Can We Talk about The "Give Way" Rule That Buses Have

iNeed2Pee on 09/02/2022 - 15:50
Last edited 09/02/2022 - 16:31 by 1 other user

So I am driving down an 80km/hr road. It is a two lane road. Can see a bus at the bus stop in the distance with its hazards lights on. Car in-front of me has the correct spacing as too the car behind me.

As I get closer to the bus, he puts the right indicator on and cuts me right off 😩😩. Luckily for me I managed to brake and avoid someone rear ending me. This is not the first time, I have witnessed a bus driver abuse the give way rule.

Are buses supposed to allow an indicator for couple of seconds at least before pulling out of that lane or are they entitled to pull right out regardless of other road users and claim it is fine?

Any bus drivers/users could explain this to me.

Automotive

Comments

            • iNeed2Pee on 09/02/2022 - 22:35

              @Quantumcat: Definitely noted, but bus drivers should also be educated not the best idea to just pull out and assume the car will stop or get out of their way.

              • 2025 on 10/02/2022 - 18:22

                @iNeed2Pee: I wonder if said bus driver would pull the same maneuver if you were in a vehicle bigger than his…

    • popsiee on 09/02/2022 - 21:15
      +1

      Bus drivers especially in SYD are `^ankers . Even when they know it is unsafe they will pull in front enforcing the rule causing accidents or close encounters a large % more than other cities .

      • Savas on 09/02/2022 - 21:21
        -5

        buses are going to pull out.. they have a timetable to follow. what else do you think the bus does?

        • iNeed2Pee on 09/02/2022 - 21:22
          +1

          So following a timetable is ok to put other drivers in a danger?

          • Savas on 09/02/2022 - 21:24

            @iNeed2Pee: it's literally the law that buses have priority. it's like this in every country.. if you have a problem move to a farm in the middle of nowhere.

            • iNeed2Pee on 09/02/2022 - 21:25
              +2

              @Savas: It is the law that drivers (us) need to give way, yes. However the bus driver has the rule/law that they must give adequate notice to other drivers before they pull out. What are you not getting here?

              My situation was an example of the dangers drivers put others road users in, inclusive of their own passengers.

              • gromit on 10/02/2022 - 21:05
                +1

                @iNeed2Pee: Its also the law to slow down to 40km/h when passing a bus with hazard lights on. Bit hypocritical to complain about them ignoring the laws when you also are blatantly ignoring them by doing 80 as you approach.

                • iNeed2Pee on 10/02/2022 - 21:07

                  @gromit: A bus is not an emergency vehicle in vic mate.
                  No rule for that.
                  Edit: these were not flashing lights on the top but its hazard lights on the bottom.

                  • gromit on 10/02/2022 - 21:16
                    +2

                    @iNeed2Pee: My bad then, didn't realise Vic rules were different

          • Qazxswec on 11/02/2022 - 23:13

            @iNeed2Pee: Buses should indicate for 5 seconds, but what do you mean by 2 lane road, do you mean single lane road, or there were 2 lanes going in your direction, if it is the later, you should move to the right lane when you first spotted the bus to give him a clear point of entry

            • iNeed2Pee on 11/02/2022 - 23:21

              @Qazxswec: Nope, single lane in this instance. Warranting my frustration because If I did not break like I did, I might have ended up on the opposite side of the road, with the possibility of a head on.

              That's kinda why I was so frustrated in this instance.

  • ol mate on 10/02/2022 - 08:10
    +2

    The road rules in Queensland say that you only need to give way to buses where the speed limit is under 80km/h (I.e. 70km/h or less), but buses still need to indicate for 5 seconds

    Linky

    (P.s. have a MR licence and have driven "buses" before)

  • whatthecrappin on 10/02/2022 - 08:13

    worst I've had is on a push bike. no indicator as I approached so I kept going straight. next second - it pulls out and I'm in the middle of a 3 lane road!

    just incredibly unfortunate timing, but still - the 5 second rule would have saved me from what could have been fatal!

    • freekay on 10/02/2022 - 16:29

      If that happened to me, I'd be yelling out your username!

