Skip to main content

Japan looking at automatic braking for buses

Installation of automatic braking systems in buses is being considered by Japan’s Transport Ministry. The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) will be activated upon the detection of the risk of a crash and is one of a number of high-tech safety advancements being reviewed by the ministry to be mandated for buses.
May 18, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Installation of automatic braking systems in buses is being considered by 5627 Japan’s Transport Ministry. The advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) will be activated upon the detection of the risk of a crash and is one of a number of high-tech safety advancements being reviewed by the ministry to be mandated for buses.

Meanwhile, industry officials have stated that Japan’s tour bus sector has created new safety rules to govern the operation of buses. This comes after a bus crash in Gunma Prefecture a few weeks ago that led to the deaths of seven people when the driver fell asleep and the bus veered into a sound-suppression wall.

New rules require that overnight buses must have two drivers if the vehicle needs to travel for over 450km. If there is only one driver, the travel distance must be less than 450km overnight. Another measure is that travel agencies must inform passengers how many drivers will be on board as well as enable them to inspect legal compliance and safety measures of bus operators in written documents.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Driver aids make inroads on improving safety
    November 12, 2015
    In-vehicle anti-collision systems continue to evolve and could eliminate some incidents altogether. John Kendall rounds up the current developments. A few weeks ago, I watched a driver reverse a car from a parking bay at right angles to the road, straight into a car driving along the road. The accident happened at walking pace, no-one was hurt and both cars had body panels that regain their shape after a low speed shunt.
  • Section speed enforcements gains global converts
    October 26, 2017
    As the benefits of section speed enforcement are becoming clearer, the technology is gaining converts worldwide. Colin Sowman reports. America’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for urgent action from both road authorities and the federal government to combat speeding which has been identified as one of the most common factors in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. This new call follows the publication of a safety study which found that between 2005 through 2014, 31% of all
  • UK defaults to hard shoulder running to expand motorway capacity
    April 8, 2014
    Hard shoulder running has become the UK’s default response to increasing motorway capacity as Colin Sowman reports. Facing a predicted 46% increase in traffic levels by 2040 and the current economic recovery leading to more people travelling to, from and for work leaves the UK government under short- and long-term pressure to increase the capacity on the main motorway network. Particular sections of motorways are already experiencing repeated, sometimes tidal, congestion and both tight Treasury limits and t
  • Sign language reduces human error says Clearview
    September 26, 2019
    Wrong-way warning systems and advanced queue detection can help to reduce human error. They can also cut road accidents – and therefore road deaths, says Clearview Intelligence Where were nearly 1,800 deaths on the UK’s roads in 2018 – an average of five people dying each day. The largest single cause of serious injury is crashes at junctions (accounting for 33% of incidents), while the largest single cause of death was run-off road crashes (30%) “With vehicles increasingly being designed with saf