Driving to regulations and the Highway Code (PCV)
Driving a PCV to regulations begins with the fact that the speed limits and rules applying to a bus or coach are not the same as for a car. The dividing line is 12 metres overall length.
- Buses and coaches up to and including 12 m: 30 mph in built-up areas (generally where there are street lights), 50 mph on a single carriageway, 60 mph on a dual carriageway, 70 mph on a motorway.
- Buses and coaches over 12 m: 30 mph built-up, 40 mph single, 50 mph dual, 60 mph motorway.
A national speed limit sign only tells you the road type; the vehicle class then fixes the number. A frequent trap is the 13 m coach on a rural single carriageway - the answer is 40 mph, not 50. Another trap swaps length for weight: an 18-tonne two-axle coach is still governed by the length rule, while bridge weight limits are a separate, signed restriction.
Highway Code content that recurs in PCV questions includes bus lanes (usable only when operational and by permitted vehicles), bus stop clearways, box junctions, level crossings, and the room needed at junctions because of tail swing on long vehicles. Doors must be closed before moving off. Plan routes for low bridges and width restrictions; know your height and width in metres, not feet.
Rule of thumb: a vehicle at 50 mph covers about 22 m per second, so keep at least a four-second gap in the wet and more where you cannot see past the vehicle ahead.
Worked example: you drive a 12.5 m coach on a lit urban road with no speed signs. The limit is 30 mph - street lighting makes it built-up, and the extra 0.5 m does not change that.