ISOLATING THE COACH DRIVER.
Page 12
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Danger of Diverting Attention from Dri.
Vehicles. Hom ractice in Passenger-carrying Public Service be Effected.
WITH the constantly increasing congestion of traffic on our roads, particularly in the streets of large towns, it is becoming apparent that drivers must, so far as possible, be removed from the influence of distractions which may tend to reduce their driving efficiency. Few people can do two things satisfactorily at the same time, and the commercial vehicle, motor omnibus, or motor coach driver, who may often be responsible for the safety of a large number of people, must devote all his attention to the matter in hand, which is that of conveying his goods or passengers safely to their destination.
Accidents are more often the result of a momentary inattention than of a disregard for traffic rules. This inattention may be due to some simple cause, such as a remark made to him by some person in the vehicle, or, perhaps, he may become interested in a conversation going on at his side. In motor coaches, for instance, a youth will often question the driver as to how the vehicle is controlled, and make similar inquiries regarding its mechanism. Other passengers may ask him to point out places of interest en route, as there is not always a conductor present to undertake this duty, thus distracting his attention from his legitimate work.
The drivers of passenger-carrying, public-service vehicles are almost invariably isolated from the passengers, certainly in the case of vehicles operating in the Metropolis. This is comparatively easy to carry out on an enclosed vehicle, and can be clone without unduly detracting from its appearance ; in fact, in some cases it has the reverse effect.
Sometimes the driver is contained in a compartment within Uie body of the vehicle, as is the case in some of the vehicles designed by Tilling-Stevens Motors, Ltd.., where the driver's compartment occupies, approximately-, one-half the width of the body, whilst the other half provides a small amount of extra room for the passengers sitting; at the front. In. other cases, the driver is disposed in a manner which we might call external to the body. This usually occurs in vehicles of the overtype or semiovertype construction, g typical example being the London General Omnibus Co.'s K and S type buses.
In other vehicles, such as the open type of motor coach, there is,. however, considerable difficulty in separating the driver from the passengers, without
detracting considerably from the appearance of the vehicle by spoiling its lines, although we consider the separation just as important in this case—in fact, even more so than in the case ofthe omnibus,
as short distance passengers in the latter type of vehicle would not be so likely to chat with the driver as are passengers in a motor coach, where the driver is apt to form one of a convivial party and act more or less as a guide and comforter to its members when no conductor is carried.
It is probable that drivers themselves, if asked to state their opinion on the Matter, would ridicule the idea of any' such segregation being necessary, but it is not a question of personal likes or dislikes • it is a matter of safety first, and one cannot but admit that the driver of a motor coach, which might sometimes be loaded with somewhat unruly passengers returning from beanfeasts, football matches, etc., is hardly in an ideal position for devoting all his aaelition to the conducting of his vehicle. However, effectually to remove him from the immediate vicinity of the passengers is a problem which presents some considerable difficulty, and is one which can hardly admit of solution withoutdetracting slightly from the efficiency of the vehicle in reducing its seating capacity by at least one person. Now we will consider some of the ways in which the desideratum can be achieved. There would, of course, be no difficulty in partitioning off the whole of the front row of -seats by slightly raising the backs, but unless some passengers were carried in these seats the loss of space would be too great; and, apart from this, the view of the passengers in the second row of seats would be unduly restricted. A better method would appear to be to raise the back of the driver's seat only, possibly supplementing this by fixing a partial, or complete, partition at his left side, thus dividing the front row of seats into two sections—one for the driver and the other for two or three passengers. It would be preferable, if a, conductor be carried, not to enclose the conductor, as he acts more or less as a guide to the party and should be in a position to keep order in cases where this may be necessary.
In order not to restrict to too great an extent the view of the passengers at the back of the driver, that portion of the partition extending above the line of vision could be glazed. Perhaps this might not he necessary for the partition ,separating the driver f tom his immediate neighbours, although, even in this case, it would seem preferable, as the passengers at the side of the driver's partition would be cut off to some extent from seeing views immediately to the right of them.
Conversation between the driver and members of the party would certainly be considerably restricted by giving the driver a seat of the armchair type and leaving a space equivalent to the width of one seat between him and the other passengers in the same row; in fact, the driver's seat could be made to resemble, in miniature, the well-known, high-sided bucket type of seat employed at some French watering places ; of course, dispensing with the hood used on such seats.
This arrangement could be carried out quite easily with the loss of accommodation for one person only, although in the case where the driver is completely isolated from the passenger compartment, there would, apparently, be no necessity for any restriction in the passenger-carrying capacity.
With vehicles of overtype construction, an arrange. merit similar to that employed on the K-type bus might well be utilized, and the driver protected by a small dash carried in front of the main seating. This, although it might detract somewhat from the general appearance of the vehicle, would appear to be a satisfactory method of coping with the difficulty, and this without reducing the passenger accommodation •