for them.

Riding with other riders
Riders must not ride more than two abreast.  If riding two abreast, riders must not ride more than 1.5 metres from the other rider.

Miniature motorcycles/ monkey bikes
A miniature motorcycle must not be used on public roads, footpaths or nature strips because they do not meet registration standards.  Whilst a miniature motorcycle can’t be registered, any person who rides it on a public road without a valid motorcycle licence is committing two offences – driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a licence. 

Miniature motorcycles can be used on private property but there are serious concerns about the safety of many of the models being sold.  Consumer Affairs Victoria banned the sale of miniature motorcycles that do not meet safety standards.  For information visit theConsumer Affairs Victoria website and search for ‘Monkey Bikes’.

Rule referencesRoad Safety Road Rules 2009

• 146 Driving within a single marked lane or line of traffic
• 151 Riding a motor bike or bicycle alongside more than 1 other rider
• 156 Transit lanes
• 197 Stopping on a path, dividing strip or nature strip
• 270 Wearing motor bike helmets
• 271 Riding on motor bikes and motor cycles

To look up these rules and check for other related rules, please refer to the Acts and Regulations administered by VicRoads.