Safety in Road. Safety in transporting passengers by coach

As every season, the Traffic Service Office of Catalonia promotes road safety campaigns that are specially oriented for the spring-summer season, which is when the greatest number of road trips occur.

Last season a successful road awareness campaign was carried out with the slogan “Passengers safe, on the bus too”.

This campaign has been given a continuity in 2019 in order to increase the awareness of collective transport users to continue reinforcing the security in the Bus/Coaches.

In the promotional video, children act as prescribers and the regulatory safety measures for the protection of minors when traveling in school transport vehicles are highlighted.

In addition, for this 2019 a new campaign on the use of mobile in driving is also planned. This initiative is aimed at reducing the number of traffic accidents and the number of victims that occur due to distractions in the use of mobile phones, which has been detected as the main concurrent factor in accidents with victims that have occurred in the last months on the roads.

Basic safety and self-protection measures for passengers

In the bus, despite being the safest means of road transport, passengers must respect basic safety and self-protection measures, which are included in the new road awareness material:

• It is essential to fasten the seat belt. The belt is essential for the safety of passengers, since not using it multiplies by 25 the risk of serious or fatal injuries in case of rollover or sudden turn. It must be borne in mind that, for not wearing a seat belt, passengers are exposed to a penalty of 200 euros.
• Heavy luggage must be placed in the trunk of the vehicle. In the interior you only have to take what is essential and place the carry-on luggage in the upper trays, always taking into account that it does not stick out and that it cannot fall.
• Go properly seated and avoid standing. Do not get up until the bus is completely stopped.
• Passengers should not distract the driver. If you have to make a comment, it is necessary to wait until the vehicle is stopped.

General advice

When a traffic accident occurs, a number of steps must be taken.

Stop.- Stop the car off the road, in a place that does not block the traffic.

Signal.- Place the warning triangle at least 50 metres from the vehicle. Remember to wear the legally required reflective vest.

Inspect.- Switch off the engine and put the hand brake on.

Keep calm.- Calm people. If possible, talk to any injured people to check how they are.

Notify.- Call the emergency services (112)

First aid.- Only provide first aid if you have medical knowledge.

Before setting off on a journey, check that the vehicle is in the optimum condition to avoid breakdowns in route.

State of the tyres, lights and indicators, seatbelts, brakes and fully charged battery are some of the main elements to consider before embarking on a trip, especially if it is long distance.

Coaches are among the safest passengers’ means of transportation in the world.  The technological innovations, the drivers’ professionalization and training, have been decisive to this end. In Avant Grup we take our clients’ safety as a personal responsibility, and so we work hard on this matter on a daily basis.

Safety is not the sum of individual measures, but the result of a wide and transversal concept implemented in every process and element of our company’s management:

• The vehicles: provided with active and passive safety measures, as well as a thorough preventive maintenance system.
• Drivers: in continuous training in the fields of safety and international regulations on driving and resting.
• Passengers: implementing protocols to ensure they know the necessary safety instruction for their trips.

The safety in our vehicles is one of our key commitments in Avant Grup. We were pioneers in the implementation of seat-belts in our coaches, even before they were mandatory. Nowadays we implement the most modern and efficient active and passive safety systems as well as our fleet of coaches control.

For Avant Grup, the number one leader coaches company in Barcelona, passengers’ safety is our priority. That is the reason behind spending so much time and effort in its improvement.  Or coaches are fitted with the most advanced safety systems. The vehicles go through very thorough technical inspections in order to grant top of the line safety and reliability. We have implanted a continuous training calendar for all the company’s staff that ensures the perfect acknowledgement of the safety innovations and regulations fitted into our vehicles.