The Orange County Transit Authority is responsible for the safety of its passengers. However, passengers should also be aware of some safety tips that can improve their overall bus-riding experience.
Many of the following safety tips can help keep you safer in an accident, as well:
- Do not run after a bus. The bus will not stop except at a designated bus stop.
- Don’t wait in the street for a bus. Step back onto the sidewalk.
- Hold onto to any children when you see a bus approaching to keep them from running into the street.
- If you have a stroller, it is best to hold your child and fold up the stroller before you get on the bus.
- Do not try to get on a bus while it is still moving.
- If you are loading a bike in a bike rack, make sure you stay where the bus driver can see you.
- If the weather is wet, be careful when you are boarding the bus to keep from slipping.
- Don’t sit in the bus’s stairwells
- Avoid distracting the bus driver.
- Locate the emergency exits, including the ceiling hatches and windows.
If a bus accident occurs, it is best to stay where you are unless it would increase the risk of your being injured. If possible, help others as much as possible. Be sure to get the name of the bus driver and the police officers who respond to the accident scene.
Even if you feel as though you did not suffer any injuries, it is still a good idea to get checked out. Many injuries don’t show up for a couple of days and you need the paper trail from the bus accident to your injuries if you decide to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and more.
Source: Orange County Transportation Authority, “Safety Tips,” accessed Feb. 09, 2018