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Crash between bus and 4x4 at A66 Great Burdon roundabout, Darlington

6:20pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Andrew Douglas, Deputy News Editor

An accident involving an Arriva bus and a 4x4 vehicle caused traffic delays on the A66 on the outskirts of Darlington.

There were 15 passengers aboard the bus and two were taken to hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

Police said that the driver of the bus - which went over the roundabout and collided with a Jeep - reported a mechanical failure.

The driver of the Jeep was uninjured but was left shaken by the incident.

The accident happened at 4.27pm at the Great Burdon roundabout - one of the major routes into town - where the A66 meets Stockton Road.

* For a full report see The Northern Echo tomorrow.

Comments(44)

always right says...
11:49pm Thu 2 Feb 12

Why is it the driver always say's it was a machanical problem ?,when they know fine well the investigating team will find othrwise !. Granted,all drivers make mistakes at some point,but to blame the innocent vehicle is wrong !. we hear this far to often off ARRIVA drivers !. I personally think it their lack of driving experience,and maybe arriva's examinations as regarding the "test" examiner is EMPLOYED by ARRIVA !. EG: get a start date wiyh arrive and you are guaranteed to pass your test 100%,simple as !.

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rfsmit says...
12:01am Fri 3 Feb 12

@always right:
Are you saying that Arriva isn't a cost-focussed organization?

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lilboysmammy says...
12:07am Fri 3 Feb 12

could of been a whole lot worse....bus drivers are like white van drivers....says it all i think

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gary123 says...
7:32am Fri 3 Feb 12

The thing is, you all DO drive like you own the road, act inconsiderate, and think you can bully using the size of the bus!
Do you realise what cargo you are carrying? women, children, OAP's? Drive more accordingly you arrogant set of muppets! the typical excuses are mechanical failure ( comes up all the time), and poor weather conditions ( then drive slower!).

Arriva Etc = russian roulette.

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Watto says...
8:06am Fri 3 Feb 12

My uncle was on this bus and he said the brakes failed completely, the driver ended up going straight over the roundabout and thankfully managed to control the bus until it stopped in the central reservation on the opposite side. If anything the driver should be commended for avoiding anyone being seriously injured.

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Jimmyjack says...
9:06am Fri 3 Feb 12

To clear up a misunderstanding. Bus drivers are taught to 'command' the road for the safety of our passengers AND other road users. This is often labelled as 'bullying' by those with a fragile ego who are 'pulled out on' because they haven't the driving experience or courtesy to invite the bus to pull out. Those that level criticism at bus drivers are, more often than not, holders of nothing more than a car license and simply do not grasp the level of awareness, judgement and experience needed to safely transport people. Those that disagree, please feel free to step up to the mark or equally keep their generalisations to themselves.

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swissball says...
9:44am Fri 3 Feb 12

Arriva - again?

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my2penceworth says...
11:50am Fri 3 Feb 12

I think saying that he "controlled" the bus may be a bit too generous....if he hadn't smashed into my car it would have gone off the road, down a bank and into a field. Anyway - if he had lost the brakes and the steering how was he "in control"??

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Blankface says...
1:31pm Fri 3 Feb 12

gary123 wrote:
The thing is, you all DO drive like you own the road, act inconsiderate, and think you can bully using the size of the bus! Do you realise what cargo you are carrying? women, children, OAP's? Drive more accordingly you arrogant set of muppets! the typical excuses are mechanical failure ( comes up all the time), and poor weather conditions ( then drive slower!). Arriva Etc = russian roulette.
Clearly you are an idiot you drives with total inconsideration for other road users, the middle pedal is called a brake and you should use it every now and again.

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fredtheseagull says...
2:17pm Fri 3 Feb 12

intresting read some intressting points so here is some more as we will not know what caused the incident... when i did my pcv i was always told that brake failure was very very rare..but if the vechile suffers a air leak then the breaks are appiled automaticly ...also dont these things have hand brakes which are on a different system to the service break ??? but again arriva has a bus in a incident prehaps we should look at the engering department ????

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my2penceworth says...
2:33pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Pardon my ignorance again here, but what would have happened if he'd taken his foot off the accelerator - or is it not that simple in a bus?

