Never saw an MCI crash test until now. Am I the only one who shivered when I watched this?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jagBEcvLe5Q
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Ouch ! That's not easy to watch ! First of all, you might want to avoid them brick walls :)
Bus driver is definitely the first to arrive when the stuff hits the fan.
That's why I never minded when some Datsun or Toyota stole my stopping distance - I figured they just became my crumple zone if something bad happened.
And the old tale about the spare tire behind the bumper being of assistance....
yeah, sure.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Moral of the story is IF you plan to run into solid walls like that, you had better wear a helmet. :D
However there are sometimes things you can do to mitigate personal injury in the advent of a bus crash. Like flying a small plane, you always try to control the plane all the way thru the crash whenever possible. If it is imminent that you will be landing in the woods, try to fly into a crash such that one or two of your wings clip the trees to absorb the impact rather than the nose.
Similar with a bus. If you are the only person on board, do whatever you can to hit an object on the passenger side of the bus or try to make a severe left turn if it is imminent you will be hitting something hard to ensure the impact is as far away from you as possible. It is all about physics and dynamics. The more you can crunch your bus as far away from you and your passengers as possible the more likely you will walk away. All vehicles crumple and will absorb the impact. I used to be an EMT and firefighter in a previous life and took a Defensive Driving class and learned that sometimes you can control where you hit and if you have that opportunity do whatever you can to reduce your risk.
There are other things you can do to prevent a crash like when you have to drive over interchanges with four levels of bridges when going over the edge which can be very messy, or up mountain roads with large drop-offs. Don't count on the guardrails to stop you from going over the edge. Drive in the right hand lane and reduce your speed 10 MPH below the speed limit. That way if you do hit the guardrails, you will be scuffing along them, rather than hitting them at a steeper angle as you travel across a line creating a more direct line of impact closer to perpendicular to the guardrail making it more likely you will break through. Remember, damage increases exponentially as your speed increases, so by slowing down only 10 MPH you reduce your impact force significantly.
But like 67 says, avoid the brick walls and plan all of your routes thru Arizona. Running off the road in those flatlands may mess up your tires and steering and you may get banged up, but you will general be able to walk away.
I worked part time cleaning/shifting/fueling for a transit bus company in Westchester County New York in 1970. They had just gotten a fleet of GM eight-cylinder fishbowl transits, some of which they sent out on weekend charters. One afternoon, one of them comes back on a flat bed, the front crushed in all the way back to the tear drop window behind the front door.drivers window.
The next day, the driver comes in without a scratch. How did he escape serous injury, or even death? He was on the NJ Turnpike in a light rain, going too fast. Came upon a tractor trailer stopped at toll booth. What did he do? "I saw that I couldn't stop so I pushed in the emergency brake, got out of the seat and ran in back with the passengers." There were no injuries, but that was the last time they sent one of the "County" buses out of state on a charter.
As for that MCI, yes I too have heard the spare tire theory. I never believed it. Now, I know for sure.
- Seaton
Yes, the driver is most certainly standing before his maker. However, it's impressive how well the shell of the coach holds up. The overall structure stays intact.
Based on what I saw in this video, I have decided to move my drivers seat to the rear of the coach. With camera technology as excellent as it is now, I see no reason to have to put yourself in harms way by sitting so close to the front of the bus.
Now that I have 360 Omnivision where I can easily see 360 degrees around my bus from a birds-eye view, there is no need to have sit up front like in the "old days". Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDUmM9OcDiY&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDUmM9OcDiY&feature=youtu.be)
I think I will also install an ejection seat just in case so if I see a bad crash coming so I can "Punch Out". Hummm, maybe I should also put a hole in the roof over the drivers seat too. Almost forgot about that.
I am going to wake up Leroy passed out in the back cause he has never seen a crash like this before.
Given the apparent speed, there is probably not any vehicle I would want to be in hitting a non moveable object like that test wall.
Quote from: Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM on March 09, 2016, 01:42:28 PMBased on what I saw in this video, I have decided to move my drivers seat to the rear of the coach. ...
