©TBF
News flash!
Improving Bus and Driver Safety
Posted: 12:00 AM, Wed, Apr 21 2010
Last year we had a few complaints from shuttle riders
saying that they did not feel particularly safe on the buses.
Although the reason we exist is to take the intoxicated driving element out of
the equation of attending events by providing 100% sober drivers, it is still likely,
especially going up and down The Poudre Canyon at night, especially on a bus, especially when the
driver looks young, and especially when the
passenger has ingested perception altering substances, that the bus
ride may be perceived as less safe than it actually is. Over the
winter, we have taken great measures to improve both the perceived and
actual safety of the drivers and vehicles that we work with.
The number of riders jammed on the buses contributed very much to
the perceived safety, if not the actual safety of the ride down.
Additionally, the added pressure felt by drivers to drive fast, due to
the fact that there were so many fewer buses than were needed to get
the people where they wanted to be in time for the music they wanted to
see added to both the perceived and real safety of the ride. This was
the case on multiple Mish events. In order to remedy
this, we have taken several measures to ensure that we can continue our
stellar driving record, and to serve the main purpose of Bus to Show,
which is to ensure that people are getting to and from their events
safely.
Here are the measures we have implemented:
- Completed and implemented full BTS Operator Safety Training program modeled directly after Boulder Valley School District (which boasts one of the safest driving records in the nation)
- Instilled in our drivers the "not my problem" mentality, which
conditions drivers to realize that their only job is to transport the
people who are currently on the bus safely to the destination. If
there are thousands of people screaming and pounding at the doors to
get on, while insisting that they have to see Fisk & Samples full set,
the driver will feel justified in not changing their behavior, because
that is "not my problem." Of course, they will be polite and explain
that safety is too important, and that the passenger should report this
to the venue or the promoters or email BTS to stress the importance of
providing more buses at future events.
- Publicized our "Set it Down policy. " This is something that we've embraced all
along, but are now making, very public. No driver working on behalf of Bus to Show or The Basics Fund, will hold
an alcoholic drink (or any substance that could affect driving) at any
time within 8 hours of, or during a driving shift. Since many of our
drivers attend portions of the events that they drive for, and are a
part of the social scene surrounding the event, they are often asked to
hold drinks for friends or audience members. It is our policy to
politely decline, and ask the person to instead, just set the drink
down. Also, all drivers are required to be part of a random drug screening program.
- Increased Mechanical Safety. This is another one that has been around since the beginning, but that we are now formalizing and making public. We require that each company we work with has a system in place to ensure that their
drivers conduct a thorough 100+ point inspection of the vehicle they
will be driving before leaving for pick up. This is called the "Pre-Trip Inspection". Additionally, we have
incorporated into our budget a healthier maintenance allotment so that
we can take care of issues well before they begin to effect the
operation of the vehicle. We also have an agreement that allows us to
order back up buses to replace any vehicle that might begin to show
signs of a mechanical problem during a run.
- Scheduled First Aid Training and CPR Training. These courses are scheduled throughout 2010, but we are requiring that all drivers be certified in First Aid and CPR.