pulling into bus lane to let police car pass

worried123

Could anyone tell me whether I have done the wrong thing please..

I pulled into and quickly out of a 24 hour bus lane today to allow a police car with siren and blue flashing light to pass me.

I know that I am going to get a notice through my door as a camera flashed and that particular road is notorious for being red hot on driving limits etc..

Obviously, I will appeal but how can I `prove` that i pulled over to allow an emergency vehical to pass......and should I have done this anyway..

Many thanks

CKhalvashi

I've done this, had the fine through, asked them to check camera (most are ANPR video, like in police cars), fine cancelled on appeal.

Don't worry, but remember to get them to check the camera, and they can contact the police to check if there was a car on a blue light run at the time, on that street. It's all recorded.

CK

Jamie_Carter

You should get away with it if you appeal.

However, both of you actually did the wrong thing. Emergency vehicles can use bus lanes, so you would have been better off staying in the lane you were in, and letting the police car use the bus lane. This way they can make much better progress.

This also applies to hard shoulders on motorways. Don't move on to the hard shoulder, leave it free for emergency vehicles.

Richard53

There have been several cases where people have been prosecuted and convicted for doing exactly this, despite video evidence of an ambulance on blue lights in the same shot as the 'offending' car. You have used the bus lane - guilty - next case. Many people now say they will not move into a bus lane for an emergency vehicle under any circumstances.

I the case I read about, the police advised that a driver should not break the law to allow an emergency vehicle to pass. That seems fairly clear to me. Not sensible, but clear.

GAZ237

Same has happened at traffic lights. Where a car has moved forward to let an emergency vehicle get past and only just gone across the white line.
I would never get out of the way now unless it was 100% legally.

The law really can be an !!! sometimes.

System

GAZ237 wrote: »

The law really can be an !!! sometimes.

In a lot of cases it is not the law that is the !!! but the person interpreting it. AKA Jobsworth

gingerdad

You can only go through a red light if directed to by a police officer so if you cross the white line in any other case ie just to move out of the way of a bluelight vehicle you've broken the law

I would suggest the same case may be for the bus lane but not sure. It's worth appealing but don't expect to get off.

interstellaflyer

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Emergency vehicles can use bus lanes, so you would have been better off staying in the lane you were in, and letting the police car use the bus lane. This way they can make much better progress.

Try telling the Ambulance, paramedics, Fire engine drivers and police car drivers that, I work in an area of Oxford that has bus lanes and I've yet to see emergency vehicles use the bus lanes, they seem to prefer people moving over for them, always found this very odd as you would think they would use the empty bus lane, maybe it's because if they get caught behind a bus they've got nowhere to go.

bluenoseam

Bearing in mind on a siren run it's significantly safer (and quicker) to travel in as direct a fashion as possible, which would often negate going into a bus lane. (More so given how we all know bus drivers are capable of driving like they own the road anyway) I believe the advice is actually to pull over if it's safe & legal to do so, appeal anyway though given you were getting out the way of an emergency response vehicle!

C_Mababejive

I know its of no use now but dont put yourself out for emergency vehicles if you cannot do it safely and without risk of a fine. Let the EM vehicle use the bus lane..The authorities are tw&ts and they dont care. All they know is..offence>fine.

neilmcl

interstellaflyer wrote: »

Try telling the Ambulance, paramedics, Fire engine drivers and police car drivers that, I work in an area of Oxford that has bus lanes and I've yet to see emergency vehicles use the bus lanes, they seem to prefer people moving over for them, always found this very odd as you would think they would use the empty bus lane, maybe it's because if they get caught behind a bus they've got nowhere to go.

It's more likely that they'd expect some numpty to move into the bus lane on hearing the sirens without checking their mirrors and crashing into the emergency vehicle, which is why they'll always plot the safest route.