Using a bus lane at red light!

[zarnar]

Hi!

I am new to driving in Finland. I have checked basic rules. However, I don't understand one thing about using the bus lanes for turning. At places where there are traffic light, are we allowed to use the bus lane to wait and turn right? Or is this rule only applies for high way escapes?

One more question is how strict is checking on roundabouts? Late at night if there are no people is it ok to cut lanes around roundabouts?

Thank you!

[betelgeuse]

Hi!

I am new to driving in Finland. I have checked basic rules. However, I don't understand one thing about using the bus lanes for turning. At places where there are traffic light, are we allowed to use the bus lane to wait and turn right? Or is this rule only applies for high way escapes?

You are allowed. ” Ryhmittymiseen kääntymistä varten saavat linja-autokaistaa käyttää kaikki ajoneuvot. ”

https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2018/20180729

[riku2]

how strict is checking on roundabouts? Late at night if there are no people is it ok to cut lanes around roundabouts?

it is as strict as checking for driving on the right in the countryside. From what I see as a cyclist about 50% of cars go around bends with two wheels over the central line in the countryside. The other 50% have the whole car on the wrong side of the road. This kind of driving is ok if there is nobody else about but causes some trouble when cars come the other way - you hope the oncoming car will move out of the way. Generally there is a "bigger has more priority" rule with trucks forcing cars off the road and cars forcing bicycles off the road.

I think that the lines around most roundabouts (the few which have multiple lanes) are dotted lines and not solid lines. In which case you can cross them without penalty- but this is the same as going around bends on the wrong side when it's a dotted line and not solid line - it's something you should try not to do and if you're driving properly then you don't need to do it. Sooner or later being lazy around bends and trying to straighten out roundabouts will cause trouble - and an accident takes a lot more time to sort out than the two seconds you lose by slowing down and using the correct lanes.

Late at night - when I rarely go out - anything goes. Going through red traffic lights, using the wrong lane, going the wrong side of traffic islands,reversing on the motorway because of a missed junction .. I've seen it all in Finland (the reversing on the motorway was in broad daylight and i've seen it more than once).