Emergency lane (Solution)?

[AJV]

I also almost got taken out this morning due to a cage making space for a biker in the EL on the N3 north just after Gilloolys. I don’t want to also complain about this, but I have a small suggestion:
Can we get Metro Police on Motorcycles to assist with patrolling the Highways during peak traffic, cause they are able to follow these guys on the bikes. (I am certainly not going to follow the idiots to try and pull them over).

Would like to know if someone here knows a contact at Metro or Traffic department to assist with this.

[jadeinplay]

Great idea, however I have seen them also using that lane .... and sometimes the yellow emergency.

Problem comes in where bike clubs are 'all for' riding in this lane, and actually encourage their members ... think this would be a first point of starting.

Spirit has contacts in JMPD ... give her a shout

[spirit]

I'll call my friend, ask her for feedback on her call to Wayne Minnaar - or anyone else for that matter.

Will revert back.

[theRéhann]

I will be seeing Wayne Minnaar in the enxt week or so. Good suggestion!

[SV MAD]

Just tell JMPD that they can write a lot of tickets for this offence. That should tickle them into action, and the quickest way that people will stop riding in the EL

[Buelligan]

Just tell JMPD that they can write a lot of tickets for this offense. That should tickle them into action, and the quickest way that people will stop riding in the EL

...and it is NOT a small fine
3 years ago it was R 1500

[hei ew]

i do not ride in the "constuction lane"
but on monday night i did - and i felt like a KING !!!

lol
reason was traffic was 4 lanes of cars in the parked position.
i would like to add my condolences to the fallen biker .
and any fatalities if there were where the 2 bmw cars collided .

i found the only way to get home safely was to use the "constuction lane" due to cars changeing lanes and not watching in that horrable traffic jam .
so
i have never complained about the bikers using the lane
and now i actually think it's a better idea .

although i do not use it
today i rode as normal in the biker lane , i much prefer to ride there still.

traffic was bad but i never seen as much traffic as monday night from william'snicole toward malibolgwewe.

call me a loser , a idiot etc
but by all means , look at yourself and ask does the sun shine out your ass?
bwahahaha - please take my insult as it is a look outside the box
if you never speed
if you never do anything illegal
eish
shame

please do not be offended by my post
i am not attacking anyone
just asking if we at tb can stop complaining and actually do something about it
we will never stop noobs from usng that lane
because it is safer than lane splitting !!

[Buelligan]

Keyboard with Shift and caps lock function in the mail :evil:

[n00b]

I will be seeing Wayne Minnaar in the enxt week or so. Good suggestion!

Man you must have lots of patience, I would choke the life outta him

[Budah]

Good grief!!!!! Is Think Bike saying let the cops loose on the bretherin??? Is this not a safety awareness campain and what has TB been doing to alert the okes about the dangers in the construction lane? other than off course having high and mighty opinions over everything and then nothing comes of it? Seems we're getting a bit too pantsy these days. FcUk Im wasting my time logging in to this forum.

[Boesmann]

Council Clubs will not promote riding in the Emergency lane in fact they are against it all together.
I cannot speak for the non affiliated/weekend warrior & Piet en sy pa clubs .
I have seen club members from affiliated clubs doing just that and I contact the president of the club with reg of the bike (One rider only and I almost got taken out by a cager that only tried to give the ... a gap and not seing me on his left). This is only when they ride in the lane between the fast lane and barrier. They are just fking up your ride. Pushing cars to the left and cramping you in riding legally in the BL. Had some incidents with non patch wearers who I can clearly say are the majority.
Even some with TB vests including the Hi-vis ones only available to TB Members.
Does this mean all TB members does that? Nope.

I do my at most best to make sure that riders in that lane get the message. I have spoken to Gauteng Traffic Police and their answer is simple and valid. They are instructed to clamp down on this but official communication has not come through as yet. How much will the fine be? How much will it cost to get my bike back from the impound? How much for a lawyer to represent me in Court? Who knows what Action they will take) Not worth it

At the end of the day even if you ride @ 20km/h or 200km/h in the EL, it is breaking the law, So is speeding therefore I'm also breaking the law on my bike and in my cage. Different laws for different actions.

I have stopped at a number of accidents happening in the EL both sides and honestly I can say 90% of the times the guys in those lanes are worse off (Personal observation) then in the BL. In my Reports I also make sure that it is clearly noted that the rider was using the EL. Insurance will not pay out for you, your bike, 3rd party etc. Even heard that this is a very easy escape code for life policies not paying out.

At the end of the day, Is it worth it to fck up your wife, kids & Parents lives if payout does not happen by getting home 5 minutes earlier and causing possible accidents with injuries to bikers riding in the BL.

[Silvrav]

Council Clubs will not promote riding in the Emergency lane in fact they are against it all together.
I cannot speak for the non affiliated/weekend warrior & Piet en sy pa clubs .
I have seen club members from affiliated clubs doing just that and I contact the president of the club with reg of the bike (One rider only and I almost got taken out by a cager that only tried to give the ... a gap and not seing me on his left). This is only when they ride in the lane between the fast lane and barrier. They are just fking up your ride. Pushing cars to the left and cramping you in riding legally in the BL. Had some incidents with non patch wearers who I can clearly say are the majority.
Even some with TB vests including the Hi-vis ones only available to TB Members.
Does this mean all TB members does that? Nope.