  • saltypete on 10/02/2022 - 08:14
    +4

    Public transport buses are the Hippos of the traffic world. Large, very visible and do whatever they want. They do what they decide they need to do and you need to keep out of their way.
    Our complaints and arguments of logic and ‘rules’ are not really of interest to them.

    Cartards do it to cyclists all of the time, not just buses

    Helpful to drive/cycle with this in mind so we don’t get too upset as this stress is unhealthy for us.

  • McSquintus on 10/02/2022 - 09:25

    I had a brief discussion about this the other day with a friend as he was talking about his experience. Yes you need to give way to buses merging in but the amount of times they just immediately indicate and merge into the lane when it's not safe to do so is surprising. Not all of course but it only takes a handful of bus drivers to create dangerous scenarios for many people.

  • 2esc on 10/02/2022 - 09:41
    +3

    Save yourself the hassle of car repairs or injury and drive your car as if everyone else is an idiot.

  • skillet on 10/02/2022 - 12:03
    +1

    Just treat buses as emergency situations, and be ready for your ABS pumps to trigger.

  • OzHunterNSW on 10/02/2022 - 13:11
    +1

    You should be doing 40 when near a flashing bus

  • Salty Pretzel on 10/02/2022 - 13:58

    In Adelaide, I don't see many drivers giving way to busses so they can pull out. I don't think it's a rule that's commonly known.

    • saltypete on 13/02/2022 - 09:02

      In Adelaide no one gives way to anyone.
      BTW are we related?

      • Salty Pretzel on 15/02/2022 - 22:24
        +1

        We are both salty in Adelaide so we must be related

  • Dack Smith on 10/02/2022 - 14:35
    +2

    Not sure if serious OP?

    Buses are a public utility and lacks the acceleration capability to merge much of the time without cars giving way.

    Are you suggesting that a large public vehicle carrying more people has less priority than your single car?

    Hmmmm

    • iNeed2Pee on 10/02/2022 - 15:42
      +1

      I am concerned that some drivers act like cowboys and abuse the rule by pulling that same oarge public vehicle carrying people out onto a roadway without the care that another car exists so close.

      Again, as reiterated above…..if I see a bus with its indicator on and needing to come on, I will slow down and allow. On this occasion this bus driver pulled right out. That's what I am saying.

      • popsiee on 10/02/2022 - 18:24
        +1

        My pet hate is bus drivers that leave the right indicator on with no intention of moving out of the bus stop .
        What the `^ are you suppose to do but move pass them .

        • Savas on 10/02/2022 - 20:17

          I read on a bus forum this happens when they are about to leave the bus stop but then someone bangs on the door last minute.

  • 99bacman on 10/02/2022 - 14:40

    I'd hate to be a bus driver, but they do seem to take the give-way to me rule too far - I've lost count of the number of times they nearly hit me when refusing to give way to me when I'm already on a roundabout.

    • iNeed2Pee on 10/02/2022 - 15:46

      That's all I am saying.

      The guy just pulled out a heavy vehicle causing me to slam my brakes on. Lucky I didnt swerve into the other lane to avoid this cowboy otherwise I would have had a head on with a car travelling in the opposite direction.

  • Mysterious Laptop on 10/02/2022 - 14:47
    +1

    Show us the dashcam footage, I think we're only seeing one side of the story here. It's a matter of common sense as well…

    You probably did the old "i'm unsure whether to slow down or speed up" and were caught in the middle. Meaning there was a gap and the bus merged in. Just drive more defensively, change lanes and avoid the whole situation 100m before (for example).

    • iNeed2Pee on 10/02/2022 - 15:44

      Can't really change lanes if its a single lane road.

      That aspect made it difficult, otherwise I would have.

      There was no safe gap there, and definitely not the correct indicator single length by the driver.

  • prequel2thesequel on 10/02/2022 - 17:38

    Had similar experiences when i was learning to drive, since then I always slow down or try to change lanes. gives me a bit of anxiety at times still

  • OzzyOzbourne on 10/02/2022 - 19:03
    +2

    Interesting the general guidance here is to slow down, change lane, pass the bus cautiously…but when kids are at the side of the road and look like they may step into the road…f'em.

