Driver’s fury as National Express coach collides together with her automotive as she undercuts it at roundabout – however who do YOU suppose was within the improper?
A furious driver has divided opinion over who was to blame after a National Express coach clipped her car in a roundabout prang outside Heathrow Airport.
Dashcam footage shows the woman pulling level with the single-decker as they both approach the junction near Terminal 5.
She is humming along happily to Rod Stewart‘s ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ on her car stereo as she enters the roundabout on the outside lane with the front of the coach slightly ahead of her in the left-hand lane.
The coach was indicating left on the approach but cancelled the signal as it entered the roundabout.
It then appears to be making for the second exit but the motorist is forced to brake as the coach veers across the right-hand lane, crunching into the car and sending a chunk of chassis spinning into the road.
‘F***ing hell!’ she yells before the coach reaches the exit and pulls over and she pulls up in front of it.
It is not known what words were exchanged at the scene but the scrape has sparked intense debate online about who was at fault for the unwanted coming together.
‘The car driver is a dangerous, take 6 point off his/her driving license with 12 weeks community service,’ wrote one observer on X.
‘That was just pure clown s*** from the coach driver, added another.
The car was travelling in the outside lane on the road outside Heathrow Airport then drove up inside the large coach as they got to the bend
Wreckage span across the road following the prang near Terminal 5
Another said: ‘Never become the meat in a sandwich and always give larger vehicles more room to manoeuvre.’
A third added: ‘She was stupid to try to overtake a coach on a roundabout. That’s a triple axle coach as well, 15 meters long. Just stay back, what’s the f***ing rush.’
One cited the Highway Code: ‘That’s why it’s mentioned in the Highway Code to give large vehicles room at junctions. Some people are so stupid they put themselves in danger just because they’re in a hurry.’
Many were adamant to play it safe and give large vehicles space: ‘Don’t mess with coaches Lorrie’s buses …stay back and let them go best policy don’t matter who’s in the wrong it’ll end with a massive ball ache not worth it.’
Another agreed: ‘Unofficial law of the road, if it’s bigger than you & you’re likely to get hurt, move aside & let them pass!’
But many also sided with the driver.
‘Two lanes into & out of the island, he had loads of room on his nearside, but he chose, without checking his mirrors, to straight line the island, taking the car out in its lane!! Lazy,’ one wrote.
‘Tbf that’s how most drivers take a roundabout,’ another added.
Users who saw the footage on X have weighed in on the incident and are divided in the comments on who was at fault
One user said: ‘Two lanes into & out of the island, he had loads of room on his nearside, but he chose, without checking his mirrors, to straight line the island, taking the car out in its lane!! Lazy.’
A fourth said: ‘Drive that everyday, that coach is in the wrong. Plenty of room, didn’t bother looking or just simply tried to bully and failed.’
Another slammed the coach driver: ‘Signaled left then drifted over to the right? The car driver had no reason to stay away from him’
One tried to make sense of the coach’s decision to turn right: ‘Coach driver indicating left, plenty of room even if he was going straight across, why did he drift over to the right?’
Some simply expressed their distaste for the coach company’s drivers: ‘National express drivers are the most self entitled arrogant aggressive drivers out there.’
While some thought both were to blame.
‘Coach drivers fault and doing what most drivers do on a roundabout. The car driver should have anticipated it though.’
One unsympathetic user said: ‘No hazard awareness from both drivers.’
Another said: ‘In that situation, either get well ahead of the bus, or stay well behind it. Poor driving from both vehicles.’
No one was harmed in the collision.
But many also sided with the driver
While some thought both were to blame
A National Express spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm there was an incident on the Heathrow Terminal 5 roundabout at around 5:10am on 2 February.
‘The tail end of our coach collided with a third party vehicle.
‘There were no reported injuries by any of the occupants of either vehicle and the matter is being investigated internally.’
The coach company has launched an investigation into the incident.
