This bus was on the way to a ski resort, moving overnight. The incident happened on the road near Karuizawa, a famous resort town. The bus was burned after slipped out from the highway. The two drivers were killed, as well as 15 passengers. Some of the other victims were seriously injured.
Sydney Morning Herald: Japan ski bus veers off mountain, more than a dozen dead
The passengers were on the packaged bus tour with the overnight ride. Most of the passengers were college students.
The road is composed of many curves, but the surface was not frozen at the tragedy. The police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Recently, the risk of traffic accidents for the bus or truck drivers engaging in overnight or long-time working is often focused in Japan. Transport companies are keen to watch the safety of the drivers. However, many companies are suffering from the shortage of drivers and salary for them. As a result, not a few drivers have to continue driving without adequate rest.
The cause of this accident remains unclear. Do not believe that the driver committed suicide, because the other driver would have attempted to stop him or her in this case. Then, it is possible the driver took a nap. Anyway, I pray for the victims of this tragedy.
The overnight drive itself is somehow risky. Even if shift-time working is administered properly, it can damage the workers’ health. If self-driving car technology is introduced, the risk will be reduced. It should be considered to request to equip automatic braking systems on such vehicles, at present.
My past entry: Shift time working brings you cancer
No comments:
Post a Comment