Riding on the HOV vs normal lanes. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Riding on the HOV vs normal lanes.

hymnz

hymnz

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I did a round trip today from Mississauga to Welland through the 403-QEW-406 route. I took the HOV lane in the 403 and I had two frustrating episodes.

First was during the onwards journey, vehicles were moving at 120 but there was a pickup truck who came aggressively close behind me and started flashing the lights. I exited at the next open and the pickup just rushed through. It was an agitating couple of minutes.

The second was in the return. The car infront of me was speeding and breaking incessantly. I couldn't see the lane beyond the car infront of me and had a difficult time riding. And the empty taxi behind me was just as aggressive as the first one. Exited the HOV as soon as I got the opportunity. And then I saw someone doing 140 in the HOV a few minutes later.

Frankly speaking, I was more relaxed riding in the normal lanes than in the HOV. I'm surprised because when I posted my introduction post here there was a positive reaction to HOV lanes in particular. My experience today was a bit stressful. I definitely greyed a few more of my hair strands 😅

Where do you people ride? HOV or the right most lane?

P.S. Please don't hate me for my stupid questions in this forum. I'm just trying to learn to ride safely in the great white north 🏂⛷️
 
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When riding in the HOV, you're only under siege from the lane beside you.

If you ride in the far right lane, you have to deal with traffic merging and getting off.

If you ride in any other lane than the far left or far right, you're at risk from idiots on both sides of you.

I prefer to ride in the far left so I only have one lane to keep an eye on, regardless of it's an HOV or just the passing lane (which I am doing, most of the time). If someone is right behind me, I'll pull over and let them pass.
 
The HOV lane can be scary at times. Some people think of it as their personal express lane to go 150 km/h or more. Others use it to bypass a slower vehicle in front of them. Others cut into it when traffic is very slow but the HOV lane is moving along and that's when you see your life flash before you eyes.
 
HOV in any rush hour type situation is the only time i do not stay in a 'normal' blocking position. I stay to the left tire track, so i save seconds having to do so when the inevitable happens. Thankfully we still have a shoulder to our left so we're not being run off the road even if we have to continue going left.
 
If traffic is slower in the normal lanes I keep as far left in the HOV lane as there’s always some idiot that inevitable jumps into it to pass. I’ve had situations doing 120 in the car and had to brake so hard the car was unsettled. No thanks on a bike.

As others, you only have to deal with a single lane of idiots.
 
I ride the HOV on the 400 everyday for my commute from Bradford to downtown. I have had maybe one issue all time? Some car was painfully close so I waved at him to back off and he did, that's about it. I feel protected in the lane and I have to watch for line crossers but mostly positive outcomes in the HOV lane. Weekend HOV is another story. the HOV on the weekends is just another lane because 95% of cars have two or more people so it's basically a useless lane.
 
HOV lane is often the most dangerous imo. High closing speeds and surrounded by asshats that couldn't care less about the markings on the pavement. Much less likely to die slogging it out in the crowd further right (although probably more likely to get bumped).
 
Saw a MC maybe 8 deep just absolutely hogging the HOV lane of the 400 North on Saturday going maybe 110kmh at most getting passed by people on their right. For sure pissing lots of people off by doing that and ultimately all those people that get ****** on the roads just take it out on the next person.
 
GreyGhost said:
HOV lane is often the most dangerous imo. High closing speeds and surrounded by asshats that couldn't care less about the markings on the pavement. Much less likely to die slogging it out in the crowd further right (although probably more likely to get bumped).
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One thing I do when I'm clipping on the HOV lane beside slow / stopped traffic is actually tailgate a car closely on the left hand side. This (to me) prevents a car from popping in ahead of me unexpectedly as the car is a larger target in the rear view, and also allows me to get around them on the left should they hammer the brakes.

Ideal? No.
Safe? Safer to me
 
mimico_polak said:
One thing I do when I'm clipping on the HOV lane beside slow / stopped traffic is actually tailgate a car closely on the left hand side. This (to me) prevents a car from popping in ahead of me unexpectedly as the car is a larger target in the rear view, and also allows me to get around them on the left should they hammer the brakes.

Ideal? No.
Safe? Safer to me
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Don't expect to be visible over there from people ahead or behind you (not saying you are); very easy for someone to think that's 'free space' due to your positioning. However by being on the left we give up visibility and blocking and we gain time and potentially a better exit strategy (further left to the shoulder). The most visible side of the road to be on is always the right side tire track, due to how car mirrors work.

