A university professor has called for urgent reforms to bus safety regulations in Malaysia, reported New Straits Times.
“The four-seat row formation reduces the survivability space and lowers the chance of passengers surviving a crash compared to a three-seat layout, which is more commonly used in express buses,” said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia mechanical engineering faculty dean Zaini Ahmad.
The use of hard, rigid material in bus seat frames may also contribute to more severe injuries in accidents, Zaini added. “More flexible seat frames made from materials that absorb impact could increase passenger safety compared to rigid steel structures,” he said.
Malaysia currently does not require buses to undergo rollover tests if the buses have already passed structural joint tests, and this is a loophole that needs to be closed, Zaini continued. “This test is essential to ensure that the bus structure can maintain passenger survivability in the event of a rollover, but it’s not mandatory if the structural joints are certified,” he said.
Zaini added that improving safety measures such as seatbelt use, safer seat design mandating rollover testing must be a priority in strengthening the safety of public transport, especially that of buses.
The recommendations from the university’s mechanical engineering faculty dean come after a fatal bus crash claimed the lives of 15 passengers on board and injured 33 others, including the bus driver and attendant, as well as the driver and three passengers of another passenger vehicle. The bus operator’s permit had been revoked last week, followed by the suspension of the bus driver’s PSV licence.
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Miros should answer for this suggestion by our uni prof. He has a point. Our busses needed to upgrade their design for survival of passenger
Errrr how about the drivers just drive according to the law and don’t speed in public transport vehicles? Next thing they’ll be saying better install roll cage la, every occupant wear helmet. Ingat WRC untuk bas ka?
Sure improve the safety of buses but come on…the main issue here is driver attitude. Ini macam lebih baik semua pandu kereta kebal la.
If cars and all vehicles are equipped with a spike on the steering wheel instead of an airbag, pretty much guaranteed everyone would be a safer driver. It’s going to be worst if everyone drives a tank.
Accidents will happen regardless. But the severity of crashes will undoubtedly be less if at lower speeds. Heavy vehicles especially.
Video already showed excessive speeds leading to the crash, and investigations showed no proof of brake failure. Even if it was brake failure , it could have been overheated the brakes driving fast and even if it was, there are a few ways to slow down.
I’ve been tailgated down menora at 130 by a bus, In the rain, at night. plenty of examples of busses going well past the speed limit.
I’m someone from the transportation seat industry. This scenario is the worst possible for survivability. Having 3-point seat belts and being compliant to international standards will help the passengers on right side. It will do nothing for the passengers that had to face the guard rails. unless you reinforced the body of the bus window pillars, there is nothing you can do. Also, drug testing bus drivers + limiting speed on heavy vehicles will drastically reduce tragedies like this.
absolutely correct. rolling over on guard rail, anybody sitting nearer to it, has the highest risk of injury/fatality. maybe they want to redesign the entire BUS height, into lower height, wider wheel base, to reduce CG. like a sport car, so it doesn’t roll over that easily. design change is not possible, so all this comes to well maintenance to the vehicle, driving attitude of the driver. IF he drives well, maintain vehicle well, then accidents naturally reduce. Additional rules/regulation isn’t required. We all live happily.
nobody ever questions why no enforcement for seatbelts on busses? why enforce on cars, but not busses?
If this is the professors argument then how come the same bus designs are used worldwide? Next he will suggest to give parachutes to commercial airline passengers. Or put individual airbags for all bus seats. No wonder why our academicians level are below average..
Say all you like, do all you like, but it’s been proven time and again that such accidents are only on the rise. All that the ministry did, every new law, even all the recommendations made by the so called experts have only proven useless. And now I can bet my ping pongs that despite all new laws to be introduced, all new recommendations to be implemented, it will not work. Why can’t you lawmakers and professors up there see that the very root cause of this problem is driver attitude. More than 90% of this problem can be reduced just be correcting the driver attitude. Most of us out here can see the whole reason is driver attitude, but our ministers and so called experts can’t.
Nope. Wrong. The number of accidents by percentage (compare to total number of vehicles registered/on the road) is lower compare to 20 years ago. Meaning better road design, better behaved drivers, and better vehicles in terms of safety level and equipment. The numbers are higher perhaps, but by percentage is lower.