A Sydney motorcyclist has been hit with an $844 fine and several demerit points for an act she says she had no idea was illegal.
Anna Ranford said she was riding her motorcycle in Sydney when she was pulled over by police for lane filtering – the practice of moving between two lanes of still or slow-moving cars.
“I’ve just been charged $844 and 3 demerit points,” she said in a TikTok video.
“I don’t mean to rant, but why is it so much money?”
Ranford later explained in the comments that she had been riding alongside a parked car, which led to the fine. She said she was unaware the manoeuvre was against the law and questioned why the penalty was so steep.
“No one was at risk,” she wrote.
Viewers of her video appeared equally confused, with many under the impression that lane filtering was legal.
“Take that to court, lane filtering was made legal a decade ago,” one person commented.
“If you’re on your full license, it’s legal as long as the traffic is going under 30kph and you’re riding through the middle not on the shoulder,” another said.
“Is it only illegal if you go over 30km?” a third asked.
Sydney lawyer Avinash Singh confirmed that lane filtering is only permitted under specific conditions.
“The rider must be between two separate but adjacent lanes travelling in the same direction as traffic. Further, the rider must be travelling at a speed of less than 30 km/hr and it must be safe to lane filter. Lane filtering is specifically prohibited in school zones and by P plate or learner riders,” he said.
The maximum penalty for illegal lane filtering is $2200, which can increase if an accident occurs.
“If a motor cyclist side swipes another vehicle while lane filtering, they can be charged with an offence of malicious damage pursuant to section 195 of the Crimes Act 1900,” Singh said.
“This offence carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment. Generally the court will also order the rider to pay compensation for the damage they have caused as well.”
Responding to Ranford’s specific case, Singh confirmed that filtering between traffic and a parked car is indeed illegal.
“The reasoning behind this is that people often get in and out of parked cars or walk next to parked cars. When a motorcyclist lane filters close to a parked car, there is a significant risk that they are not seen and can cause an accident,” he explained.
Singh said the high fine reflects the dangers associated with the practice.
“The reason for the fine being so high compared to most other fines is that motorcyclists have caused a number of accidents resulting in serious injuries through illegal lane filtering,” he said.
“The idea behind the large fine is that it acts as a deterrent to other motorcyclists to dissuade them from illegally lane filtering.”
Images: Shutterstock/TikTok