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I SPY! says...
3:10pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Bus drivers are taught to 'command' the road for the safety of our passengers AND other road users. This is often labelled as 'bullying' by those with a fragile ego who are 'pulled out on' because they haven't the driving experience or courtesy to invite the bus to pull out. Those that level criticism at bus drivers are, more often than not, holders of nothing more than a car license and simply do not grasp the level of awareness, judgement and experience needed to safely transport people.

Hahaha no way anyone who passes their test can drive FACT, when a bus forces itself out on you, the only option is to hit the brakes and 9/10 times its not by choice.

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Jimmyjack says...
4:04pm Fri 3 Feb 12

I SPY! wrote:
Bus drivers are taught to 'command' the road for the safety of our passengers AND other road users. This is often labelled as 'bullying' by those with a fragile ego who are 'pulled out on' because they haven't the driving experience or courtesy to invite the bus to pull out. Those that level criticism at bus drivers are, more often than not, holders of nothing more than a car license and simply do not grasp the level of awareness, judgement and experience needed to safely transport people.

Hahaha no way anyone who passes their test can drive FACT, when a bus forces itself out on you, the only option is to hit the brakes and 9/10 times its not by choice.
How many cars do we hear of in the back of buses I SPY? None, because bus drivers do not just 'pull out' without fair warning. If there is a stream of slow moving traffic we give adequate warning and allow at least 5 cars past before we start to move out carefully into the traffic. Based on there being an average of two car lengths between cars in slow moving congested traffic, that means there will be 15 car lengths of notice for you travelling at 20 mile per hour to have noticed the bus indicating, apply your brakes gently and allow the bus out into the traffic. Or you could go down the dramatic route of playing 'beat the bus' actually accelerating so you can then 'hit the brakes' flash your lights (which does make us smile..) and act like we are the a*******s for doing our job....That being said there are also a lot of very considerate car drivers out there who do drive responsibly and give way to buses...as they are legally required to do.

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entitled opinion says...
5:16pm Fri 3 Feb 12

It is very premature to pass the blame onto the bus driver. It is quite possible that there was a mechanical fault as I am sure that the driver would not intentionally drive across a roundabout into a vehicle without good reason. It will all become clear when the bus is examined. Like every driving profession there are good and bad drivers. The bus driver commenting above makes a valid point about people not giving way to busses wanting to pull out. I take it that they mean from a bus stop. However that said there is a difference between giving way to a bus that wants to come out of a bus stop and a bus driver chancing their luck by pulling out of a junction in front of oncoming traffic causing everyone to have to brake for it. This unfortunately happens on a daily basis, that along with when there's parked vehicles in the busses lane yet they fail to wait for oncoming vehicles and pull straight out, driving towards the oncoming vehicles, forcing them to stop or to take evasive action. Maybe if these drivers were more courteous then so would normal car drivers towards them.

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buslord says...
5:28pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Don't get wound up by the usual band of keyboard warriors!

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darlomum says...
5:44pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Do Arriva maintain their buses these days I wonder ? As for some drivers....
I was on that route earlier on Thursday
PM , the driver was going pretty fast
then and seemed a touch reckless .Wonder if it was same driver ? A few of them are heavy on brakes and /or accellerator. Majority of them are fine though and need patience with some other road users and pedestrians too. Could use care and consideration ? Arriva bosses should take note , too many incidents happen.
Not a Bus SERVICE just a £££-making business?

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TechMech says...
8:48pm Fri 3 Feb 12

fredtheseagull wrote:
intresting read some intressting points so here is some more as we will not know what caused the incident... when i did my pcv i was always told that brake failure was very very rare..but if the vechile suffers a air leak then the breaks are appiled automaticly ...also dont these things have hand brakes which are on a different system to the service break ??? but again arriva has a bus in a incident prehaps we should look at the engering department ????
I wonder regards the maintenance quality of Arriva buses in Darlington? On quite a few occasions, in High Row, I have seen Arriva buses leaking oils of various types and coolant to a point where puddles have been formed with just a very short time standing!! It does not fill me with confidence to the rest of the vehicle condition?

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Blankface says...
10:41pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Regardless of a bus pulling away from a bus stop or pulling out from a junction car drivers accelerate to try and beat the bus .Arriva will blame driver for accident cos they believe the driver pressed accelerator when it should of been the brakes (they don't just fail) and they call it Foot Placement Error.
Many thanks to all you considerate drivers you are a god send.

