Dangers of overnight Flights and Buses? (hotel, airline, worst, drivers)
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I have taken greyhound buses overnight before from my college to my home, and I do it so I can save time, so I can sleep on the bus. Usually its always leaving point A at around 11pm, and arriving at point B at about 7am.
This also applies to overnight flights also, from west coast to east coast, just leave at midnight, arrive at point B at around 8am, with the time zone difference.
But, When I saw the news about the colgan plane that crashed in 09 because of fatigue, and saw the news about busses in the east coast crashing because of driver fatigue, it makes me paranoid about traveling overnight.
For example, I worked overnight shifts before, and usually for the first night after a 2 day weekend, it was the worst, because if I was unlucky, and I tried to sleep but cant during the day, I will be really, really tired. Usually around 5 am to 7am, thats when I would get super sleepy, so did my other co workers. and operating an object with so many lives on your hands, Its pretty scary. When I was on the greyhond, I tried to sleep, but I cant sometimes because any bump, or noise, I would wake up because I'm scared that the driver fell asleep. I dont do that anymore because I'm not in college anymore, but I want to hear your opinions.
Some people have a very difficult time doing any sort of shift work. Others have no problem with it. Driver fatigue can happen during the day, if the driver started out very early and didn't have proper rest stops.
I'm not aware of any statistics that suggest that overnight travel is any more dangerous due to fatigue issues than daytime travel. They might exist - I've just never heard of it.
Tour bus operators, which is the worst fly by night transportation mode out there, are no where near the level an airline is.
Fatigue will always be an issue but the reasons for the Colgan crash go WAY beyond that and had nothing to do with flying at night that caused the fatigue they experienced.
Some people have a very difficult time doing any sort of shift work. Others have no problem with it. Driver fatigue can happen during the day, if the driver started out very early and didn't have proper rest stops.
I'm not aware of any statistics that suggest that overnight travel is any more dangerous due to fatigue issues than daytime travel. They might exist - I've just never heard of it.
well, when I worked the graveyard, I always have someone in the shift, maybe once in a few weeks, that they did not sleep at all during the day because they tried and cant, or something unexpected came up, and they are just fighting to stay awake. I worked at a hotel, so it was fine, but for someone operating a bus of 56 passengers or 80 on those double deckers, and one planes thats trying to land, its a pretty scary thought. at least on a plane, theres another person, on a bus, your the only driver, people are sleeping in the back, and its so quiet. Its really easy for the driver to doze off for a minute and just crash.
I'm just throwing it out there, I just thought up of this because I watched the whole colgan air tragedy, and saw the news from some of the busses that crashed, and the driver fatigue.
Coltan air was fatigue and poor training and just bad skills by the pilots.
Long overnight flights are done with large airplanes with very experienced crews. Any flight in the US over 8 hours at any time has a relief pilot so one of the pilots can take a nap for a few hours. Any flight over 12 hours has 2 extra pilots. I most certainly would not be worried about flying red eye flights at all what so ever. The pilots are used to it, they are all very professional and I can't think of the last major incident with an overnight flight which directly involved fatigue.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Don't do the bus!!! Very dangerous at night + other drivers (I am a professional driver @ night). If you have not been robbed / 'pic pocketed' yet, you must be on a very safe route.,
Flights are much safer (and MUCH, MUCH, less risky travel partners).
I hate falling asleep on the bus at night now, ever since the incident in Manitoba a few years ago where a young kid was decapitated while sleeping by a psycho guy.
Mind you since then they have amped up security before you board the bus, no sharp objects or alcohol allowed on which is a relief for sure
I guess it makes sense, a modern plane will have warning signals if a plane senses another plane nearby, and pilots can take turns napping overnight since there is 2 people, and they only need to work when they liftoff and land.
busses, in the meanwhile, is dangerous. the greyhound drivers cant talk on the phone, listen to music. If its just dark all night long, and they have to fight to stay awake until 8am, just dozing off for 20 seconds can mean 56 lives.. and on those megabus busses (double deckers) its like 82 people...
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