By definition, most transit bus drivers are high-risk workers, working late at night and alone. To help defend themselves from potentially dangerous situations, Mark Anderson of San Diego Transit offered these tips at the California Transit Association’s Annual Meeting in November.

4 Safety Tips for Bus Drivers

1. Prepare. Decide what to wear and how to wear it. Plan for various situations through training and role-playing. Be somewhat physically fit in order to better defend yourself.

2. Identify. Do a quick glance around the vehicle to check for people who may give you problems. Learn what problems can be handled while approaching a stop and while stopped. Know the signs of a situation that is “heating up.”

3. Deescalate. Use verbal controls to help calm the situation down. Know how to present yourself to reduce the risk of being robbed or attacked. Always leave yourself an out.

4. Defend. Know techniques for self-defense as well as the elements of an assault. Always interact with the person from a seated position so there is no question of who is the aggressor.

“You need to be proactive in having operators protect themselves and others,” Anderson said. “Hopefully they will never, ever have to use these techniques.” 

Operators at San Diego Transit sit through a three-and-a-half-hour CD-ROM training that covers essential safety and security elements, including self-defense techniques.

Operators at Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) work closely with the local police department to enhance safety coordination. Training includes tactical police deployment and procedures such as disabling a bus. All Santa Monica buses are equipped with a silent alarm system. In collaboration with the BBB, the Santa Monica Police Department created a training video that guides operators and security personnel through tactical maneuvers.

Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) also emphasizes collaborative training, preparing for worst-case scenarios involving active shooters, hostages, and casualties. Troy Holt, MST’s manager of safety and security, recommends making training scenarios as realistic as possible to test inter-agency coordination and response at various times and days. MST further supports local law enforcement by providing buses for training exercises.