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entitled opinion says...
11:04pm Fri 3 Feb 12

Blankface wrote:
Regardless of a bus pulling away from a bus stop or pulling out from a junction car drivers accelerate to try and beat the bus .Arriva will blame driver for accident cos they believe the driver pressed accelerator when it should of been the brakes (they don't just fail) and they call it Foot Placement Error.
Many thanks to all you considerate drivers you are a god send.
No vehicle should pull out in front of another at a junction! If busses didn't pull straight out infront of people then they would not annoy other drivers so much. Anyway, completely off topic now. I am sure they will find the cause and if it is driver error it will be dealt with.

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grandmab says...
2:37am Sat 4 Feb 12

The driver of the 4by4 said "if he hadn't hit her he would have gone down a bank and into a field". In the article it said the accident happened at the junction of A66 and Stockton Road. Funny, I haven't seen a bank and field at that roundabout. He might have gone into the woodland or onto the green or even hit the bridge but he'd have to go a long way to get to the field. Article didn't say which way bus was heading.I'm presuming towards stockton because there are no fields the other way. I have a feeling both drivers were shocked it's devastating to be in a collision even if you have no physical injury.

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MST75 says...
1:56pm Sat 4 Feb 12

I have many times seen buses pull out with very little "warning" and also controlling traffic almost causing accidents at times to allow other arriva buses access to roads..... And not keeping the flow of traffic moving as you are obliged to do as a road user.

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spragger says...
8:48pm Sat 4 Feb 12

I like the knowledgeable comment about 'bullying' other drivers.
says it all especially if you are a pedestrian or cyclist.
Now we know .. .

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Blankface says...
11:03pm Sat 4 Feb 12

entitled opinion wrote:
Blankface wrote:
Regardless of a bus pulling away from a bus stop or pulling out from a junction car drivers accelerate to try and beat the bus .Arriva will blame driver for accident cos they believe the driver pressed accelerator when it should of been the brakes (they don't just fail) and they call it Foot Placement Error.
Many thanks to all you considerate drivers you are a god send.
No vehicle should pull out in front of another at a junction! If busses didn't pull straight out infront of people then they would not annoy other drivers so much. Anyway, completely off topic now. I am sure they will find the cause and if it is driver error it will be dealt with.
As I said when bus drivers pull away from a junction the gap is more than adequate to pull away safely (not always cos yes some bus drivers are ****) but car drivers increase speed to BEAT THE BUS reducing the safety margin so these car drivers who had to jump on the brakes shouldn't of accelerated in the first place and stop using the bus driver as a scapegoat.

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Spy Boy says...
11:40pm Sat 4 Feb 12

Last year an Arriva bus had a similar issue of brake failure / accellerator malfunction where it shot forward in the town. Is this the same bus ? Is it the same type of bus ? Is there a common fault with the transmission ? Are these buses maintained properly ? I've seen a few broken down in town.

Do they run the 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' style maintenance system ? I hope that someone is looking into this issue before lives are lost.

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fredtheseagull says...
8:58am Sun 5 Feb 12

as a ex driver for the said company i will say iam so happy i left the bus fleet is well past its best and its only a matter of time .. the inccident in darlinton last year was with a coach as was the inccendent at the depot where the same coach shot accross the depot yard in both these inccendents drivers where blamed as foot placement ..i would think that this latest was also down to foot placement ...wheres the driver thinks he is pressing the brake harder and harder as nothing happens result bus shoots of .. but untill vosa and the police investgate we will never know .i really think traffic comis should really look a bit harder at the state of some of darlingtons buses ...as its human life they carry ...

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Darlotilidie says...
5:14pm Sun 5 Feb 12

Have to say that having spent time in London, Manchester and Birmingham, the bus drivers of Darlington seem to have a totally different code of practise to the rest of the country, that is that they pull out at will, drive at excessive speed and generally show little or no regard for other road users or pedestrians, and I can say with some conviction that that goes for 100% percent of the Darlington Arriva drivers, whilst I appreciate its not a highly skilled profession, attracting or requiring people to have any major degree of intelligence, I think that something needs to be done to calm these halfwits down a little! SLOW DOWN AND STOP PULLING OUT INTO MOVING TRAFFIC, its not in the highway code that you have the right to AT ALL! (Rant over!)

