Councils should issue a warning letter the first time someone is caught driving in a bus lane, rather than an instant fine, the RAC has said.

More than a third (36%) of drivers say they have accidentally driven in a bus lane

Research by the motoring services organisation saw more than a third (36%) of drivers admit they have accidentally driven in a bus lane, with four in 10 (42%) of these saying they were caught on camera and asked to pay a fine.

The research also backs the RAC’s long-term view that few drivers deliberately choose to drive in bus lanes – with only 4% admitting to that – and that drivers either miss the signage or are confused by it.

Among drivers who have bus lanes operating only at certain times of the day in their areas, well over 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 23% say the signs are visible enough but not easy to understand. Four in 10 (44%), however, believe the signage is easy to see and easy to understand.

Drivers were also surveyed on why bus lane signs are hard to spot and/or understand; 85% say it’s because there i​s too much information to read and take in about the hours of operation, all while ​they’re trying to drive safely. Nearly a third (29%) feel there aren’​t enough signs advising a bus lane is ahead and a quarter (26%) claim the signage is too small.

Fears about accidentally being caught driving in a bus mean that 28% of drivers say they never drive in bus lanes – regardless of whether they are only operational at certain times – as that way they can’​t get fined. A third (32%) also say they tend to err on the side of caution by not driving in bus lanes if they miss or couldn’​t read the signs. And a similar proportion (31%) say they will only drive in a bus lane if they are absolutely sure it’​s not in operation.

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

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “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. 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.”

He went on: “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.”