Driving safely with buses

Buses play a vital part of Victoria’s integrated transport system, with over 400 regular bus routes out on the road around the state.

Taking care when driving around buses helps keep you, passengers and other road users safe.

Imagine seeing a herd of hippos on roller skates in your rearview mirror, you’d give them space wouldn’t you?

Well, a bus can weigh up to 13 hippos, that’s 18 tonnes. So, much like a herd of hippos on roller skates, a bus can’t stop in time if you cross its path.

Don’t cut in front of buses. Even near misses can mean disaster for you and those on board.

Share the road. Give buses space. Keep our roads safe.

Top tips for driving with buses

Buses share many of our roads, and incidents can result not only in an injury to yourself, but also to  passengers, drivers and other road users. Be aware that buses are larger, heavier, and take longer to stop.

Here are some important road rules to keep you safe when driving around buses.

• You must give way to buses, particularly if they’re leaving a bus stop.
• Bus lanes are special lanes for public buses. They have bus lane signs at the start of these lanes. Drivers are not allowed to drive in a bus lane.
• In a built-up area you must give way to a bus that is signalling to pull out from the kerb.
• You must not park near a bus stop.

We can all share the road safely with buses