CSDD: Driving in a bus lane to yield to firefighters was excessive
Latvia's Road Traffic Safety Directorate says a van driver in Riga had a positive intent in yielding to a fire engine, but driving in the bus lane went beyond what was necessary. The directorate's opinion is non-binding.
The Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), the Latvian state company that oversees road safety, has commented on a case in Riga in which a Renault Master driver was fined after entering a public transport lane. The driver did so to make way for a fire rescue vehicle approaching with its siren and blue lights on. The explanation matters because it shows how drivers' actions are assessed when they try to yield to emergency vehicles.
CSDD provided the explanation at the request of iAuto.lv, as the third part of a series on the case. A police response had been published earlier.
What the rules say
Point 26 of the Road Traffic Regulations states that when an emergency vehicle approaches with a flashing blue beacon and an activated special siren, other road users must give way to it. CSDD notes that the rules do not specify what action is permitted for doing so, and that it is impossible to regulate every traffic situation in detail.
CSDD's assessment
Based on the video, which the directorate describes as one-sided and limited information, the driver moved into the lane reserved for public transport and returned to the middle lane after the emergency vehicle had passed. CSDD views this intent positively and sees no sign that the driver sought any advantage or deliberately ignored the rules.
However, the directorate considers the maneuver to have exceeded what was needed. The carriageway has three lanes in that direction and traffic was not heavy, so way could have been given without entering the public transport lane. Moreover, continuing along that lane for a long time without slowing down may be judged excessive.
CSDD stresses that its opinion is non-binding. Identifying administrative offences and determining liability fall outside its competence.
