Dear all,
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I would appreciate some advice regarding an incident involving my dad (Male, 68 years old) on 26th May.
He was driving behind a bus that had stopped to let passengers off. After indicating and checking that the adjacent lane was clear, he moved into that lane to pass the stationary bus. Shortly afterwards, a police car with two officers pulled him over and issued him with a traffic offence report.
My dad questioned what offence had been committed, as he believed he had driven safely and legally. During the conversation, the explanation seemed unclear. One officer suggested there could have been school children crossing, although it was half-term and the road was very quiet. When my dad asked whether it was illegal to change lanes to pass a stopped bus, he was told he needed to be "more careful" but was not given a clear explanation of the specific offence.
The officer who spoke did most of the talking, while the second officer remained largely silent. At one point, the speaking officer asked the other officer to "book it in", but she appeared reluctant to do so and refused.
I'm trying to understand whether there is an offence here that we may be missing. Is there a Highway Code rule or traffic law that would make this manoeuvre unlawful, assuming the lane change was carried out safely and the road ahead was clear?
My dad also came away feeling that he may have been treated differently because he is visibly from an ethnic minority background. We have no proof of this, and I appreciate there may be other explanations, but it has left him feeling quite upset about the encounter.
Any insight into the legal position or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Would it be advisable to take the course being offered as the easiest route?
Thank you.
