The Motor Coach Safety Review, which found that the motor coach industry in British Columbia is safe and compares well to other provinces across the country, was released today by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The review found that crash rates for motor coaches in B.C. are relatively low and have been trending down for the last 10 years, with an average drop in crash rates of 5.4% a year.

“Even though the review found that our motor coach industry in B.C. is already very safe, we know that we can always do better, and we are committed to doing so,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone. “In commissioning this review, it was my goal to ensure that we are doing everything we can to ensure that the motor coach industry in B.C. is as safe as it possibly can be, and that’s why we are committed to maintaining our robust regulatory requirements, our regular mechanical safety inspections, and working with our federal partners to explore emerging best practices.”

Overall, the Motor Coach Safety Review, conducted by Stantec Consulting Ltd., identified the motor coach industry in B.C. aligns well with other jurisdictions reviewed, including other provinces and Canada as a whole.

B.C.’s 5.4% annual decline in crash rates is similar to other jurisdictions, including Alberta at an annual decline of 3.3%, Ontario at an annual decline of 4%, and Canada as a whole with an annual decreasing trend of 2.9%. 

In Canada, the federal government is responsible for regulating motor coach manufacturing and importing standards and for regulating buses travelling between provinces or between Canada and the United States. 

Although the review found that B.C.’s motor coach industry is already robust, evolving technology leaves room for continual improvement in safety standards for the industry.

The ministry is committed to working with the federal government as it reviews emerging technologies and safety improvements, such as electronic logging devices, electronic stability control and making it mandatory to install passenger seatbelts for all new motor coaches in Canada.

“We applaud the federal government for their leadership on having strong and consistent standards across the country, as motor coaches regularly travel across provincial borders and boundaries,” Stone said. “The federal government is in the process of reviewing emerging technologies and motor coach safety standards in North America and across the world. We are supportive of this process and we welcome the incorporation of these best practices to Canada, to continually improve safety standards in the industry.”

The review found that regulatory requirements in B.C. are strict and have many safeguards in place, including mandatory Designated Inspection Facility inspections and good driver training for the job. In B.C., motor coach drivers are required to have a Class 2 or Class 1 driver’s license and air brake endorsement. To obtain a commercial license, a driver must be able to manoeuver the vehicle in traffic, negotiate intersections and corners, and handle the vehicle safely and satisfactorily.

In B.C., motor coaches are required to be mechanically inspected to ensure compliance with vehicle safety standards every six months. In addition, regular roadside inspections are carried out on motor coaches throughout the province, and the out-of-service rate stemming from these inspections is generally lower than in other jurisdictions. CVSE also conducts quantifiable National Safety Code audits on the worst performing carriers. 

A backgrounder follows.