Lights, camera, action for MAN Driving Professionals: Explanatory videos provide an easy summary of complex bus and coach issues
Easy explanation: On its YouTube channel, MAN Truck & Bus is publishing explanation films for a wide range of bus and coach issues – from efficiency to safety to correct actions in case of an accident. The aim of the “MAN Driving Professionals” film series: Provide optimum support to bus and coach operators and drivers, and illustrate the latest technical innovations.
- Presenter Philipp Bächstädt and professional driver Thorsten Helbig take viewers with them on an exciting journey into the world of buses and coaches
- Topics covered run from emergency management and accessibility to efficient driving and the MAN OptiView mirror replacement system
- An important tool for improving driver expertise
How does MAN OptiView work? What are the benefits of the assistance system compared to a “normal” mirror system? What does a driver need to pay attention to if an emergency occurs and the bus or coach has to be evacuated? A series of short explanation films from MAN Truck & Bus answer these and many other questions. “We hope that the films will provide operators and drivers with the best possible support by presenting important topics to them in an understandable and informative way”, says Heinz Kiess, Head of Product Marketing Bus. He adds: “It’s also important to us to promote greater expertise among drivers. The better drivers understand and can use the technology and assistance systems in their vehicles, the safer and more efficient they are on the road.”
As well as MAN and NEOPLAN buses and coaches, the main stars of the films are the Munich-based presenter Philipp Bächstädt and professional driver Thorsten Helbig. Among other topics, the expert explains safety systems, driver assistance systems and correct behaviour on the road and in emergencies. To illustrate how things work, the systems are first introduced and technical animations are shown. “Film is a great medium for making even very complicated information easy to understand in a concise way. Eight films on different topics are already available and the series will be continuously expanded”, Kiess says. For example, one of the films provides useful tips on economical driving. Other topics include accessibility and climate control on coaches, as well as emergency management in case of fire, MAN EfficientCruise® and MAN OptiView. The latter is the world’s first mirror replacement system available as standard for coaches. The Driving Professionals demonstrate how it works and how it can improve road safety. Driving through a tunnel, viewers also discover how good the image quality is, even in darkness.
They also introduce the Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), which warns the driver of an impending collision and initiates braking automatically in an emergency, to a stop if necessary. In the film, a NEOPLAN Tourliner is driving on an airfield runway towards a stationary car at 80 km/h. Driver Thorsten Helbig deliberately ignores the warning signals from the assistant to demonstrate how the system initiates emergency braking. The NEOPLAN Tourliner comes safely to a stop four metres short of the car.
A further film looks at correct adjustment of the driver’s seat. This includes factors such as seat height, tilt angle, arm position, and the position of the backrest and steering wheel. “The correct seat adjustment enables the driver to be relaxed and avoid fatigue when driving, making him safer”, professional driver Thorsten Helbig explains in the film.
The MAN Driving Professionals films are published on the MAN Truck & Bus YouTube channel at https://go.man/wjCL4VlT.
