The Top 3 Bus Safety Challenges (and How to Overcome Them)

Every accident is caused by people and their unsafe behaviors. 

This is obvious when your bus operators did something wrong, such as speeding or not leaving a safe following distance. But what if your bus operator has an accident where, legally speaking, they did nothing wrong?

In our 30+ years’ of experience, we’ve never seen an accident where the operator was helpless. They could always have done something differently.

Your bus operators might not agree with this statement. After all, it sounds like blame, but it’s just the opposite. It’s about prevention. If we agree that accidents are caused by people and their unsafe behaviors, then we also agree that they can be prevented with safe behaviors. In other words, accidents are prevented when your bus operators are safe, defensive drivers.

If you educate your operators on defensive driving, they will see risk before it causes them problems. They will allow for the mistakes that other drivers make. Perhaps most importantly, they will protect themselves and others from potentially fatal collisions.

We’ll cover three of the most common and dangerous safety challenges that your operators face (whether it’s their unsafe behavior or another driver’s) and how you can overcome them for your operation.

1. Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is the most dangerous thing any driver can do. Whether it’s daydreaming, eating while you drive, talking on a hands free device, or texting while driving, being a distracted driver causes accidents.

As hard as it is to believe, distracted driving is an issue with bus operators. You probably have drivers who have caused accidents due to not paying attention.

If this is a problem you face, you need a three-pronged approach:

• Explicit distracted driving policies. You need to set clear expectations on distracted driving. Upon hire, have drivers sign a pledge to never drive distracted. Explain that being a safe, attentive driver is a job responsibility. And make it known that if they are found to be distracted behind the wheel, they will lose their job without exception.
• Track the behaviors. If you don’t already have event video recorders, it’s time to invest. Event video recorders, also called dash cameras, record data on accidents and near misses. Most of them come with a platform to track the data to find trends. This technology is crucial for finding operators who are driving distracted.
• Educate on attentive driving. Your employee policy and dash cameras won’t get you far without this piece. You need to educate your drivers on what distracted driving is, why it’s dangerous, and how to be an attentive driver behind the wheel. A defensive driving program like The Bus Safety Course covers attentive driving in great detail.

Of course, your operators don’t just have themselves to worry about. The more common issue they face is other motorists driving distracted.

You need to educate your operators on how to see distracted drivers and make up for their mistakes. Teach them to always Look Ahead and Look Around for risk. Make sure they know common signs of distracted driving, such as another driver swerving within their lane, going exceptionally slowly, or looking at their lap.

2. Stopping Distance & Rear-End Collisions

The most common type of bus accident is a rear-end collision. The car in front of the bus suddenly stops and your operator does not have enough room to prevent the collision.

The issue stems from the fact that buses have larger stopping distances than most other vehicles. Their size and weight means they take longer to come to a stop.

Luckily, there is an easy solution. Your operators just need to leave room in front of them. If your operators maintain a safe following distance, they can prevent every single rear-end collision.

You must educate your operators on what a minimum safe following distance is for their vehicle type. For the average transit or motorcoach vehicle, we recommend at least a 5-second following distance for normal, dry conditions. However, if you want your operators to maintain a bigger following distance than 5-seconds, we encourage it. Whatever number you land on, stick to it. Make sure every operator knows what your policy is.

You also need to educate your operators on Looking Ahead and Looking Around for reasons to stop, such as pedestrians near the road or an upcoming intersection. A safe, defensive driver is never caught off guard. They see risk before it causes them problems.

Lastly, it’s crucial to point out that 5-seconds is not always enough. Adverse conditions such as rain, snow, and ice reduce traction and increase stopping distance. Similarly, driving at night or in fog reduces sight distance, meaning your operators won’t see reasons to stop as soon as they normally would. In all of these scenarios, your operators need to slow down and increase their following distance.

3. Fixed Object Collisions

Fixed object collisions involve a bus hitting a stationary object such as a parked car, an awning, a street light, or a part of a building.

At first glance, they seem like they’re no big-deal. After all, they don’t involve another vehicle so how bad could they be? It’s true that fixed object collisions are less likely to involve injuries or fatalities than other accidents, but they still cost your operation a lot of time and money. Additionally, when they happen at high speeds, they can lead to serious accidents such as rollovers.

Fixed object collisions are common in the busing industry because of the size and shape of the vehicle. A bus has a lot of blind spots, making it hard for operators to see everything around them. Additionally, because of their height and width, they don’t fit everywhere that a non-commercial vehicle would. 

Here are three things your operators must do if they want to prevent fixed object collisions:

• Memorize the height of their vehicle. Preventing overhead clearance strikes starts with always knowing the height of the vehicle.
• Look Ahead for overhead clearance hazards. Your operators should never be surprised by an overhead clearance hazard. Whether it’s low hanging tree branches, a bridge, or a garage door, they should always be aware of their surroundings. And if they are ever unsure if they will clear an overhead object, they should not proceed.
• Be prepared for turns. Many fixed object collisions happen during turns. Sometimes operators don’t realize how narrow a street is, or they fail to properly position their vehicle for the turn. Regardless, your operators need to Look Ahead for turns and be prepared. They should assess the situation to make sure they have room. If they don’t have room, they should not make the turn.

Here’s one last tip. Operators will only be able to prevent fixed object collisions with hands-on practice. If fixed object collisions are an issue at your organization, we highly recommend you implement recurring closed course training for everyone.

Where Should You Start?

If you want less accidents, you need to develop a fleet of safe, professional operators. Our three examples above cover important topics that you need to teach your people. But where should you start?

Our recommendation is to start with an off-the-shelf online training program. Almost any training program available on the market today will cover everything listed above and much more. With a program in place, you can:

• Create a safety-centric culture where operators are accountable for preventing accidents
• Reduce your cost of loss by much more than you spend on training
• Prevent accidents and save the lives of your operators, your passengers, and the motoring public

Of course, we’re a fan of our program The Bus Safety Course, but you should do a comparative analysis of all your options.

Regardless of your decision, investing in safety training will provide positive returns.