Bus passengers need to get a grip

24 August 2016

More people took a tumble while travelling on a bus in the second quarter of 2016 than at the same time in 2015, mostly when attempting to get on or off.

The latest incident statistics from Bus Safety Victoria, a branch of Transport Safety Victoria, show that slips, trips and falls on board have more than doubled to become as frequent as one every couple of days (from 12 to 29).

There's nothing funny about rolling in the aisles if you end up hurting yourself, so following this simple four step plan will help you stay on your feet:

1. Watch your step and hold the handrail as you board
2. Keep a firm stance with feet apart for balance
3. Keep both feet flat on the floor when sitting and take a priority seat if eligible
4. Wait until the bus stops before leaving your seat and alight carefully.

A charming animated video, created by the BSV for this year's Bus Safety Week, offers advice for elderly and vulnerable passengers on the TransportSafetyVic YouTube page.

Director, Bus Safety, Stephen Turner said older passengers are most at risk of falling and seriously injuring themselves, and should alert their bus driver if they need assistance.

"Buses share our roads with other vehicles so the driver may need to brake heavily or swerve to avoid a collision, and passengers need to brace themselves," Mr Turner said.

You could get more than a red face if you fall – you could end up with a long term health problem. For example, if an older passenger breaks their hip it can change their life – and not for the better.

Despite the rise in onboard slips, the quarterly bus incident report does also reflect a slight decline in serious injuries and collisions compared with the three-year moving average.