When you need to ferry a group of people to a social or community event, minibus hire often makes the most sense. It's a cost-effective option, and everyone gets to travel together, making it difficult for anyone to be late or lost (unless the driver makes a wrong turn, of course). If you're about to embark upon your first trip driving a minibus, or it's been some time since you've had to do it, it's really important to consider these minibus safety tips for drivers.

Do You Have The Right Licence?

Before you go making any grand plans, you first need to be sure that you're legally able to drive the minibus. An open or full Australian driver's licence is sufficient to drive a minibus that seats up to 12 passengers. Some minibus hire companies might allow their vehicles to be driven by the holder of a provisional driver's licence, but it's generally at their discretion. To drive a minibus that seats more than 12 passengers, you will need a Light Rigid licence, which allows you to drive a vehicle of up to 8 tonnes.

How Does It Handle?

A minibus is not going to be as responsive as your usual car, and this is something you really need to aware of. Hopefully you won't be in a position where you'll need to swerve to avoid a hazard, but it could happen. The minibus will be slower and heavier than you're use to, and this must be taken into account. If it's your first time driving a minibus, you might want to take it for a short solo drive, just to get a feeling for the vehicle. You should also practise parking, since the vehicle's larger size needs to be taken into consideration.

Plan Your Journey

If your drive is going to be a long one, you should allow sufficient time to reach your destination, as well as factoring in rest stops. This means that your passengers will travel in comfort, and that they have the opportunity to eat and use the bathroom, which is particularly important when travelling with children. You might be driving to an unfamiliar destination, and of course you don't want to get lost, because it means everyone will be delayed. If the minibus is not equipped with GPS, then make sure you have access to a smartphone with this function.

Eyes On The Road

It's arguably more difficult to concentrate when driving a minibus than it is to drive a regular car. The space behind you will be filled with people, quite probably your friends and family, all having a range of conversations. Don't allow the noise behind you to distract you, although if you've ever had a long drive with young children, you probably already know how to block out that noise!

By making sure that you know what you're doing when you drive a minibus, it will ensure that you and your passengers will arrive safely, and in comfort.

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