Coach Driving Safety Training

It is a fact that sudden Extreme situations during any time a vehicle is in traffic could happen. Therefore, coach captains must be trained frequently in order to help them keep a cool head in the event of an actual accident, and to safely navigate the bus through any dangerous situation to keep bus and passengers safe at all times. Regular modular training courses are mandatory for every bus driver for these important reasons.

Irro Charter is also offering our bus drivers the extra driver safety training program at the ADAC driver safety specialist center near Lüneburg. For a full day, buses and drivers will be pushed and tested to their full limits.

What exactly happens on a training day like this?

After introduction and pleasantries at 10 a.m., then three quarters of an hour program of theory training takes place. Topics include: Which external influences affect driving behavior? Speed, centrifugal forces, road surface conditions, weather conditions, heavy traffic, etc... How can bus drivers anticipate possible dangerous situations through anticipatory driving?

Then after the theoretical part is completed, the eagerly awaited practical part on the training grounds starts. Bus drivers were allowed to train on the following situations with their own buses:

• - Evasive maneuvers - How do I react if an obstacle suddenly appears
• - Slalom driving - How do I drive around several obstacles as safely and efficiently as possible without a lot of steering movements?
• - Braking water, aquaplaning and simulated slipperiness
• - Braking behavior - How long is my braking distance at what speed and how does sudden emergency braking affect the vehicle?
• - Cornering behavior - Constant "driving in a circle" at 40 km/h. The other participants are in the back of the bus and have to try to walk through the bus. The centrifugal forces to which the passengers are exposed are to be simulated.

In addition to the personal experiences of the bus drivers, it is also an important opportunity to observe the vehicles in these stressful situations in order to identify all weak points at an early stage. Particular attention is paid here to the anti-lock braking system or the electronic stability program, which should and could keep the bus "breaking out" within limits in the event of a sudden evasive maneuver.

The full day of training in Lüneburg ends around 6 p.m. The participants of the first two dates in May were completely enthusiastic about the training day and grateful for this program.

"On the one hand it is a lot of fun and on the other hand it is an absolutely valuable experience to train in situations that you will hopefully never experience in real traffic", is how our dispatcher Arne describes the driver safety training program.

At the end of the training day, all participants receive a certificate. This year 30 colleagues are taking part in the training. By the end of 2022, all bus drivers will have completed such driver safety training program.