One of the joys of motorcycling in towns and cities is the ability to cruise slowly and carefully passed cars stuck in stationary traffic.

• They’re stood still, we’re still making progress: happy days!
• It’s known as filtering, and it is perfectly legal.
• However, there are rules to follow to filter safely - and legally.

What speed should I filter?

As a rule of thumb filter we’d recommend riding no more than 10-15mph faster than the rest of the traffic.

So if the traffic is stationary, that means taking it easy and cruising at 15mph - no more.

If traffic is crawling along at 10mph, 20mph is probably fast enough for a motorcycle; any faster and we’re leaving ourselves vulnerable to any one of a number of potential mishaps…

What can go wrong?

The biggest danger when we filter is that the cars and vans around us don’t see us. Drivers get frustrated and chop and change lanes, thinking the other one is moving quicker.

They don’t stop to check for a motorcyclist approaching between lanes, and that’s disastrous for us as they suddenly lurch into our path.

That’s why it’s important to filter slowly, so we have time to stop in an emergency. It’s a good idea to scan the road ahead and look for telltale signs a car/van may switch lanes. For instance, if the inside lane is stationary, but the second lane starts moving, it’s common for a car to move across to the ‘faster’ lane. We need to take care they don’t do it just as we pass by.

Watch for drivers sticking their heads out of the window to see what’s going on ahead, as they could do so into our path. In addition, keep an eye out for pedestrians taking the chance to cross the road while the traffic is stopped. They might not be looking out for motorcyclists.

Where can’t you filter?

Never filter on the near side of the inside lane. Always do it between lanes 1 and 2, or if three lanes, between 2 and 3.

It is illegal to filter if you cross a solid white line to do so, or on an approach to a pedestrian crossing where zig-zag lines are present.