One Brussels MP has called for a blind spot protection system to be introduced "immediately" on buses run by Brussels public transport operator STIB.
Like trucks, buses have a blind spot — a dangerous space immediately behind the trailer which runs back in a narrowing triangle — where people behind and cars tailgating the vehicle are not visible to the driver.
But unlike trucks, buses in Belgium are not required to be equipped with a blind spot system, which reduces the risk of accidents during lane changes by monitoring the dangerous blind spot area and assisting the driver to change lanes safely.
Brussels MP for right-wing party N-VA Cieltje Van Achter has now called for such a system to be introduced at once on STIB buses across the region. She stressed that such a system is highly recommended, citing the high number of road deaths in Brussels. Especially in urban areas with a large presence of pedestrians, cyclists and scooters, she sees detection systems as an "absolute must."
"It seems logical to me to introduce this safety measure immediately, especially now that we see that more and more Brussels residents are travelling by bike or by e-scooter. The sooner STIB starts working on this, the more casualties can be avoided."
Alternative systems under testing
STIB is already taking several steps to ensure the safety of vulnerable road users around its buses, spokesperson Guy Sablon told The Brussels Times.
The company has developed a "reversing camera" together with road safety institute Vias a technology that has been ready for use for more than a year and "virtually eliminates blind spots." One bus has been equipped to test the system, which has since been approved.
Credit: Belga/ Siska Gremmelprez
"We have asked the engineers behind our current bus fleet to provide us with a cost estimate to equip all our buses. We are waiting for the offer, but that is taking some time now." When STIB orders new buses, the inclusion of this camera will be mandatory in the "driver's boxes".
Another system was developed internally, again with Vias, which involves a small box that emits light signals to notify anybody around the vehicle know they are in the blind spot. This has undergone initial tests but requires further testing.
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Finally, STIB will include blind spot warning stickers on its buses similar to those seen on the sides and backs of trucks.
"There have been very few accidents in Brussels involving bus blind spots. As our buses sit much lower than trucks, the blind spot is much smaller," Sablon concluded.
