TfNSW has identified that:

• Despite being (at the time) illegal, lane filtering is often practised on NSW roads.
• Lane filtering is a relatively low risk riding activity for motorcyclists when done in lower risk / low speed traffic situations (30km/h and under).
• When lane filtering is done at higher speeds (faster than 30km/h – ‘lane splitting’), crash risks increase for motorcycle riders and other road users, particularly pedestrians and cyclists.
• The trial showed that lane filtering improved travel times for motorcyclists over short sections of the Sydney CBD. While motorcycles are increasing in popularity, they still only make up a relatively small proportion of overall traffic. For this reason, the trial did not show a reduction in congestion for all traffic. However it is expected that removing some motorcycles from traffic queues will help to minimise queuing at intersections.

As the number of motorcycles increases, it is clear that overall congestion would be improved.