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potgut says...
7:41pm Sun 5 Feb 12

I am sorry to see some of the comments about us darlington arriva bus drivers made since the X66 accident. Last night I was driving the 6A to Whinfield and the 14 to Skerne Park. If I told you some of the things I had to contend with on those quite easy runs I would be accused of making it up. Please stop running us down.....its harder than you think and I would love to see some of you critics come and see what it entails. Im on 2 to Branscome on Monday morning if you wish to challenge me. Potgut from Catterick Garrison.

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MST75 says...
9:27pm Sun 5 Feb 12

Highway codes says


223
Buses, coaches and trams. Give priority to these vehicles when you can do so safely, especially when they signal to pull away from stops. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.


So you have no right of way or legal right to think you "command" the roads. It's a common curtisy rule nothing more....

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fredtheseagull says...
7:58am Mon 6 Feb 12

i agree with of the comments on here but sorry as a profesional driver expect the unexpected at all times .. remember safety gap .....

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Jimmyjack says...
8:10am Mon 6 Feb 12

so, having given the usual idiots enough rope to hang themselves...there we have it. I myself have been driven into by a van at the end of a bus lane whose cry was 'you lot think you own the road' to which it was pointed out he had raced past 2 very large signs instructing him to give way. Darlotilidie...I am afraid you are symptomatic of what is going wrong in Darlington, claiming with conviction to KNOW all bus drivers are as you view them? Perhaps we know who the halfwits really are? Your attitude, along with others on here is a ringing endorsement as to why Arriva refuse to spend unnecessary money on a fleet that is likely to get abused by the likes of yourselves. Get yourself through to Redcar and see their fleet..new and cared for with respect for the service it provides by the very community who uses it. Do we have such a community in Darlington? No, we have a town populated with self centred idiots such as yourself who thinks the world owes you something...Respect starts at home.

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Blankface says...
3:48pm Mon 6 Feb 12

We don't think we command the roads as so believed by a lot of people, we are a lot bigger than a car so we need a little more of the road is that to hard for you to grasp, it's common sense what's needed not courtesy.

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MST75 says...
8:10pm Mon 6 Feb 12

i believe you will find that Jimmyjack says they/you are taught to 'command' the road.

no its not hard to grasp for a person of average intellegence.

you have a responsilitly as a bus driver to look after your passangers, so as I and most normal drivers do when we have a cargo of people we do not just indicate and pull out as buses do, be more patient.....

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Jimmyjack says...
9:00pm Mon 6 Feb 12

MST, which bit of 'Bus drivers do not just pull out without fair warning' did you not quite get? Please feel free to not hijack my comments and opinions to try and point score. There is a big difference between command and commandeer...I will presume you have mistaken the latter for the former. You ask that we are more patient? I have had to show the patience of a saint most days of the week and still manage a wave and a smile for those who help us in an increasingly difficult job. You obviously have a history of being 'pulled out on'. You will no doubt be the very same guy who hurtles onto the roundabout because the road to your right is clear, only to blast your horn because a slow moving 40 foot long bus has occupied your road space...

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TechMech says...
9:22pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Jimmyjack wrote:
so, having given the usual idiots enough rope to hang themselves...there we have it. I myself have been driven into by a van at the end of a bus lane whose cry was 'you lot think you own the road' to which it was pointed out he had raced past 2 very large signs instructing him to give way. Darlotilidie...I am afraid you are symptomatic of what is going wrong in Darlington, claiming with conviction to KNOW all bus drivers are as you view them? Perhaps we know who the halfwits really are? Your attitude, along with others on here is a ringing endorsement as to why Arriva refuse to spend unnecessary money on a fleet that is likely to get abused by the likes of yourselves. Get yourself through to Redcar and see their fleet..new and cared for with respect for the service it provides by the very community who uses it. Do we have such a community in Darlington? No, we have a town populated with self centred idiots such as yourself who thinks the world owes you something...Respect starts at home.
I don't fully agree with you Jimmy. Over the passed 12 months or so, I have read stories of a bus losing control in the town centre, a driver being taken off his bus after passenger complaints regards his driving and now the latest incident. This is only what comes to light in the press, no doubt other incidents that perhaps don't come to light. I don't think Darlington's driver's are any different to what we have across the entire UK, some good ones, commendable, some so-so ones and sadly some who perceive its just a job and get a could do better. I have seen Darlington get some good buses from other depot's and they have gone downhill fast. Kudo's to Redcar having a good fleet, but they keep them good, as I have noticed at other Arriva NE depots. Darlington's buses need to step up to the same level as sister depots, present CLEAN buses EVERY DAY despite the weather, get the scruffy dented bodywork's kept tidy (presentation)and tighten the maintenance regime to reduce failures (reliability), then perhaps the drivers start taking pride with a good vehicle by treating it with more (respect). Darlington is not a bad community. People will be the same in Redcar, Durham and Newcastle too.