Been done. Cheaper than an OmniView, too (there, eh???)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOeZAhaOgoE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOeZAhaOgoE)
Tooooooo funny
Hummm. Now why didn't I think of that. Need to top off my Oxygen and Acetylene tanks and start cutting. ;D
Scott If you are going to hire a driver I believe the ex Cat bus driver is available.
uncle ned
OK, a MUI Detroit can run backwards (which means you could have a bus with four reverse gears and one forward), there are some really good rear-view camera systems available these days, rear-wheel steering shouldn't be too much of a problem (even the world's fastest car has it, so it should be just fine for a bus . . .) See where this is going? And if you do hit something engine-first, it's forty feet away from you. Just don't forget to swap the headlights and taillights around, otherwise the police could ticket you for having red headlights. Unfortunately the door will be on the wrong side , but that's nothing that a Sawzall and duct tape can't fix.
John, thinking WAY outside the box. (What box, where?)
A bus nut friend, Dan McMurphy, lost both legs just above the knee when his Eagle hit the back of a tractor trailer (box trailer). He was in tight traffic around Atlanta near rush hour. No matter what the traffic around you is doing, it is vital to ensure that you have adequate stopping space in front of you. People will pull into it, that is a driving fact of life. But as the person riding the business end of a 15-25 ton sledge hammer, it is in your best interest to back off again, over and over as needed. And of course, whenever possible, plan your trip to avoid rush hour traffic near big cities.
Quote from: uncle ned on March 10, 2016, 12:41:31 PM
Scott If you are going to hire a driver I believe the ex Cat bus driver is available.
uncle ned
Seems to me that hittin' somethin' is almost preferable! ;D
High tech, so true. Good to pause every so often and just realize the kinetic energy stored up in a bus and realize that as a driver we ARE part of the crumple zone. Slow and easy.
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If I had a cannon to shoot at every driver that "stole" my safety zone for stopping I would need a large trailer to hold the shells.
I assume car drivers that cut in too close are just ignorant, but when a trucker does it he is stupid because he should know better.
Jon,
Have you noticed that the percentage of "stupid" truckers HAS increased over the past several years? Far more unprofessionalism than ever before,
- Seaton
QuoteHave you noticed that the percentage of "stupid" truckers HAS increased over the past several years? Far more unprofessionalism than ever before,
I agree. I used to consider the truckers to be respectable. The safest drivers on the road. Now, I fear their recklessness as much as any driver. They are equally as guilty of texting, wandering, and overall dangerous handling as any cars.
True that some still take their big rigs seriously, but too many are getting sloppy.
Dave
I've noticed this too. Pro drivers took their work seriously...we are starting to see a trend towards just the opposite. We spend a ton of time on the road (45,000 miles a year between the truck and the bus) and a bunch of time at truck stops and I've seen a gradual decline in trucker politeness and professionalism. The latest sad trend is truckers angrily (flipping the bird and cursing) pulling their air horns at fuel pump lines.
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Even though my truck conversion is a cabover, you sit at least 3 ft higher than a bus and there is a full frame under neath. It helps, but still the best is not to get into a rear ender with a truck or bus. Good Luck, TomC
We got our first Prevost in 1990 when very few were professional motor home conversions. Despite being a motor home the truck drivers of that time treated us with respect and we reciprocated. But back then we did not have as much in the form of distractions. Today it seems everyone has all kinds of devices that drivers seem compelled to play with while they should be driving.
But it is not only the devices which contribute to inconsistent speeds or failure to stay in lane. I think there is a basic lack of driver skills. Why does a trucker need to clear my bumper by a few feet and simultaneously swing in front of me while turning on the turn signal? When I watch them trying to back in at a truck stop it is scary. Notice the bent front bumpers and the full length scrapes down the trailer side. Look at the cracked or broken fenders and gas tank covers. And if you have the stomach for it, listen to the CB and hear these geniuses.
