A Canberra motorist facing possible jail time for swerving his car at two lane-filtering motorcyclists has got off with a relative slap on the wrist.
The driver, Jake Searle, 28, had been charged with to counts of driving with intent to menace and faced maximum penalties of more than $3000 in fines or 12 months in jail or both for each of these charges.
However, the charges were downgraded as he was a first offender. Searle was released on a one-year good behaviour order and disqualified from driving for three months.
He also avoided a fine.
Menacing videos
The incidents occurred on Majura Parkway on 30 October 2018. One incident is shown in this video which we published on November 2.
ACT Police were made aware of this video a day later and began investigating.
A second video later emerged showing the same driver swerving at another rider.
ACT Police made several calls for help to identify the two riders so a charge could be laid.
The rider in the second incidentAt the time, ACT Police issued these details of the incident:
About 4:30pm, the riders were separately travelling northbound on Majura Parkway, Majura, when a green Ford Falcon swerved, almost colliding with the riders. At the time, the riders were lawfully lane filtering.
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Swerving justice
The Australian Motorcycle Council says it is “of concern when a driver uses their vehicle in a premeditated manner, as a weapon to harm others”.
“There appears to be little distinction between the quality of actions of this driver and those of the driver who killed pedestrians in Melbourne, although a difference in the scale or degree,” the AMC says.
ACT rider Bill Gemmell says the result “doesn’t make me feel safer because the place has an epidemic of bad driving”.
Legal filtering
Interestingly, these incidents occurred only a few weeks after the ACT made lane filtering legal.
Lane filtering was introduced in NSW five years ago and is now legal in all states and territories.
Not only is lane filtering legal but it also benefits all motorists as it helps move heavy traffic more quickly.
You can do your bit to educate drivers by sharing our “Open letter to drivers“.
Filtering rage
Drivers obstructing riders has been happening since lane filtering was introduced.
Check out this video from 2017 sent to us by Newcastle rider Harry Criticos.
“I was filtering legally when a driver stuck his whole body out in an attempt to block me,” the 2016 Triple Black R 1200 GS rider told us.
“I did not stop and he did make contact with the bike. I hope it hurt.”
This motorist was fined $325 and three demerit points.
Lane filtering is legal
Surely it is time for some major advertising campaigns in each state to advise motorists that riders are allowed to filter and what benefits there are for ALL motorists.
That was the major finding of an online poll we conducted in 2016, yet there are still few major ad campaigns.
So far, lane filtering education campaigns have been minimal and mainly aimed at riders, not the general motoring public.
We not only need major ad campaigns, but also roadside signage such as this photoshopped sign.
Here’s a sign we’d like to see!We are not aware of any polls about lane filtering in Australia.
However, in California where lane splitting (filtering at higher speeds than 30km/h) is legal, polls have found it is vastly unpopular among other road users. The main objection is that it’s unfair!
That breeds hostility which results in stupid behaviour such as in the above video.
Lane splitting is unpopular in the USASo long as lane filtering remains unpopular and/or erroneously believed to be illegal, motorists will do stupid and dangerous things to stop riders filtering.