The Vindication of the Motorbus.
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Mr. Albert H. Stanley' s Views with Regard to Accidents and the Qualifications and Training of Drivers. Part of the Evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons.—(Continued from page 241.)
We hope to be able to conclude our abstracts from the evidence of the nsanaging director of the London General Omnibus Co., Ltd., which extracts began in our issue. of the 1st inst., by the publication of two more instalments. They will appear, provided space is available, in our issues dated the 29th inst. and the 5th prox.
The important influences of the class of driver employed, of his method of training, of his hours of working, and of his remuneration, are recognized in all traffic circles. For example, Mr. A. L. C. Fell, the chief executive officer of the L.C.C. electric-tramcar undertaking, when giving evidence before the same Committee of the House of Commons, stated that accidents were nine times as numerous with drivers of less than three years standing as they were in the case of more-experienced men.
The Back Wheels, By way of corollary to the accident data which we published last week, pages 41-61 of the book of evidence are devoted to statistical tables and other supplementary information. These incidentally show an increase in the number of fatalities to cyclists, and that fully 50 per cent, of the total fatal accidents are caused by running over people with the back wheels only. Contrary to some assertions, the accidents due to learner-drivers, in the years 1911 and 1912 together, amount to only two fatals in a total of 275 fatals.
Crush Hours and Alter 8 p.m.
The distribution of fatal accidents according to the time of the day is interesting. Thirty-five per cent. of the whole fatalities occur in the evening hours, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The crush-traffic hours generally show the highest incidence of accidents ; there is a noticeable rise between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. After eight o'clock, apparently by reason of the greater difficulty of judging the circumstances under the conditions of artificial light, there are also evidences of undue increase in relation to the actual amount of traffic. Children's deaths, unfortunately, are also high after 8 p.m.
Tramway Streets.
The presence of tramways in the streets is proved not to be a material factor in causing an increase of fatal accidents. For the two years 1911 and 1912, the number of fatal accidents in streets where tramways were not present averaged .87 per mile, compared with an average of .79 in tramway streets. This, we would again note, applies to fatal accidents.
Consideration of the character of the streets in which traffic accidents have particularly occurred justifies, in Mr. Stanley's opinion, the general conclusion that the absence of refuges is a common feature. He thinks that the provision of refuges at all recognized crossings, where the roadway is of sufficient width to accommodate them, would tend to ensure the greater safety of the public.
Exonerated by Coroners.
Consideration of the findings of coroners' juries proves conclusively that blame very seldom attaches to the driver or conductor, and that the causes of death are strictly accidental. The evidence includes a. review of numerous riders that have been added by coroners' juries to their verdicts.
Of 250 drivers concerned in fatal accidents during the years 1911-1912, no fewer than 54 per cent, had had less than a year's driving experience with the L.G.O.C. on motorbuses. The length of service in the case of 5 per cent, of the drivers could not be ascer, tained, and only 41 per cent. had had over one year's driving experience.
Not Due to Overwork.
Details of the hours worked are then given to show that accidents did not occur with men who had been overworked. They, in fact, show that the incidence of fatal accidents is greater with men who have been off work on the Previous day, or who have had a long spell of rest, rather than, with those who have worked more continuously.
Keep to the Lett.
Mr. Stanley considers that the unorganized character of vehicular traffic in most streets aggravates the danger of crossing. He considers that slow-moving traffic should be kept close to the kerb. He thinks that one definite advantage of such a by-law would be that Persons in the streets would know better what to expect in attempting to cross the road. The bylaw would be in accord with motorbus oueration, for the motorbus would naturally take its place with the slow-moving traffic, when requiring to draw in. The present lack of organization is an invitation to the faster vehicles to attempt dangerous passages in and out among the slower ones. Congestion is not of itself a cause of accident. In streets where there is permanent congestion, the accidents are low. Regular congestion, under police regulation, when the regulation is effective, is often accompanied by an absence of accidents.
Carelessness of the People.
