Drivers caught out by ‘confusing’ bus lanes

Councils are being urged to issue warning letters for first-time offenders who drive in a bus lane rather than issuing fines to drivers.  

The call from the RAC comes as it releases the results of a new study which showed more than a third (36%) of drivers admitted to having accidentally driven in one.

Some four-in-10 (42%) said they had subsequently been caught on camera and asked to pay a fine. 

The overwhelming majority (85%) of respondents to the RAC survey want to see councils issue a warning letter the first time someone is caught driving in a bus lane, rather than an instant fine.

The RAC has long argued that few drivers deliberately choose to drive in bus lanes – something this research has confirmed with only 4% admitting to doing that – and that drivers either miss the signage or are confused by it.

RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “We have always maintained that the majority of drivers don’t deliberately set out to drive in bus lanes, so it’s good to see this research confirming that.” 

Among drivers who have bus lanes operating only at certain times of the day in their areas, more than half (56%) believe the signage is inadequate. 

A third (33%) say signs are not easy to spot while driving and not easy to understand, while almost a quarter (23%) reported that the signs are visible enough but not easy to understand. 

The vast majority (85%) of drivers, who think bus lane signs are hard to spot and/or understand, say it is because there is too much information to read and take in about the hours of operation, all while they are trying to drive safely. 

Three-in-10 (29%), meanwhile, felt there was a lack of signs advising a bus lane is ahead and a quarter (26%) claim the signage is too small.

Some 42%, however, believe the signage is easy to see and easy to understand.

Williams continued: “Our suspicions around the visibility and clarity of bus lane signage have also been borne out, with drivers expressing considerable concerns about signs often being hard to spot and difficult to understand. 

“Bus lanes are more common in urban environments where the driver’s job in spotting and comprehending bus lane signage is arguably even harder. 

“There is so much else to take in, from vehicles and other road users to traffic lights and warning signs.

“For these reasons, we continue to call on councils to write to drivers who stray into bus lanes the first time, rather than simply issuing them with fines.”

More than a quarter (28%) of drivers fear accidentally being caught driving in a bus lane, with the same proportion (28%) saying they never drive in bus lanes, regardless of whether they are only operational at certain times, as that way they will not be fined. 

“While it’s fair that anyone who deliberately drives in bus lanes should expect to be fined, our research shows that far too many drivers end up doing so unwittingly, most probably because the signage really isn’t good enough,” explained Williams. 

“This can be despite bus lane signage almost certainly meeting Government guidelines. 

“We therefore feel there’s a good case for this guidance to be updated. Our findings suggest the quality and frequency of signage is a big part of why so many drivers fall foul of bus lanes.” 

Williams believes there is an “unfortunate” knock-on effect for bus lanes that only operate at certain times of day, with drivers not using them even when they are allowed to. 

“This seems to be for a combination of reasons ranging from an inherent fear of being fined to just not being sure of what the signs say,” he added. 

“We have a great deal of sympathy for drivers because there is a lot of information to process when you’re at the wheel of a car doing your best to drive safely. 

“It is also worth noting that failing to use the available road space to its full capacity can have a detrimental impact on traffic flow.”

Bus lane penalty charge notices (PCNs) saw an increase of 1.9%, according to recent figures for parking enforcement and appeals in London for 2023/24.