Having had a filtering accident where: I was wearing hi viz Had my headlight on Was at a low speed Riding defensively Made no difference, the driver admitted he had not looked before turning into my path. Whilst these use of lights and hi viz etc helps make you more visible, it only works if the other parties do their due diligence of checking their mirrors and looking over their shoulders into the blind spots. These actions are prescribed in the Highway Code before making a manoeuvre. Unfortunately, as we all know, once you've passed your test driving standards are not checked and poor practice sets in. Over time these bad habits get ingrained and very difficult to change. As our licensing system does not have regular re tests these poor habits are never broken. So, in my view, training the other drivers to look and comply with the Highway Code is the bigger issue to be dealt with.
I agree it is a training issue but re tests would be counterproductive. Filtering is a high risk activity which we need to recognise as such.
Filtering , like everything else , should be done at an apropriate and safe speed. For me the general rule is that if it is possible for someone to do the stupid thing then i must be prepared for them to do so . Even on an A road if there is someone / thing waiting to come on then i am down to a speed where i can deal with it ( ar 40 ish ) , and on small B roads every blind spot should be treated as a potential danger ,,, i have seen too many tractors , sheep cyclists etc appearing out of nowhere ,,,,, hopefully the lessons learned will keep me safe on my bike now or i would never have returned to m/c .
I'd be interested to know why you feel that a retest would be counter productive? I hold ROSPA advanced and I am retested every 3 years. This is to ensure that riding standards are maintained, and you are up to date with the Highway Code.
Just a comment on filtering speed, anything much above 20-25 mph could be considered reckless in court. 40mph gives the other road users less chance of seeing you or appreciating the closing speed, and a significantly increased chance of serious injury to you if they pull into your path. Filtering safely on a motorcycle
There is logic in retesting at an advanced level to maintain standards. There is logic in doing periodic refresher training. Retests are meaningless unless there is the possibility of failure and failure, with the removal of a driving license, would ruin lives. Have a bad day, or get an examiner who is having a bad day, or worse has targets to fulfil and you can't drive to work, or drive for work, or drive your children to school, or visit your sick relatives etc etc. Young males, and increasingly young females, are the major cause of accidents, they pass driving standard tests with flying colours then go out and behave completely differently. Despite witnessing regular examples of poor driving the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, which doesn't mean we shouldn't try to eliminate poor driving but retests are not the answer.
W Well strangely ( or not ) enough sheep jumping out is not much of a problem , unless they have a lamb with them as they seem to have learned that standing still is the safest thing to do ,,, however this lesson has not been lea rned by deer who are still a major danger on rural roads up here .
Good point but I would never take it for granted. Whenever I come across a sheep on one side of the road and a lamb on the other I slow right down and prepare to stop as a startled lamb will always run to it's mother.
aye, leave it alone you.:smile: yip sheep and deer around here only real worry. not the first one, the second witch will surly follow
Filtering for me years ago consisted of,if the car didn't get out of my way they'd lose their wing mirror :Rage: I was such a hooligan back then......mellowed out A BIT now:Cigar:
