Outside of the bus industry, you might pause for thought if someone asked you the meaning of ‘overhang’. Does it refer to a neighbour’s trees that hang over your fence? Or perhaps cargo that dangles precariously from a crane on a building site?
Probably both of those things, yes. But when we talk about buses and overhang, we refer to the front left-hand side of the bus that sticks out over the kerb as a bus turns into the side of the road, before it straightens up and comes to a stop. Equally, the rear left hand corner of the bus can overhang the kerb as a bus moves from the road-side back out into traffic.
Bus overhang is the reason why you sometimes see dents in the sign-posts at city bus stops. It’s also the reason behind many unnecessary accidents where pedestrians, standing too close to the road, get hit by the bus as it pulls into stop.
One of our key messages to students is to stand back 2 metres from the kerb (that’s 3-4 big steps depending on your age) at all times when waiting for a bus, or after alighting. This way we avoid coming close to buses as they pull in and away from the kerb, and keep ourselves safe.
Share this important message and others with your students. Enquire about booking your BusSAFE session today.