Important safety information regarding coach travel
Your safety while travelling with National Express is extremely important to us.
Please read this customer safety card. It explains the new seat belt legislation, which became law on Monday 18 September 2006, and travel safety tips including exercises to do while seated.
This customer safety card is also available on board coaches and at some coach stations.
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National Express Makes Coaches Even Safer
National Express has become the first scheduled coach operator in the UK to introduce Alcolock, a system which tests alcohol levels before allowing the vehicle to start.
Travelling by coach is already the safest form of public transport and by introducing Alcolock, National Express is making travel even safer. Alcohol testers on public transport are already a legal requirement in some European countries and are also available as a high specification in some cars.
The basic concept of the technology is that if the breathalyser detects a pre-set amount of alcohol then the vehicle cannot be started. A message is then sent to a 24-hour control centre operated by National Express in Birmingham and the issue is immediately investigated. National Express sets stringent measures lower than the legal limit as well as carrying out comprehensive manual testing to complement the new technology.
Alex Perry, Operations Director at National Express said, "Ahead of a move for legislation in the UK, National Express is leading the way by rolling out the alcolock system across its coach fleet. Our coach drivers are among the most professional in Britain and have welcomed the introduction of Alcolock. Customers also think it is a great initiative giving them an extra layer of safety while travelling."
National Express spent two years trialling the Alcolock system before taking the decision to fit the device to all new vehicles as standard as well as retrofitting the existing coach network of over 500 coaches. At present half of National Express coaches are fitted with the Alcolock tester and the company has began fitting the rest of the fleet.
The additional safety feature has been welcomed by road safety charity Brake who recognise the work National Express is doing to remove the threat of drink driving from their network.
Kate Shephard from Brake said: "Alcohol impairs driving behaviour and Brake is delighted that National Express is leading the way by introducing this system to their coach network. Brake and National Express urge the government to introduce the use of Alcolock in private cars as is standard in other European countries."
Factual information about Alcolocks
- The idea for the product originated in Sweden where vehicle breathalyser locking devices are commonly fitted to commercial and privately owned vehicles and have been for many years.
- To operate the device, all the driver has to do is press the Alcolock button on the dash, switch on the ignition and blow into the breathalyser. A clear 'Pass' or 'Fail' message is then displayed on the screen and, if the driver passes, the engine can be started.
- The robustly designed hand-held breathalyser is semi-tethered to the vehicle with power cabling, which eliminates the need for batteries and reduces the likelihood of theft.
- Any amount of alcohol can be checked for, even far less than the 35microgrammes in the breath per 100ml the law dictates is 'over the limit'.
- Alcolock has a 'time-out' function; meaning when the engine has been off for a pre-set time, the driver will be required to take another breathalyser test before the engine can start again. National Express has set its timeout system at 20 minutes.
- Another aspect to the system is a GSM mobile communication unit, which works off a sim card. This technology means that if a driver fails a breathalyser test, the depot and the Traffic Control centre is sent a text message informing them the driver is over the pre-set limit along with the registration number of the vehicle. Additionally, data including how much alcohol was registered, from all samples can be viewed on a dedicated website, controlled by secure login details.
- Every driver is given their own mouth piece to attach to the alcolock system for hygiene reasons.
- By the end of 2010 the bus and coach market will make up 70% of Alcolocks business. Currently, it makes up half, with the rest coming from the CV and private vehicle sectors. The company finds that the coach industry is now more proactive in using safety equipment than, for example, haulage companies. This, the MD believes, is quite fitting considering coaches are carrying the more precious cargo.
- On entering this market, Alcolock was keen to draw attention to the dangers of drink-driving. It works with organisations such as road safety charity Brake and the Parliamentary Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) to help boost awareness of the hazards it causes.
