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My last column [BUSRide, January-February 2010, Risk Management] focused on the decision many operators could soon face with regard to retrofitting seatbelts to the existing fleet. Such a decision will ultimately come down to several factors that include cost, restraint capabilities, customer demand and risk.
Last year it became clear that the government would issue a seatbelt mandate for new motorcoaches. This would not come as a complete surprise to the industry given recent high profile fatal accidents involving ejections, and especially the motorcoach-specific crash testing NHTSA has conducted on the effectiveness of passenger restraints.
Over the past several months I have had two experiences with anti-lock braking systems (ABS) that pointed to an unsafe condition both for the vehicle and the driver.
Mike Murray, president and CEO, FirstGroup America, spoke at the National Safety Council 96th Congress and Expo in October in Orlando, FL, on the role of EHS in an economic downturn, and why companies cannot afford to downgrade safety programs in a recession. He says safety is fundamental to customer service and the value of human life never changes, regardless of current economic conditions.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) New Entrant Safety Assurance Process rule took effect December 16, 2009. The rule requires newly registered truck and bus companies to meet stricter safety requirements.
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Typically we think wheel bearing fires occur strictly as the result of traveling for long durations at highway speeds. Not so. In September I experienced a situation so innocuous I never thought it would ultimately cause a wheel bearing fire.
If an operator were asked to list the most important safety factors in a bus and motorcoach operation, what comes to mind as the five most important points?
Chances are slim to none that dispatch made that list. Many passenger transportation companies do not realize the dispatcher often is the forgotten ingredient in the safety soup.
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Bus fires continue to be a pervasive problem for our industry. Speaking before the recent Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) safety summit in Washington D.C., I presented on the precise causes and origins of motorcoach fires, noting that insurance and government data indicate that across the United States two buses on average catch fire each day.
![](http://busride.com/wp-content/themes/Advanced-Newspaper1392/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2010/06/three_overhead.jpg&h=&q=90&w=90&h=65&zc=1")
Recently the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) handed down a landmark rule that addresses the ongoing debate of seatbelt use on school buses. Among other changes, the rule requires an increase in the seatback height on both large and small school buses and mandates the installation of three-point seatbelts on smaller buses.
During hurricanes, tornados or other catastrophic events, often the first sight evacuees see is a fleet of motorcoaches prepared to transport them to safety. Motorcoach companies have become a natural component in safe and reliable evacuation services.