Then there is the complete lack of courtesy. Not only allowing space in front, or hogging the fast lane, but the obvious signs they just don't care about others such as pulling into a fuel island, not to get fuel but to get something from the store. They tie up a fuel island, slowing drivers who are trying to make money while they save a few steps of walking.
There are very few "professional" drivers left on the road. Most of them have been replaced by steering wheel holders. Deregulation turned truck driving from a profession into an entry level position. Call me racist but too many drivers are recent immigrants. The fact that you have a pulse and can recognize a stop sign shouldn't be sufficient qualifications for employment but too often it is. I used to love driving between 11 PM and 6 AM because there were mainly pro drivers on the road at night. Now they're all parked in the truck stops watching TV in the bunk and my night vision is going so I can't take advantage of the empty highways.
One of the problems with the crop of Drivers over the last few years is the fact that they have made trucks so easy to drive, that there is no longer any pride in being a rig pilot. They are being made so that anybody can drive them just like their pick up. Manufactures are so focused on the car like ride with automatics, and driver aids that they can put just about anybody who has ever dreamt of being a "pro" driver behind the wheel. Out here the profession is being treated as a job bank for every poor soul on government assistance. As long as you can drive a car, thats all the employment office cares about. They pump them through crappy driving schools that last 2 weeks, stick them in a truck and let them loose on the public. It's a dam shame that it has become hard to find a good driver let alone a Pro these days. And lets not get started on courtesy. When I first started in this industry the drivers wer polite to each other out on the road and helpful/mindful of all the regular vehicles out there. Now I cant even get my guys to talk to or help each other out let alone anyone else out on the road.
Touchy subject these days.
So a Trucker cut me off a few days ago on I-10. I see him at a Love's getting fuel next to me. I said don't you worry about the 50K lbs behind you when you cut people off like you did to me back there. He says no I was in a hurry to get fuel??????? I say that that is a lot of weight behind you that normally comes forward or to the side and wipes out a bunch of people or you yourself fast. He says nope don't worry about it I am a good driver and as far as all the weight behind me that is why I don't worry because it is behind me??????? I had to stop listening because there was not a 2 x 4 around to beat him with.
Dave5Cs
Dave,
I was awed by the fact you would even talk to him. Even more so by the fact you didn't hit him after his comments.
Maybe it is my age showing, but morons like that are clueless and I find myself wanting to shoot them so I try to practice restraint. Besides my wife has likely already screamed enough for both of us as well as given them the finger.
Behaviour is behaviour, whether on the road, in the store, passing on the sidewalk, in the halls of legislative power...
Best just get on down the road, don't ascribe anyone's driving behaviour as having any meaning or nefarious selfish purpose, or you'll surely go mad?
The fear that drove those old days is not missed....
Great Depression, failed crops, famine, no aid, millions of war dead, undiagnosed PTSD, regular beatings - physical, emotional and economic, from those in authority...
No one automatically follows anymore, post Kennedy/Watergate/Jim Jones/church sex scandals/civil rights/horrific miscarriages of justice/lying in court/the Kardashions...
Is widespread "respect for others" possible anymore?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I drive a lot of miles both in Canada and the US, in our private cars and pickups, the bus, and commercial trucks. And I find most drivers to be good, safe and courteous. Sure the odd one tail gates or cuts me off, or shows me the finger. But most of it has to do with me being relaxed and staying back, not pushing. You should not blame the other drivers if you are driving aggressively yourself. I am in Fort Worth now with the bus, after driving 3 days to get here, and I had nothing but a good experience on the road. You can't blame other drivers for your troubles. Nobody will admit to being a bad driver, even myself, ha ha. Telling a story about a bad truck driver is one thing, but bashing truck drivers is bad. They are no worse than the average RV driver...
JC
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The ignorant drivers is the main reason that you will very rarely see Huggy on the Inter-state. To many people and no one has any consideration for other drivers.
The bad part is so many are finding that the blue roads get you there faster and easier that it is getting crowded.
321 and 301 from Lenoir to Florida is a lot easier and usualy quicker but a lot of the trucks are finding that out,and no weigh stations to bother them.
uncle ned