Positioning, turning and reversing a 12–18.75 m bus safely past cyclists and pedestrians is a daily risk. Here are mirror adjustment, blind spots, right-turn technique, rear swing and the now mandatory assistance systems (blind spot and manoeuvring alert) under EU's General Safety Regulation.
Introduction
A bus is long, wide and high, and it turns differently than a car: the front wheels follow a larger radius than the rear wheels, the rear swings out to the opposite side, and there are large areas around the bus the driver cannot see directly. Mastering the bus's geometry and the blind spots is core subject in practical driving — and the most frequent cause of serious accidents with vulnerable road users is precisely right turning and starting, where a cyclist or pedestrian is in a blind spot.
The blind spots around the bus
Even with correctly adjusted mirrors a bus has several large blind spots: straight ahead in front of the front (below the windscreen), along the right side (the most dangerous because cyclists and pedestrians are there), diagonally backward on both sides and directly behind the bus. The closer a vulnerable road user is to the bus the more they disappear into a blind spot. That is why the rule is: know the zones, adjust the mirrors, turn your head — and assume there CAN be someone in the blind spot you cannot quite see.
- 01Front: a zone just below the windscreen where a child or low cyclist can disappear.
- 02Right side: the most dangerous — cyclists and pedestrians at right turns and at stops.
- 03Diagonally backward: both sides at lane change.
- 04Directly behind: the entire area behind the bus when reversing.
The mirrors — your most important safety
A bus has more mirrors than a car, precisely to cover the blind spots: main (flat) mirror and wide-angle mirror on each side, a front mirror (ramp mirror) over the windscreen to the zone right in front, and often a close mirror on the right side aimed at the door and the pavement. The mirrors must be adjusted after you have set the seat — and they must be clean and vibration-free. UNECE Regulation No. 46 sets the requirements for mirrors and indirect vision on buses. Make mirror checks a fixed part of every turn and every stop.
- 01Main mirror: the flat surface for judging distance and speed from behind.
- 02Wide-angle mirror: covers the wide zone along the side — but distorts distance.
- 03Front mirror (ramp mirror): shows the zone right in front of the front — check it before you drive forward from stop.
- 04Near mirror right: pavement and door area — check it before closing doors and driving.
Right turn — the most dangerous manoeuvre
On a right turn the front of the bus swings out, whilst the rear cuts in towards the pavement — and a cyclist on the right side can be squeezed between the bus and the kerb. This is the classic, serious right-turn accident. The technique is to position the bus clearly, check the right mirrors BEFORE and DURING the turn, drive slowly, and never turn if you are in doubt about whether there is a cyclist on the inside. If you have a blind spot you cannot oversee, so stop and let the cyclist pass.
Skid — the rear end swings out
Due to the bus's long rear overhang, the rear end swings out to the opposite side when you turn — the so-called fishtail swing. If you turn right, the rear swings out to the left and can hit a car or pedestrian on the left side; this is especially true when leaving the kerb. You must therefore keep an eye on BOTH sides when turning a long bus, and give space so the tail does not sweep anything. Double-deck buses also have a hinged middle part that 'bends' and sweeps over an even wider area.
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