  • waletmoro on 10/02/2022 - 20:32
    +1

    I put the blinker on, everybody else just keep going. Nobody pays attention to my blinker. Some of them speed up because they don't want to stay behind the bus. Why? Because the bus is slow.

    • Savas on 10/02/2022 - 21:03

      finally a bus driver's perspective.

      • iNeed2Pee on 10/02/2022 - 22:02
        +1

        I spoke to a bus driver today. A family friend who transitioned from a coach job to a ventura position on a permanent run. (Had no idea he still drove as he gave it up for a long time)

        Said to me that most drivers do the right thing, some are under more pressure on more routes, and figured the guy who cut me off was just behind and during a school run time. Made sense because it was that time and at the next stop when he pulled in I could see school students being picked up.
        Just unlucky for me I guess.

  • DarkOz on 10/02/2022 - 21:03
    +1

    Bus drivers need to pee too. That's why always in a rush.

  • McFly on 11/02/2022 - 00:11

    I think you can pass anyone you like whenever you like - as long as you can get to at least 88MPH.

  • sir-screwball on 11/02/2022 - 00:39
    +3

    Jesus there's a lot of people on here hanging a whole lot of sh*t on someone who almost had an accident because a bus driver couldn't indicate for 3, 4, 5 seconds before pulling out into 80kph traffic.

    If buses want cars to obey the law and give way to them they need to obey the law and give reasonable notice they're about to pull out.

  • Dreamcast on 11/02/2022 - 09:11

    I get part of the reason is that they have a schedule and deal with idiots all day that don't give way.

    Though when you clearly have way and they attempt to jump in and almost side swipe you and then proceed to press the horn like you did something wrong, that's what shits me.

    We all need to calm down a little here in Sydney.

  • Hangryuman on 11/02/2022 - 10:31

    if you have dashcam of the bus (with numerplate, time and GPS location) showing it failing to indicate for 5 seconds before pulling out - sure take it to the authorities - depending how much time you want to waste being a right-fighter on principle

    otherwise - you could just drive like I do - assume everyone else is trying to kill you, and drive defensively to avoid that

    e.g. see bus at bus stop, expect it to pull out in front of me - not rocket science ladies and gentlemen.

    better to stay alive - than be dead right …

  • baskinghobo on 11/02/2022 - 10:47
    +2

    Bus drivers I imagine are tight on a schedule which is why they always cut people off. Not saying it's right but it's the system that is the problem, just like Auspost.

  • Poor Ass on 11/02/2022 - 12:37

    No need to give way to bus if speed limit is over 70km/hr in Qld

  • cd27 on 11/02/2022 - 14:48

    Jeremy Clarkson summed it up perfectly: “ Why do poor people have to get to places quicker than I do?”

  • jimburns4u on 11/02/2022 - 23:04
    +1

    As a bus driver it is true some drivers dont do the right thing and just cut into traffic but 100 times everyday i will put my indicator on for 5 seconds… slowly start creeping forward… slowly start inching out into the lane as car after car that should be giving way while either speeding up, changing lanes without checking the other lane is free, stradles both lanes etc. etc. very often honking horns and shouting abuse. Fair chance a lot of these people just arent paying attention and will go home and tell their family about the bus that just cut them off out of the blue.

    • iNeed2Pee on 11/02/2022 - 23:09
      -1

      I know for certain, most drivers do what you do. I appreciate that, most times I am aware the bus needs to re-enter, and tbh I have no issue if they slow me down, I am aware they have a bus full of passengers at a difficult time of day.

      I guess for me lately, some drivers have just been brazen with the way they rip back into traffic.
      I do know for certain, my ABS brakes work after yesterday 😂😂😂

    • Savas on 12/02/2022 - 23:34

      Fair chance a lot of these people just arent paying attention and will go home and tell their family about the bus that just cut them off out of the blue.

      Literally like OPs post…

  • edathor on 12/02/2022 - 12:18
    +1

    Meh. The five second rule applies to all motorists:
    https://mylearners.vic.gov.au/Stages/Stage3/LD-Changing-lane…

    Since most drivers signal for a few seconds at best, I see no harm bus drivers doing the same as this is the norm.

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