In the opinion of the witness, there are four principal causes of the fatal accidents which occur in connection with motorbuses; 1. The main cause of fatal accident is the heedlessness of the injured person or of those responsible for the
injured person in the case of children and the infirm. Only education and training in the hazards of the streets and the way in which they are to be avoided, or in the duty, which they have, to exercise care for others, will cure this.
The witness entirely agrees with the evidence which has been given by the drivers who have appeared before this Committee upon this point. In so far as the remedy for this is within its power the London General Omnibus Company has en
deavoured to cure these evils. By means of adver
tisements in the newspapers and of posters upon the buses, attention has been called to the more common forms of accident arising from this cause. Leaflets summarizing the advice which would be of benefit to passengers and others have been put into circulation with the map and guide to the routes worked issued each month. Of these, several thousand copies were sent to the public elementary schools. The publicity thus given to this question has stimulated activity in other channels of education.
Limited Experience of the Drivers.
2. It must be admitted that the statistics show that the limited experience of the driver is also a cause. This experience does not relate so much to the driving of the motorbus as to the judgment which should be exercised in moments of danger, mostly arising out of the first cause. The older the driver, the more instinctive is his judgment of the foolishnesses of the people. He anticipates and protects them from themselves.
Time is the only remedy for this, and already it has brought amelioration. 3. The third cause is the varying speed of the vehicular traffic in the streets already discussed. 4. The final cause is the intermittent opening and closing of vehicular traffic.
The better regulation of the streets in the way of sorting out the lines of traffic into uniform speeds might be of advantage, and certainly the provision of refuges and of recognized crossings would tend to diminish the risks.
DRIVERS.
Police Requirements of Candidates for Employment as Drivers.
The qualifications required of a driver are fixed in the first instance by the various provisions which apply to candidates for a driver's licence. For the execution of these provisions the Metropolitan Police are responsible. The requirements are :— 1. A minimum age of 21 years. 2. A certificate of good conduct covering the preceding three years.
Upon this certificate inquiries are made as to the man's respectability and previous record. 3. A medical certificate of personal fitness.
Additional Requirements of Motorbus Companies.
The London General Omnibus Co. are able to add to the stringency of these requirements by reason of the number of applicants for employment exceeding the number of openings to be filled. In this way, they- 1. Raise the minimum age. 2. Extend the previous character covered by inquiry to five years.
3. Select married men in preference to single men. 4. Select men with previous experience of driving in the streets of London.
The extent to which these added requirements are met is shown by the following statistics for the men engaged in this capacity since 13th August, 1912, up to 15 January, 1913 :— Except under special circumstances no one over 40 years of age is considered. The exceptions have been made in favour of horse bus drivers and old employees. Of the total number engaged, 55 per cent, were married at the time, and there io little doubt others corrected this disability very quickly. Again 66 per cent, had had three years previous traffic experience.
Comments on the Class of Man Best Adapted to Driving a Motorbus.
It. :s net every class of driver that has the aptitude to become a good driver of a motorbus. For example, tram drivers are not apt to accommodate themselves to the more flexible conditions, or taxicab drivers to the reduced speed limit. This further qualification is therefore to be made. Carmen or the drivers of heavy commercial vehicles are the most satisfactory type, and about 80 per cent, of the candidates employed are recruited from this class.
Other types of applicant thought suitable for the work are discharged soldiers, sailors and fire-brigade men, because they are used to discipline, mechanics and men of general occupation who have qualified as motor drivers, because their training is in part begun. Only 42 men were accepted on certifi caws of fitness granted by recognized motor schools. Sixtytwo men came from the Army, Navy, fire brigade or police, and the balance had traffic experience.
Applications for employment are usually made by letter, and likely candidates are interviewed. Those who are approved are required to fill up a special form.
Form of Application for Employment. (First Step.)
Most applicants for employment provide personal references. Some are already in possession of a County Council licence to drive a motorcar. In this case it is inspected., and if there are any endorsement a for exaeeding the 'speed limit, driving to the common danger, or other offences, the application is not entertained. If the candidate is not in possession of a County Council licence he is required to obtain one at once. This entitles him to drive, although it is a matter of routine and has no significance in connection with the fitness or competence of the man for his occupation. This is an important point a learner is entitled to drive a heavy motorcar but not to ply for hire with a Metropolitan stage carriage though it is also a heavy motorcar. Inquiries are made as to the character of the applicant. A period of four days commonly elapses between the filling up of the form of application and acceptance for training by the Company.
