a nightmare could be looming here…
By Iddan Kroll, Quality Assurance Expert and Risk Analyst
Traveling with a (large) educational/school group on board a bus, especially in foreign countries, is a much riskier affair than what one could initially imagine.
To start with, buses could easily become a lethal death trap. In a severe accident or abrupt overturn, getting 60-80 persons out of a burning or crashed big metal cage quickly and hopefully unharmed is a much trickier task than could be initially anticipated.
Unlike in commercial flights, being ground borne and not air borne, makes humans feel very confident inside the bus. However, buses do not have designated “emergency exits” (normally only 2-3 narrow doors that the driver must open first); there are no designated sliders; there are no special safety instructions or pre-explanation given to passengers; no cabin crew to lend a helping hand. In some countries, buses even have windows shields which are covered in some metal bars – making the possibility of quickly smashing them and escaping through the window, literally impossible.
This possible nightmare became a horrific reality in one dramatic case in Italy.
The Italy – Verona Bus Crash
On 21/1/17 at least sixteen people were killed and about 40 injured after a bus carrying Hungarian students crashed and burst into flames on a highway in northern Italy. They were returning home from a ski vacation in the French Alps.
A likely problem with one of the bus tires caused the driver to lose control on the highway and crash at high speed in a self-inflicted accident. The coach crashed into a bridge pillar on the motorway near Verona at about 11pm on Friday. A fire on board ensued.
It is important to note that the results could have been even more tragic, had it not been for the Group’s physical education teacher, who came back to the burning bus and saved several kids from the flames.
This case demonstrates that bus accidents can happen anywhere, even in ultra modern buses on modern highways, caused by technical failures of the vehicle, a momentary loss of concentration, sudden fatigue, bad visibility – all could lead to tragic accidents.
Dealing with Risk Factors in Youth Travel
There are several major risk factors, organizers and group leaders, could try to contain or mitigate:
- Demand the bus company to show all technical documentation needed to ensure that the bus’ routine maintenance and proper service/registration was done. You would need to know what to exactly ask from your transportation supplier/s, as technical issues tend to vary a lot between countries. Getting an ISO label or other quality approval from your transport supplier is a good start, but is not an automatic guarentee all is right with your particular vehicle.
- Conduct visual checks at the time of embarking the bus is also necessary. For example, if the tires looks dodgy, the Organizer/Group Leader must demand for its immediate replacement.
- Ensure the human factor is also covered well; no overworked, tired or reckless drivers should be allowed to drive Groups. If you feel this is the case, stop the driver and handle the situation.
- Finally, proper conduct on boarding the bus is something that should be trained and supervised-brief your Group of students as to what will not be tolerated on the vehicle.
- Groups should never distract drivers. Drivers need to stay focused only on their task.
- Group Leaders/Teachers must be trained and be prepared to manage panic situations in case of an accident. Every second could counts in this case and every wrong move could be costly. Resourcefulness is always welcomed, but this is not something to count on in the longer run.
At EBI Group, we help Group Leaders and youth travel organizations to prepare and run a detailed check-up routine before any trip. Feel free to contact our specialists for more information on risk and crisis management travel with your Youth Group.