The vehicle operation and type of seating have a major influence on the type of safety improvement which is desirable or possible in existing buses and coaches. Vehicles used for route service operations have a different risk exposure compared to that of vehicles used for intercity coach or tour operations. Route service vehicle operations are generally characterised by the use of low height seats and the provision of standing passenger facilities. These vehicles perform frequent passenger disembarkation stops and generally operate in a restricted speed environment. Accidents are infrequent and consist mainly of low-speed collisions with vehicles in the same traffic stream or with roadside objects. Overturning accidents are rare. Coach vehicles fitted with high backed seats are generally used at higher speeds and are exposed to a relatively greater risk of high deceleration impact or overturning accidents. These Guidelines are therefore divided into separate sections covering vehicles with low backed seats and high backed seats. Within these sections, different levels of occupant protection are described. Section 1 describes basic safety improvements applicable to both types of vehicle in the areas of emergency exits and vehicle structural integrity. It specifies recommended emergency exit labelling for improved conspicuity and defines a number of test procedures to ensure that emergency exits will function correctly when required. This section also recommends a procedure for checking the vehicle structure for rust or fatigue degradation. Conformance to Section 1 recommendations is a necessary prerequisite before the further improvements of Sections 2 or 3 are undertaken. Section 2 applies to vehicles with low backed metropolitan transit type seating. This section recommends that seat belts should not be fitted to this type of vehicle, and instead recommends types and locations of padding material to be fitted to seatbacks and partitions to reduce the possibility of minor injury resulting from contact with rigid surfaces. Section 3 applies to vehicles with high backed coach type seats. This section describes a range of safety improvements, offering increased levels of safety at increased increments of cost. These are achieved by strengthening of seat mountings and fitment of alternative types of occupant restraint system. Factors such as vehicle age and original design and construction will determine which level of improvement is achievable for a particular vehicle. As these are voluntary Guidelines, the selection of the modification level appropriate for an individual vehicle is the responsibility of the vehicle owner. Section 4 applies to unitary construction vehicle. This section describes methods of fitment of seat belts to buses similar to the Toyota Coaster, Nissan Civillian or Mazda T3500.
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