SFU study says bus riders should stand sideways
Posted February 1, 2011 8:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS1130) – It’s happened to most people who ride transit. You have to hang on to a railing, but when the bus or train stops or starts suddenly, you end up taking a tumble.
The speed of the bus, the design of the rails and even your own strength play a part in why you’ve gone flying, says Steven Rabinovitch, with the SFU Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory.
Their lab has designed a machine to simulate the bus movements.
“We have tests where we put young and older adults in our experimental setup and see the responses… see what’s safe for older adults, as well as young kids because we have a big focus on mobility throughout the lifespan,” Rabinovitch explains.
He says they’ve found the best way to prevent a fall is to stand sideways to the handrail, and ideally that handrail is at shoulder height.
Falls cost the health care system about $3 billion a year in Canada.
