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Motorcyclists and their car-driving colleagues appear to have embraced the ACT's lane filtering laws four months after the pilot program began. The head of the ACT's peak motorcyclist advocacy group believes there had been no identified crashes due to the laws which allow the bikes to move between cars and other vehicles which are stopped or moving slowly. Motorcycle Riders Association ACT branch president Jen Woods said car drivers seemed to have accepted the change. "My understanding is there has been no negative comments from the public and, from a riders' perspective, the comments of being able to move to the front at a stoplights has been positive," she said. "It's a sensible move, as our roads become a bit more congested, it makes more sense to accommodate vulnerable road users." Ms Woods said there she was aware of only one or two motorcyclists who had been pulled over by police for the use of cycling or breakdown lanes. Motorcyclists must not use these lanes or kerbsides next to footpaths and can lane filter at no faster than 30km/h. A Justice and Community Safety Directorate spokeswoman said the trial had received positive feedback as it was monitored by a working group including ACT Policing and road user representatives. "The purpose of this ACT trial is to investigate the road safety impact and benefits of allowing motorcyclists to lane filter in safe circumstances," she said. "The trial is not intended to address traffic congestion and its impact on traffic congestion will not be measured, due to the lower level of ACT traffic in general compared to Sydney [the location of the NSW trial], and the fact NSW found that lane filtering had minimal impact on reducing traffic congestion." The trial will be evaluated in 2017. Two motorcyclists have been killed on ACT roads this year from a total road toll of six. Motorcyclists made up two of the seven fatalities in 2013, the last year of published crash data, and 43 of 140 hospital admissions. This was despite motorbikes or scooters being involved in fewer accidents than buses or bicycles. ACT Policing declined to comment, referring questions to the JACS Directorate.

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