“CAUTION LOOK BOTH WAYS”

For the past two days I have been lucky enough to drive bus 2811. This bus is currently testing out a new safety feature to help during turning the bus. Here is how it works, whenever you turn the bus (left or right) and if you turn the steering wheel so much the bus will announce in a female voice:

In the inside above drivers head “Caution look both ways” (this is said only once)

On the outside “Pedestrians, bus is turning”

only the outside will say first in English then in Spanish then again in English.

Every turn I hear this and if I turn sharp enough from a stop I will also hear this. It is a cool idea but then as I drive downtown I notice how many people are wearing head phones or talking on cell phones and wonder how many people are actually hearing this other than me. It does remind me to do that extra look in the middle of my turn.

                I do have a few concerns about this. My first concern is that because the steering wheel must be turned so much the announcement does not start until you have already starting making your turn. That is if you are moving then you start your turn. So if the bus is moving at 5mph and you start making your turn you are easily 5 – 10 feet already into your turn before the announce starts. By the time the outside announcement has finished you are about a half a block past the turn.

                The other concern is the bus only announces one time per turn of the wheel and does not do the announcements again until the steering wheel is turned past that point again. If you started to make a turn and had to wait a period of time then begun your turn again the only way the bus would make the announcement again is if you return your steering wheel.

                I have mixed feelings about the announcements and at this time I am not sure how much of an impact this will have for safety. At least it is an idea and we are trying it.