Do buses have right of way on roundabouts?!

mawk86

Hello, hope you can help.

Last night I had a bit of a run in with a bus! we were at the roundabout, the bus was in the outside lane that is sign posted as straight over and I was in the inside lane that is also signposted as straight over, we both went and as the bus went around the corner it moved over into the inside lane straddling both lanes and I had to slam on my breaks to avoid getting crushed! the back end of the bus has scraped down the side of the car.

The bus driver said that busses have full right of way on roundabouts and are allowed to straddle both lanes as they need the space to swing round. He then advised me that if I don’t contact the bus company they will probably not do anything as there was minimal damage to the bus, and if I contacted my insurance company to report it I’d lose all my no claims etc.

Im struggling to find anything that verifys this on the Highway Code, can anyone advise?

[Deleted User]

Don't know about right of way but large vehicles are allowed to straddle lanes to get round corners and other drivers should be aware of this and take action.

unforeseen

They are not ALLOWED to straddle lanes, they just do it.
Large vehicles are notorious for straight linining roundabouts but in quite a few cases it's due to laziness and poor driving standards. They just aim for their exit and sod the rest of the people on the road.

prowla

_shel wrote: »

Don't know about right of way but large vehicles are allowed to straddle lanes to get round corners and other drivers should be aware of this and take action.

Wrong.

unforeseen wrote: »

They are not ALLOWED to straddle lanes, they just do it.
Large vehicles are notorious for straight linining roundabouts but in quite a few cases it's due to laziness and poor driving standards. They just aim for their exit and sod the rest of the people on the road.

Right.


However, in some cases, the vehicle can't make it without crossing lanes, so then it's a matter of courtesy and/or self-preservation as to who gives way to the other.

Car_54

The Highway Code says
1. No-one EVER has “right of way” in any situation, and
2. Look out for large vehicles at roundabouts: they may have to straddle lanes.

angrycrow

This situation is covered by the highway code.

187
In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals.

Good driving strategy is to never be alongside a bus or lorry on a roundabout in case they have to straddle the lanes.

Likely outcome of liability is 50/50.

Scrapit

Good observation on the roundabout would have avoided this

jbainbridge

No .. buses don't have any special priority. However they are obviously large vehicles so if the lanes are narrow you'd be wise to give them extra room.

Sounds to me like the bus driver doesn't want you to contact the bus company. Either the bus company will accept liability and pay for your repair ... or it will go 50/50.

[Deleted User]

angrycrow wrote: »

This situation is covered by the highway code.

187
In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to long vehicles (including those towing trailers). These might have to take a different course or straddle lanes either approaching or on the roundabout because of their length. Watch out for their signals.

Good driving strategy is to never be alongside a bus or lorry on a roundabout in case they have to straddle the lanes.

Likely outcome of liability is 50/50.

This is what my driving instructor told me, hence why I thought they were allowed otherwise why would it say it.

marlot

It's obvious that a long and/or wide vehicle will need more space. Only an idiot tries to go up the inside when it's obvious the bus will need the space.

But the bus driver doesn't have a right to collide with you - he should have been aware that you're there.

So two idiots. and the insurance company will likely go 50:50.

martinthebandit

marlot wrote: »

It's obvious that a long and/or wide vehicle will need more space. Only an idiot tries to go up the inside when it's obvious the bus will need the space.

But the bus driver doesn't have a right to collide with you - he should have been aware that you're there.

So two idiots. and the insurance company will likely go 50:50.

Is the right answer.