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MST75 says...
10:28pm Mon 6 Feb 12

Jimmyjack wrote:
MST, which bit of 'Bus drivers do not just pull out without fair warning' did you not quite get? Please feel free to not hijack my comments and opinions to try and point score. There is a big difference between command and commandeer...I will presume you have mistaken the latter for the former. You ask that we are more patient? I have had to show the patience of a saint most days of the week and still manage a wave and a smile for those who help us in an increasingly difficult job. You obviously have a history of being 'pulled out on'. You will no doubt be the very same guy who hurtles onto the roundabout because the road to your right is clear, only to blast your horn because a slow moving 40 foot long bus has occupied your road space...
Which bit of bus drivers are taught to command the road did you forget you'd typed????

And I will just let you know I do approx 30000 miles a year

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Jimmyjack says...
8:09am Tue 7 Feb 12

MST, you obviously missed my subtle point on opinions and the fact you feel the need to state your yearly mileage as some kind of badge tells a great deal... I myself am in the business of being a thoughtful road user, as are many others, whether they drive 50,000 miles a year or 50. It is not a competition my friend. TechMech, some very valid points regarding the approach by Arriva Darlington who could take a leaf out of Redcar's page themselves!

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MST75 says...
1:48pm Tue 7 Feb 12

Hmmmm must of been very subtle or your not confident enough to believe in what you say. And don't make assumptions about me, my statement about mileage is more to prove to you that I do drive alot and know what I see from other motorist both in cars and on buses.....obviously not subtle enough for you though.

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Blankface says...
4:22pm Tue 7 Feb 12

MST75 wrote:
Hmmmm must of been very subtle or your not confident enough to believe in what you say. And don't make assumptions about me, my statement about mileage is more to prove to you that I do drive alot and know what I see from other motorist both in cars and on buses.....obviously not subtle enough for you though.
How many times have car drivers pulled out in front of a moving bus just so they don't get stuck behind it forcing us to jam on the brakes, they might not have passengers on board but we certainly do and no I'm not saying everyone does but many others do then I'll bet same people slate bus drivers and MST75 I don't just indicate and pull out without fair warning but what part of beat the bus do you not understand.

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Blankface says...
4:34pm Tue 7 Feb 12

MST75 could you please define a normal driver.

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MST75 says...
5:49pm Tue 7 Feb 12

Blankface I would of thought someone with your vast motoring experience would no that a normal driver is someone who follows the highway code and shows common curtisy to other road users.

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Jimmyjack says...
8:02pm Tue 7 Feb 12

or courtesy even....

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MST75 says...
8:49pm Tue 7 Feb 12

Lol yes that to

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Blankface says...
10:06pm Tue 7 Feb 12

MST75 wrote:
Blankface I would of thought someone with your vast motoring experience would no that a normal driver is someone who follows the highway code and shows common curtisy to other road users.
There's not many of them, are you a normal driver and did you know the driving standards agency sends examiners out on the buses to test drivers without our knowledge of them being on the bus and a lot of drivers score very high in both driving and customer care.

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gary123 says...
11:26pm Wed 8 Feb 12

Hey blankface, im not slandering everyone, I drive large vehicles for a local distribution company, but the difference is, if i crash (which in 21 years I havent) my load is not going to be missed by someones family!
What you do is important, and ALL of you should be at the highest standard.

If there are issues with the vehicles you drive, you should not drive them.

Best wishes. G.

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