Medical Examination of Candidates. (Second Step.)
If the particulars set out on the form attached are satisfactorily answered, the candidate is then sent to the Company's medical adviser for examination. This again adds a greater stringency to the requirements for a licence. Not any qualified medical practitioner can give the certificate but only such an one as is selected by the Company. The certificate given is in the following form:— Name Address
I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have this day examined the above, v,ho is applying for a position as motorbus driver to the LONDON GENERAL OMNIBUS CO., LTD., and beg to report as follows;—
Is this man physically and mentally fit to undertake the duties of motorbus driving!
Signed No man is accepted who cannot secure a clear certificate and every factor tending to complete capacity such as eyesight, hearing, organic disease, etc., is covered in the arrangement with the doctor.
The points to be covered by the medical examination are set out in greater detail in the form of report required by the Police. This report is also signed by the Company's own doctor at the same time as the preceding one. The object of these notes is to show that every reasonable care is taken to secure a high standard of character and fitness from the men who are to be employed on the streets as motorbus drivers, and further that in the result the men so employed are picked men.
The Rigour of the Selective Process.
Detail statistics are not kept to show the manner in which the applicants are reduced in number and in what respect they are unable to reached the requisite standard, but it is considered that only from 10 to 15 per cent, of those applying are ultimately accepted for training.
Application to the Police for a Licence. (Third Step.)
When an application is accepted, the man is told to apply at Scotland Yard for a stage carriage licence. He then has to comply with the police requirements. He presents to the Police a medical certificate in the form specified by them and a letter from the Company expressing a willingness to employ him. The Police do not favour applications from persons without prospective employment as otherwise a person might hold a driving licence and yet not be in practice as a driver. From the Police he receives a permit and requisition form. The permit is an authority to call at Scotland Yard for the purpose of being tested, and the requisition is a form to be filled in and returned. This calls for a certificate of employment from the last employer, and the signature of two householders acquainted with the applicant for the last three years. The Police personally investigate and verify the statements in the requisition.
A requisition form is only valid for a period of four weeks, BC) that supposing a man tails to pass the police test within that time, it is necessary for him to apply again to Scotland Yard for a further requisition form, upon which the investigation is repeated. As the training period covers four to five weeks, it means that a man has only one chance of presenting himself for test without. a review of his application. On this account it is the practice of the Company to suspend the application to Scotland Yard for a fortnight during which the period of training is commenced. It is then possible for a candidate to present himself twice on the one requisition form, If he fails at the second test, he enters no further
requisition until such time as he passes the test, and the investigation of character is then re-opened.
When a candidate is approved he is told off to a garage for training. He is not definitely engaged, and he is not paid any wages during the training period. The training is an expense which is met by the Company without charge. It converts an unskilled into a skilled man. Having regard to the wastage of trained men, the expense is quite considerable,
As a concluding .note, it may be remarked that the drivers consider that the requirement of two licences, one under the Motor Car Act and the other under the regulations affecting Metropolitan Stage Carriages, is a, distinct grievance. The witness agrees with them that it seems an unnecessary duplication. Tramway drivers are only required to have the one licence for driving a stage carriage.
Course of Training.
The instruction given to intending drivers is of two kinds 1. Technical instruction by specially-qualified instructors at the demonstration chassis rooms.
2. Practical experience of the driving of a motorbus under the guidance of special driver instructors. Both kinds of instruction are given concurrently.
The approved Candidate joins at a garage on the day following his engagement. He is attached to a driver instructor who at once shows him the various routine duties which are necessary to be performed before a motorbus is taken into service. This is repeated every morning before the learner's bus leaves the garage.
First Period of Technical Instruction.—(A.)
