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The results of the survey, which was conducted in September 2024 with over 2,000 respondents, show that over half of drivers believe they are not adequately protected against collisions.
No international requirements for collision safety in buses
Several tragic accidents have shown how vulnerable bus drivers are in head-on collisions. Over the past ten years, at least ten bus drivers have lost their lives in head-on collisions.
On Christmas Eve in 2022, a driver lost his life in Fredrikstad after a head-on collision between two buses at speeds of around 30 km/h – an accident that the Accident Investigation Board Norway concluded could have been less serious if better collision safety had been in place.
Federation leader in YTF , Jim Klungnes, reacts strongly to the lack of requirements for bus driver safety.
– This is unacceptable! Today, there are strict requirements for crash safety in both trucks and passenger cars, but bus drivers are still virtually unprotected.
"They are at the mercy of a working day where a head-on collision even at low speed can be fatal. We risk more drivers dying at work if we don't put better safety measures in place," says Klungnes.
The survey confirms the major shortcomings
The survey shows that a full 53.9 percent of professional drivers believe that sufficient safety measures have not been implemented to protect them from collisions .
Only 30 percent believe that current measures are satisfactory, while 16 percent are unsure.
Bus drivers are particularly vulnerable, with 61.8% saying there are insufficient safety measures against collisions. Only 22.7% believe they are safe in the cab and 15.4% are unsure.
YTF has long warned that buses are designed with minimal protection for the driver. Many buses lack structures that can withstand and absorb the force of a collision, while a few (particularly Norwegian requirements for newer buses) only have a short steel beam in the middle of the front.
– It may be the world's nicest corner office, but it doesn't help that the drivers are sitting in 'glass and frame' when they get into an accident. There's a lot of plastic and aluminum foil that protects the driver, and little else, says Klungnes.
The bus's design sacrifices driver safety for passenger capacity
Today, buses are built with the goal of carrying as many passengers as possible, while the safety of the driver has not been emphasized.
Previously, the driver's seat was usually positioned higher and surrounded by a more robust frame structure, which provided better protection in the event of a collision.
Now drivers sit lower, with only glass and plastic between them and the traffic – a development that has made them far more vulnerable.
Federation leader in YTF , Jim Klungnes, is critical of today's bus designs.
– In the pursuit of more seats and lower costs, county politicians and bus manufacturers have completely ignored driver safety.
– Previously, the driver's seat was higher up, which provided better protection in the event of a collision. Now, drivers are positioned in the left corner at ground level and in front of the front axle, the most collision-prone and least protected place in the bus, with little other than glass and plastic between them and the traffic.
– This is a life-threatening practice that must be changed, says Klungnes.
The authorities must take responsibility
In October 2023, the authorities introduced a requirement for a safety beam in the front of new buses after strong pressure from, among others, YTF .
YTF believes that this is an important step in the right direction, but far from sufficient. The area in front and to the left of the driver is still unprotected.
– We are very happy that the authorities have started to take the issue seriously, but the measures introduced are insufficient.
“The entire driver's seat must be secured. We need a total reassessment of how buses are designed so that drivers can feel safe at work,” says Klungnes.
