Safety on Coaches?

Question

It is the law that anyone over 14 wears a seat belt, also the operator must either issue a formal warning, or use window stickers.

Some of them just have lap belts, do people really want to be discomforted on a long journey, are they really neccercery.

Also, as a driver, if someone did not fasten their belt, or took it off half way through a journey, would you have to stop the bus, or give them a warning, or is it not your problem.

Post your views below.

Answer 1

In the UK it is now law that coach passengers should wear a seat belt. If you take a National Express Coach at the start of your journey the driver will make a safety announcement including telling you to wear the seat belt. He does not come around to check.

You say do people really want the discomfort of wearing them and are they really necessary - in the last year there have been a few bad coach crashes and in each  passengers who were not wearing the belt were flung  about and injured.

Answer 2

This is just another reason why I'm glad I no longer drive coaches or buses for a living.

You are paid to drive the coach / bus, but at the same time, you act as cashier, customer service representative, health and safety officer, and official childminder!!

You try telling 50+ secondary school age kids to sit down, put their seatbelts on, and stop chucking bottles of pop at each other's heads!!!!

I regularly used to have full scale riots on some of the school buses I used to drive - what can you do, if you get out of the cab to stop it, you risk getting yourself stabbed or similar. You phone the coach company for assistance and what do they say?

"Oh just carry on and get them off as quick as you can - it's not worth getting the police out or coming up to you as by the time they get there it will all be over anyway"

I think if you are carrying normal civilised passengers then I would tell them, but kids...........forget it!!

I used to suggest to my passengers:

"Seatbelts are fitted on this coach and I recommend you do wear them as I don't know how well you know the person sitting accross the aisle, but with my driving and these roads, you will know them a h**l of a lot better by the end of the journey!"

Subtle, yet straight to the point i felt!!

Answer 3

It's up to passengers to wear seat belts..the driver is not responsible.

Answer 4

Remind everyone to wear them if caught his own fault

Answer 5

not sure about coaches but in cars it is the drivers responsibility to make sure everyone is buckled up.............