Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

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Myrtone
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Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by Myrtone »

Riding in a private car without wearing a seatbelt is widely viewed as dangerous, yet the general public sees no danger in riding in a bus or rail vehicle that doesn't have them. Parents who are concerned with the crash safety of private cars in which their children ride don't generally have the slightest concern with the crash protection of any transit vehicle.
While I know the real reason that most buses don't have seatbelts, some think it's because transit vehicles don't crash as often.
iamthouth
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by iamthouth »

Buses and transit vehicles should have seatbelts, as demonstrated by accidents including fatalities, at among other places, Singleton, in recent years.

The reason given usually is that the anchoring for the seatbelts adds weight, and thus fuel costs, in addition to the retrofit/new build construction costs.

Whilst transit vehicles are statistically safer than cars, we should still follow some European countries lead and install seatbelts in Australia as well.

Thankfully, there is now a program to have this fitted on Rural and Regional school buses, but urban operations should also follow. There are buses in service on the M2, M4, M5 and plenty of 70 and 80 km/hr rural roads within the Sydney basin, so urban is not just 30 km/hr bussing.
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BroadGauge
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by BroadGauge »

iamthouth wrote:Whilst transit vehicles are statistically safer than cars, we should still follow some European countries lead and install seatbelts in Australia as well.

Thankfully, there is now a program to have this fitted on Rural and Regional school buses, but urban operations should also follow. There are buses in service on the M2, M4, M5 and plenty of 70 and 80 km/hr rural roads within the Sydney basin, so urban is not just 30 km/hr bussing.
How are you going to enforce that all passengers have to wear their seatbelt? Are you going to ban standing passengers as well, or will some kind of harness be available for them?
iamthouth
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by iamthouth »

In Europe seatbelts are required to be worn by seated passengers, but buses still carry standees. Transit officers can fine for non-compliance. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach, most trips carry less than standing loads.
tonyp
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by tonyp »

iamthouth wrote:In Europe
Where? I have never seen or experienced this anywhere in Europe. In fact I had a rather amusing experience where we had to catch a long distance coach from Prague to Česká Lípa (about 110 km) and we got to the terminus and there was one coach and a huge mass of people. Thinking the Australian way, we fatalistically assumed we're not going to get on this bus but joined the crowd anyway and were amazed to find the coach continued filling after all the seats filled up (we learned later that the trick was to book a seat in advance!). Anyway, we actually got on and the standing crowd was like a full articulated bus, heaven knows how many were on board, and off we went cruising at 90 km/h. We assumed that if anything happened, we standees formed our own gigantic airbag! :shock:
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1whoknows
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by 1whoknows »

I had a similar experience in Holland with a rail replacement coach. About 80 of us waiting and a single coach pulls up. I was in the first 50 to board so got a seat. The rest were in the aisle. Admittedly this was an emergency job rather than planned. A planned replacement I experienced in Switzerland last year had plenty of coaches available.

Also nowhere in Europe, Asia or America have I encountered an actual city bus with seat belts.
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baby38
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by baby38 »

Here in Queensland most school buses dont have seat belts, if a non seat belt bus can put 3 kids on bench seat up to grade 7 and standees, a seat belted bus only 2 a bench seat, no standees .
I believe most bus companies prefer a non sear belted bus, because if they have a seat belted bus and if overloading happens they have to put another bus on free of charge at the company cost.
Also the transport Dept prefer a non seat belted bus the more kids they can get on a bus the better saves the tax payers paying for another bus.
At the moment I am driving a seat belted bus and to be honest its hard getting kids to put the belts on at times, I say to them do you wear belts in your parents car they say no, you never see the police getting on the bus to enforce seat belts.
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boronia
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by boronia »

I think I read a couple of years ago that one company had produced a belt-fitted triple seat for school buses?
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1whoknows
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by 1whoknows »

There are quite a few such buses in service now.
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jacksouth
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by jacksouth »

iamthouth wrote:In Europe seatbelts are required to be worn by seated passengers
I don't think this is true of anywhere in Europe.
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1whoknows
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by 1whoknows »

Its true on coaches (with exceptions - see my post above) but not on transit buses. I doubt seat belts will ever be a requirement on transit buses.
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iamthouth
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by iamthouth »

tonyp wrote:
iamthouth wrote:In Europe
Where? I have never seen or experienced this anywhere in Europe.
jacksouth wrote:
iamthouth wrote:In Europe seatbelts are required to be worn by seated passengers
I don't think this is true of anywhere in Europe.
In Norway seat belts are mandatory for seated passengers.
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Myrtone
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Re: Why most transit vehicles don't have seatbelts

Post by Myrtone »

But apparently nowhere in the world do rail vehicles of any kind have seat-belts.
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