Development and application of a vehicle safety rating score for public transport minibuses

Minibuses are widely used for public transport, particularly in developing countries, yet their safety levels are often poor. This study identified a simple set of active and passive safety measures and 566 minibuses in the United Arab Emirates were inspected. Most vehicles were without seat belts or head restraints and had inadequate seat attachment. Low rates of active and passive safety features were recorded. The safety rating system assigned weightings to each of the variables in the survey, based on an assessment of their approximate relative risk. Applied to the benchmarking sample, safety rating scores (out of 50) ranged from below 10 points for the least safe vehicles to around 40 points for the best. Many vehicles inspected scored below 20 points. The safety rating score provided a practical assessment of the safety of the UAE minibus vehicle fleet and could be adapted to other vehicle types. The study outcomes are helping to both justify a new minibus safety standard in the UAE aiming to significantly reduce death and serious injury among the many passengers using this service, as well as to begin the process of removing the least safe vehicles from the fleet.