Upon the first day the candidate is taken in the learner's bus to the school of instruction and there has explained to him in an elementary form of what the mechanism of a. motorbus consists. This explanation covers the morning. From the class-room he returns to the garage and in the afternoon is taken into streets where there is no appreciable traffic in order that he may have practical acquaintance with the operations to be performed in driving. At first he does not drive. Upon the second day the process is repeated, the explanation going further into detail and the names of the compoeent parts of the engine being impressed upon the memory.
First Period of Practical Driving.
Then come 12 days of continuous instruction upon a learners' bus. The driver-instructor takes a batch of six men (more only when there are candidates taking a second course, and in this case not more than 10) out in this bus, and one by one they sit beside him and see him drive and eventually take their turn at driving under his guidance. As the men become more competent to drive, the bus is taken into streets where there is more traffic and still more, progressively. In snch manner do they practise driving that they become used to the exigencies of the highway and the various manosuvres incident to the safe and smooth working of the bus.
Second Period of Technical Instruction.—(5.)
Al. the close of this first period of 12 days the men are again taken to the class-rooms, and on the next two days receive further instruction on the chassis. This time the instruction covers the same ground as on the prior occasion but is of a more technical character.
Second Period of Practical Driving.
Then commences a second period of 12 days practical work. This includes the reversing of the bus, driving of thc bus backwards, and the turning of corners. This takes place within the limits of the garage. At this time also the bus is taken into crowded streets, and the learners practise under tho most arduous conditions prevailing.
Third Period of Technical Instruction.—(C.)
At the close of the second period of 12 days, if the learner has shown aptitude to his task, and diligence, and is in the opinion of the driver instructor competent to drive, he is again sent to the class-rooms for a further two days technical instruction. This consists of an explanation of the various common types of defect which may develop in the machinery, and of the steps that should be taken in each case to prevent damage and ensure safety. The previous instruction is also repeated and revised to test the memory of the candidate.
Form of Certificate of Proficiency.
At this point in ordinary course the learner should be fit for the Police test. He must obtain a certificate in the following form to cover his period of training before he may present himself at Scotland Yard. This form is for inclusion in the company's records.
Remarks as to general character Not everyone receives this certificate although the failures are a very small percentage of the total number proceeding with the training. The driver instructor is required to refuse during the training period anyone developing undesirable tendencies, such as excessive speed, recklessness or carelessness. Others withdraw from the training for reasons of their own. Altogether there is a wastage of from 12 to 15 per cent, of the numbers accepted for training.
Certain Points Upon Which Instruction is Given.
Part of the practical instruction given by the special driver instructors is concerned with the avoidance of accident. They explain to the men how accidents most commonly happen and advise them on the best means of obviating them. Part of the instruction given at the class-rooms consists of a summary of the legal provisions affecting drivers, particularly as regards speed, the various offences of wanton and furious driving, or driving to the common danger, and the rules of the road.
The practice at the moment is ,to give each candidate a synopsis of the various rules and instructions under these heads, and is to he extended so that in the intervals of training he may familiarize himself with their contents.
Note on the Rules and Instructions.
No definite rule hook has been issued coverirg all the points which a driver should Mlles.. The police supply to the drivers a copy of the Red Book in which a great many questions of interest to them are included.
The company's engineer attends to such matters as thetechnical rules covering the upkeep and maintenance of the buses in proper condition and the traffic auditor attends to such matters as are connected with the commercial duties of the staff. In addition to this. circulars are issued from time to time from the General Manager's office setting out the miscellaneous rules which are so requisite for safety.
It, is thought better to issue continually fresh supplies of these circulars emphasizing particular points than to. supply a man with a fixed rule book and leave it at that. A very considerable number of circulars were issued during the course of last year and these have been summarized and completed for reference.
In a business which is yet. lacking in experience on account of the newness of the problems which it has to face, a rule book could not in the nature of things be. satisfactory.
Candidates who pass the police tests and receive public carriage licences receive still further instruction in the rules which, have been adopted by the company for the conduct of their business, particularly with regard to the avoidance of accident_ This takes the form of two further classes, and at their conclusion a man is allotted to a definite garage for employment as a motorbus driver.