I do my at most best to make sure that riders in that lane get the message. I have spoken to Gauteng Traffic Police and their answer is simple and valid. They are instructed to clamp down on this but official communication has not come through as yet. How much will the fine be? How much will it cost to get my bike back from the impound? How much for a lawyer to represent me in Court? Who knows what Action they will take) Not worth it

At the end of the day even if you ride @ 20km/h or 200km/h in the EL, it is breaking the law, So is speeding therefore I'm also breaking the law on my bike and in my cage. Different laws for different actions.

I have stopped at a number of accidents happening in the EL both sides and honestly I can say 90% of the times the guys in those lanes are worse off (Personal observation) then in the BL. In my Reports I also make sure that it is clearly noted that the rider was using the EL. Insurance will not pay out for you, your bike, 3rd party etc. Even heard that this is a very easy escape code for life policies not paying out.

At the end of the day, Is it worth it to fck up your wife, kids & Parents lives if payout does not happen by getting home 5 minutes earlier and causing possible accidents with injuries to bikers riding in the BL.

And that is the sad fact...these suicide lane riders do not think further then the front wheel of their bikes...it is ILLEGAL! any policy/insurance/cover WILL NOT PAY OUT! They dont realise this.

[n00b]

I still wanna know, if a short noob (1.55m) on a big superbike who has only been riding for little over 2 years can ride safely in the BL lane whats the excuse for using the EL?What makes it seem/feel safer?

[Silvrav]

I still wanna know, if a short noob (1.55m) on a big superbike who has only been riding for little over 2 years can ride safely in the BL lane whats the excuse for using the EL?What makes it seem/feel safer?

Its the mind set....no cards should be in the EL, wider spaces, no obstruction or cars changing lanes etc....it is a bad mind set to get into.

[Boesmann]

@N00b, Honestly They see less cages there and problem is They expect less cagers there, From a cager side You dont expect bikers there. That is where TB should get involved and not only rely on Metro. Long and short Banner day that reads out clearly EL riding, No Insurance pay out, No Medical aid support (Have to confirm this) No Life policy pay out(Confirmed)!!! Stop causing cagers to make way for you and possibly kill another biker in the BL!!!! Is it worth it??????

Just plain Get out of the F-n EL will not really work cause there is no message going out with it.

[Stranger]

We have been debating this for over 2 years now, every idea we had has been shot down and no action taken,

so, the big question

who has the balls, who believes enough in the campaign enough to take action regardless of what the "authorities" think

To be frank, if we just sit here debating and doing "nothing", it is US that are the pussies.

[AJV]

let the cops loose on the bretherin???
Yes but not asking them to patrol the highway in the BL or EL lane, since it will defeat the purpose.

[AJV]

just asking if we at tb can stop complaining and actually do something about it

That is why the suggestion.

[werfie]

Ok, at running the risk of coming in on the backend of this debate (over the last two years)... What is the reason for not investigating a possible dedicated bikers lane? I read a couple of post earlier on some thread that it will block the right lane traffic from changing lanes or something... but is it not then possible to create a dedicated bike lane on the right hand side of the right lane traffic? i.e. in the space where the right hand emergency lane is at the moment (I don't think that is an emergency lane, it is the shoulder of the road is it not?)... and basically move the shoulder line a bit further left to compensate for the current gap in the Bike lane and then have dedicated lane markings? Sure it is not possible everywhere, but on some major roads? This will leave enough space for bikes to comfortably ride there and the concrete barrier will be further away than the barrier of cars on the right and left side of the current BL.

I am not sure who has connections/authority here to run these types of suggestions pass the authorities, and if it has been done and shot off or whatever, but one thing is clear, we need to come up with a plan. Awareness doesn't seem to solve this problem and we need to take a nanny state mentality, same as with everything else in this country. Because the truth is that there are idiots out there that does far more damage to the image of bikers than the good the TB campaign does in terms of this...

I have also noticed a lot of fighting on this, there seems two be two groups, one that maintains that riding in the EL is safer and one that maintains that riding in the BL is safer. Maybe it is time that both groups think outside of the box and come up with a solution that will be the safest. Now please don't throw me with lists of pros and cons, I've seen them, and AS THINKS ARE AT THE MOMENT, I agree the BL is the way to go. But it is intimidating for a lot of people/noobs to split for km's on end between traffic, so in my mind the option of a dedicated lane on one side of the traffic could possibly work, but not as the roads are laid out at the moment.

Do we as an organisation/or any one or couple of individuals on this forum have the "right connections" to make these ideas happen (regardless of what we come up with)...

[Donovan46]

What we need is some advertisements made like in Australia about road safety. The best way to get most people's attention is via TV.

Maybe, someone with time and airtime can call radio stations in the mornings and make a shout out about road safety for bikers? Also, the Fresh Drive has the 60 second thing one can phone in and punt their business, maybe TB could use that for a free 60 second air play?