Hino Motors, Ltd. said it has developed a new system enabling passengers to automatically stop a bus by pushing a button in an emergency, such as the driver suddenly becoming ill.
The automaker plans to install the system as standard equipment in large tour buses that will be sold from this summer. According to Hino, it will be the first time in the world for such a function to be put to practical use in commercial vehicles.
The buttons will be placed above the front passenger seats, both on the right and left sides. When a button is pushed, a car horn sounds to alert people outside of the bus, and the vehicle gradually decreases speed until coming to a stop, while blinking its hazard lights. If a passenger pushes the button as a prank or a mistake, the driver can halt the system.
If a driver suffers from a sudden illness or falls asleep it could lead to a major accident, so ensuring safety in emergencies has become an important issue. In guidelines compiled in 2016, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry urged automakers to introduce at an early stage a system that can respond when something happens to the driver.
Hino Motors said it will continue to work on safety systems, aiming to develop one that can automatically detect sudden changes in a driver's physical condition, as well as if they begin to slumber, and make the bus pull onto the shoulder of the road.
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