Bus Lane Penalty Points

Luternau said:
Stand corrected on that. Dont know why its not.
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I think the reason is that penalty points are (supposed to be) for safety related offences only.

Although it may be extremly annoying to other road users, going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.

I could be wrong on this point, as I can't point to a specific reference for it.

I'd tend to agree with it though, as if they start being handed out for non-safety related issues, people will just get cynical about them and why they're there, in the same way they do about guards pulling people for speeding on the safest rather than the most dangerours stretches of roads.
 
I agree completely. People who drive in restricted lanes are basically giving two fingers to compliant road users whose courteous and law-abiding road habits left the bus lane free in the first place.

I include in this, by the way, those drivers who feel that it's OK to drive in the bus lane if they're turning left a half mile down the road.

Note that most bus lanes run out temporarily before and after traffic lights. This is supposedly to increase the flow of traffic through the junction. People should take advantage of this (and let the traffic merge on the far side of the junction when the bus lane kicks in again) as it does make a difference. Using all of the road that's available helps reduce congestion.

It's amazing, by the way, how many people DON'T use the lanes at times when they're permitted to do so.
 
ang1170 said:
Although it may be extremly annoying to other road users, going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.
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Maybe not (although cyclists sharing the lane might disagree), but the idea of bus lanes is to prioritise public transport over private vehicles. Personally I'm in favour of this. If everyone drove in the lanes, the bus system would grind to a halt.
 
ang1170 said:
...going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.
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Yes it potentially is! I can think of countless occasions where I've seen cars turning off a main road through a lane of stopped traffic via a yellow box only to be nearly cut in two by someone flying up the bus lane.

It also provokes people into making risky maneuvers, ie when they get so annoyed by someone trying to cut back into traffic out of a bus lane that they start to bunch up to the car in front and then spend a bit too much time glaring in the mirror rather than looking ahead!
 
Niallman said:
I can think of countless occasions where I've seen cars turning off a main road through a lane of stopped traffic via a yellow box only to be nearly cut in two by someone flying up the bus lane.
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Surely they weren't paying due care and attention if they were nearly cut in two by a vehicle using a bus lane? Regardless if a car is making an illegal maneuver it is up to the other driver to ensure the road is clear for them to complete their turn safely.
 

People using bus lanes illegally should also be aware that they may be held partially liable for an accident in circumstances like these. There was a case a couple of years ago of a motorcyclist riding in a bus lane who hit a car which turned left across his path.

Although the court found the car driver responsible and awarded damages to the biker, it cut them by 40% on the basis that he shouldn't have been in the bus lane in the first place.
 
I remember somtehing similar from the bus lane at the entrance to ALSAA at [SIZE=-1]Cloghran.

This is a particluarly bad setup where upon entering or leaving the ALSAA cars must enter a 24 hour bus lane.
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extopia said:
Maybe not (although cyclists sharing the lane might disagree), but the idea of bus lanes is to prioritise public transport over private vehicles. Personally I'm in favour of this. If everyone drove in the lanes, the bus system would grind to a halt.
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Don't get be wrong: I'm completely against using them (when in operation that is: like others, I'm amazed people don't use them when allowed), and there should be fines etc. for anyone caught. I don't think there should be penalty points though, as it's not safety related.

If penalty points start being given out for non-safetly related offences, then there's no logic to insurance companies penalising those with points, and they'd probably stop the practice, removing yet another incentive for safer driving.

As for those who point out it can be dangerous, it's no more dangerous than a bus going down the lane, or a car being driven carelessly on a regular lane.
 
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