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mimico_polak said:
One thing I do when I'm clipping on the HOV lane beside slow / stopped traffic is actually tailgate a car closely on the left hand side. This (to me) prevents a car from popping in ahead of me unexpectedly as the car is a larger target in the rear view, and also allows me to get around them on the left should they hammer the brakes.

Ideal? No.
Safe? Safer to me
Click to expand...
I don't like that one.

I almost hit a rider.
It was early morning and still dark. A car was coming north on Cawthra and I was waiting to turn right onto Cawthra from a side street.
The bike was riding so close behind the car, I could not see it's headlight. As the car passed, I started pulling out and almost hit the invisible bike.

I see the same problem in HOV, someone waiting on the car to pass likely will not see you on the bike.
 
mimico_polak said:
One thing I do when I'm clipping on the HOV lane beside slow / stopped traffic is actually tailgate a car closely on the left hand side. This (to me) prevents a car from popping in ahead of me unexpectedly as the car is a larger target in the rear view, and also allows me to get around them on the left should they hammer the brakes.

Ideal? No.
Safe? Safer to me
Click to expand...
This 100%. After watching that poor lady rider getting cut off in the HOV on 403 a few years back, I purposely get close to the car in front of me so it's virtually impossible to get cut off from a car that's in a stand still position.
 
Soulcatcher668 said:
I don't like that one.

I almost hit a rider.
It was early morning and still dark. A car was coming north on Cawthra and I was waiting to turn right onto Cawthra from a side street.
The bike was riding so close behind the car, I could not see it's headlight. As the car passed, I started pulling out and almost hit the invisible bike.

I see the same problem in HOV, someone waiting on the car to pass likely will not see you on the bike.
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If it is a legal merging section, MP could swing into normal blocking position. If it is an illegal merging section, the asshat merging dgaf about anybody else or laws. The more space and time you have the better imo.
 
Soulcatcher668 said:
I don't like that one.

I almost hit a rider.
It was early morning and still dark. A car was coming north on Cawthra and I was waiting to turn right onto Cawthra from a side street.
The bike was riding so close behind the car, I could not see it's headlight. As the car passed, I started pulling out and almost hit the invisible bike.

I see the same problem in HOV, someone waiting on the car to pass likely will not see you on the bike.
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I would never do that anywhere on the road outside of the HOV lane. Basically what @Evoex drew up. Maybe 'tailgating' was the wrong word, but I'm still more to the left than normally, and closer to the car in front.

My assumption is as the car passes traffic, the time it takes for me to pass any idiots I'm already gone as they SHOULD see the car in front.

In the end it all comes to probabilities and comfort levels. I figure there's less chance of a car jumping out in front of an HOV moving car, than in front of an HOV moving motorcycle solo.

At intersections, I actually try and wiggle a bit to make sure they see me, and then keep close to the car in the left/right lane because there's less chance of a car turning left in front of another car, than in front of a motorcycle going solo.
 
Max527 said:
This 100%. After watching that poor lady rider getting cut off in the HOV on 403 a few years back, I purposely get close to the car in front of me so it's virtually impossible to get cut off from a car that's in a stand still position.
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This is the reason I do it. I saw that video and it was horrible.
 
GreyGhost said:
If it is a legal merging section, MP could swing into normal blocking position. If it is an illegal merging section, the asshat merging dgaf about anybody else or laws. The more space and time you have the better imo.
Click to expand...
My HOV is like this. Legal transfer area, right tire track. The rest of the time, left tire track.

Always anticipating someone crossing the double line. I also stay well back of the car ahead. More space means more options IMO.
 
When i was in the car the other day on QEW with the famjam a guy was on my ass. I always leave a few cars distance ahead of me, especially if we're going "at full speed" , keeping my distance and speed steady with the car ahead of me so i don't have to brake as much when we eventually come to a slow down/stop, which always happens in that section of the highway.
Anyhow, a slow down occurs, he gets even more on my @ss and i notice that he was alone in his car, that section has HOT(Toll) also so i figured maybe he paid to be in there.

Lo and behold, a cop car had stopped someone ahead of us in the left shoulder and as we approach the cop, he ends up leaving the lane in its entirety LOL. So not only did he have no business in it but he was being a douche about it!
 
Don't bother with HOV lanes on the bike. As you've discovered it's full of aggressive idiots. Best to keep your sanity and saftey in check and keep riding with the rest of the traffic where you have more options and less likely to be forced into a situation from being in a single lane. The HOV lane is badly designed. There should be 2 lanes so you have the ability to get out of situations and prevent tailgating and all that nonsense.
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