Accidents in Bus Lanes

[MikeL]

Having now narrowly missed being wiped out in a bus lane for the third time in as many weeks, I would be interested in knowing how many others are finding this to be an increasingly dangerous environment.
In the most recent incident I was going down Mt Eden Rd from the village when a driver to my right suddenly cut across in front of me to turn into a side street. I avoided a collision by what seemed a few millimetres.
Is it because people are paranoid about being ticketed for being in a bus lane that they leave it to the last millisecond before their turning?
Do they not see us because anything smaller than a bus doesn't register?
If I had come to grief I have no doubt the standard excuse "I didn't see him" would have prevailed.
Has anyone had an accident in these circumstances? What has been the outcome?

[Devil]

It's probably the usual couldn't be arsed doing anything other than a cursory glance to see if there was anything large coming crap that we have to put up with.

Always a little nervous around the bus lanes but that goes for anytime i'm in an empty lane when there's a full one next to it. Always expect someone to cut across!

[swbarnett]

This is why I think the "maximum of 50m befoer a turn" rule is tupid. It should be a MINIMUNM of 50m with a larger maximum. Afterall, how many car drivers are any good at judging such small distances?

[paturoa]

I avoid them like the plauge, after 2 almost SMIDSYs.

They are a SMIDSY looking for a place to happen.

[swbarnett]

I avoid them like the plauge, after 2 almost SMIDSYs.

They are a SMIDSY looking for a place to happen.

Unlike transit lanes. These do not come with the expectation of a ticket if a cage uses too much of them. People seem to be a lot more conscientious about how they cross them heading for a side street.

[discotex]

Do they not see us because anything smaller than a bus doesn't register?

They're just not looking for a bike. It's a bus lane to them regardless of whether it's legal for us to use them.

You have to expect someone to turn into or out of every side street without warning.

I generally avoid bus lanes but when I use them I tend to ride slower than I would splitting on the motorway for that reason (when the cars are stopped or crawling along).

[jrandom]

Riding in bus lanes on a motorcycle gives me the shits. I prefer to filter out in the middle of the road against oncoming traffic.

I do do it on a bicycle sometimes, but then I just stay close to the gutter so I can squeeze out of the way when required. Even on a bicycle I tend to prefer to swing out into the middle of the road to pass stopped traffic instead.