Is motorcycle filtering legal in Switzerland??

[Biker 1]

I ask PH advice as follows:

I was riding my bike between the M26 & J6 of the M25 earlier today. As usual, the traffic ground to a halt shortly after Clacket Lane services, & then proceeded at some 10 to 20mph. I filtered between the traffic in lanes 3 & 4, & generally speaking, drivers were very courteous, seeing me in their mirrors & giving me sufficient space to filter. I am sure I was riding both legally & safely.
Except for some fking wker in a large Audi(??) estate car in lane 4, with Swiss plates & steering on the left. He basically almost squeezed me into a van in lane 3. I was about a third of the way past him, he could clearly see me in his door mirror, & it looked like he was intentionally blocking me off. I sounded the horn, then he did(!!!). I somehow managed to get through the decreasing gap, & after signalling to him 'you are number 1', was on my way.

Presumably filtering is not the done thing in Switzerland? Perhaps it is illegal there? Or are the Swiss just a bunch of fking tt morons??

[Biker 1]

Riley Blue said:

If you'd asked your question of Google you'd have quickly found the answer: 'No'.

I prefer PH to Google any day - defo more believable.

I guess that answers the question then - he was still a fking for almost deliberately killing me though.

[Biker 1]

turbopowerv10 said:

It certainly is not, I have the 300 franc fine to prove it, nor are loud exhausts and they sure as hell take a dim view on a UK reg (or and reg) bike making progress! Fines are astronomical there, I should know I spend 3 days a week there!

Wow!! I guess that's why this wker cut me up then! Seems a bit OTT, considering he's in a foreign country. I've driven in several foreign countries, & have seen some very 'odd' driving habits, but have respected even some downright suicidal manoeuvres, as I am not familiar with local laws etc. 'When in Rome...'

[Biker 1]

HairyMaclary said:

Could it be that he was simply driving a left hooker? You could have been in his blindspot?

I appreciate that this logical suggestion doesn't fit with your crazy swiss nutter tried to kill you thinking.

Being a 'left hooker' in lane 4, & I was filtering between lanes 3 & 4, should have given him even more scope to see me. So the crazy Swiss nutter wker holds, as there would have been LESS blind spot.

[Biker 1]

EU_Foreigner said:

In CH, everyone is a local policeman and upholds the law.

However, it is one of the weirdest laws in the UK that filtering is allowed though, never understood that being so dangerous.

Its one of the best reasons to have a bike!!

[Biker 1]

Mr GrimNasty said:

I agree it is the main advantage, I also agree it should be illegal, too many abuse it and it is fundamentally dangerous, and puts an impossible onus on other vehicles to observe the impossible.

I guess we ain't going to agree on that one, & I suspect many others too!!
'Observe the impossible'??? There is very little problem if drivers just stay in lane during traffic jams on motorways, & use indicators when they need to change lanes. It's not rocket science....

[Biker 1]

clarkey said:

Left hand drive cars tend to sit to the extreme left of the lane in my experience - it could just have been that, regardless of the legal situation in Switzerland.

True - he was. But he was to my right, in lane 4, & there would have been just enough gap for a safe filter. I am 100% sure he saw me in his L/H door mirror, & there was eye contact. At this point, he definitely deliberately steered to the left at around 5-10mph. As per my original post, I then sounded the horn, which probably made him even more determined to squash me against the white van in lane 3..... wker

[Biker 1]

The Don of Croy said:

Last week a filtering biker was fatally wounded just down the road (A22 Uckfield). He failed to spot the car turning into his 'lane' and the car failed to spot him. Therefore I still think 'filtering' is potentially very very dangerous.

I know the Uckfield bypass very well - I assume you are referring to the tragic crash the other day when a 59 year old got killed(??)
Anyway, I don't recall any part of that road being dual carriageway in that area, unless you're talking about the Hailsham bypass?