Safety is everyone's business

With all the talk coming from regulators and the press in recent months, it's almost easy to forget that, according to the ABA, motor coaches are one of the safest means of road transportation in the country. Motor Coach Industries takes safety very seriously, both through manufacturing top-quality equipment and incorporating new technologies into its coaches, and MCI encourages its operators to make safety a priority as well. In that spirit, we offer a few tips.

Make safety everyone's responsibility
Federal regulations require that drivers conduct pre-trip inspections and post-trip inspections. Written checklists can help in this effort, along with an unwavering commitment from management. Yet the responsibility doesn't end there. From the mechanics on through to cleaning and office staff, everyone should be empowered to look for — and act on — safety issues. Make sure that there's a line of communication open and a process in place for reporting things like low tires, cracked windshields and broken tail lamps.

Invest in training
Royal Tours, San Jose, California, has two safety professionals, and they do a lot of driver training. It has paid off. They've won safety awards four out of the last six years from the California Bus Association. Part of the program is simply taking California's strictest training regulations (for school bus drivers), adding to them and applying the Royal standards to all. Drivers, who undergo interviews by the safety directors before ever being offered the job, complete 50 hours of behind-the-wheel and classroom training before they carry passengers, plus customer-service training; they go through further follow-up training two months after they take to the road.

"We train them to be operators, not just drivers," says Earl Reed, Royal Tours operations manager. "That means they take care of the vehicle, they take care of the passengers, and they go down the road safely and with respect." Reed says the company wasn't always quite so comprehensive in its hiring and training processes, and had its share of minor bus dings, scrapes and fire-hydrant bumps as a result. Says Reed, "We're giving them a $400,000 vehicle and 55 lives. When they act like operators, I sleep better at night."

MCI offers courses taught on its own coach driving simulator. Operators can request an educational visit from one of the mobile classroom units, or they can send employees to the simulator at MCI's National Training Center in Louisville. MCI also offers hands-on technician training at regional seminars throughout the year as well as at its National Training Center.

Consider appointing a safety director
Arrow Stage Lines, Nebraska, is a great example of how having a professional safety staff can make a difference. Arrow has won the UMA Vision Award, which goes to operators who demonstrate excellence in a number of areas, including safety. Kimball Kinnersley joined the company about a year ago to further strengthen the company's commitment and create a stronger safety culture. "I was hired to take safety to the next level," says Kinnersley. So far, he's strengthened Arrow's training procedures, made sure mechanics come to work in proper protective gear, and generally increased awareness throughout the company. "We want to instill the idea that part of doing something right is doing it safely. We don't have many problems, and we want to keep it that way."

Follow recommended maintenance procedures
MCI's operating manuals offer recommended service intervals and procedures, which should be followed. It doesn't hurt to read FYI from MCI for its monthly "Maintenance Matters" column, which often offers operational tips from senior technical staff.

Invest in new technologies and equipment
Arrow Stage Lines credits the SmarTire tire-monitoring system, fire-suppression equipment and onboard camera surveillance with ramping up the company's focus on safety. Kinnersley is especially proactive with the way the company uses the CoachCam system — whenever a driver causes the camera to go into its capture mode (by swerving, braking hard, etc.), Arrow reviews the footage to see if the driver needs a reminder or more training. Kinnersley says that some drivers challenge themselves to drive in such a way that the camera never activates.

And while older, well-maintained coaches can be a valuable part of a fleet, it tends to be the newer coaches that come with the latest safety and monitoring features.

Want to learn more about MCI training? The MCI PRO Support network can help. Visit our website, or contact your Fleet Support manager.

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