Safe Intersections for Buses and Pedestrians Act Mandates Clearer Driver Views and New Camera Tech Standards Within One Year.

The Safe Intersections for Buses and Pedestrians Act requires the Department of Transportation to establish new federal safety standards for motorcoaches within one year of enactment. Specifically, the Secretary of Transportation must ensure all new buses sold in the U.S. provide drivers with a "minimally obstructed forward-facing view" from their seat. This move targets the blind spots created by thick structural pillars or poorly placed equipment that can make turning at busy city intersections a guessing game for drivers.

Clearing the Blind Spots

Under Section 2, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is tasked with defining exactly what a clear view looks like. For a commuter taking a bus to work or a student on a charter trip, this means the person behind the wheel will have a regulated, standardized field of vision designed to spot pedestrians or cyclists before they enter a danger zone. The bill specifically targets "covered motorcoaches," which generally includes the large buses we see on highways and city streets, ensuring that the physical design of the vehicle doesn't compromise the safety of those outside of it.

Tech to the Rescue

The legislation acknowledges that physical glass isn't the only way to see the road. It allows manufacturers to meet these new standards using cameras or other digital tech, provided the tech expands the driver’s field of vision or reveals areas that are otherwise blocked. For example, a driver might use a high-definition monitor to see "around" a structural pillar. However, there is a catch: any tech used must comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 101, which covers how controls and displays are arranged. This ensures that a driver isn't distracted by a clunky or poorly placed screen while trying to navigate a tight turn.

Accountability on a Deadline

By setting a strict one-year deadline for the Secretary of Transportation to finalize these rules, the bill pushes for a relatively fast rollout in the world of federal regulation. While this doesn't mean every bus on the road changes overnight—the rules apply to new motorcoaches—it sets a new baseline for the industry. For the average person walking to lunch or driving near a bus, the long-term goal is a reduction in low-speed intersection accidents where a driver simply "didn't see" the person in the crosswalk due to the bus's own design.