DEVELOPMENTS in technology have resulted in coaches with all the home comforts - toilets and wash basins, hot and cold snacks and video entertainment.

And all of these advances have been made with no sacrifice to safety. Coach operators ensure their customers enjoy their journeys and arrive safely. And their safety record is certainly one to be proud of.

With more than five billion passengers per year, the bus and coach industry has a safety record second to none and offers an unrivalled door-to-door service at home and abroad.

This safety record is not just down to advances in coaching technology. High standards of driving ensure that you are in careful and skilled hands.

In addition to this, all coaches are fitted with a speed limiter which prevents a coach from travelling over 70mph and each coach also carries a tachograph, which records speeds and how long a driver has been at the wheel.

Passenger safety and comfort is the absolute top priority of UK coach operators. Some of the extensive features provided for comfort and safety include:

l Safe speeds: A pre-set speed limiter prevents the coach exceeding the maximum legal limit. A retarder, independent of the brakes, slows the vehicle safely on long downhill stretches.

l Operator's licence: All coach companies must reach stringent standards before they get an Operator Licence.

l Secure structure: A steel framework provides a protective shield around the passenger. l Safe braking: Three separate braking systems. Anti-lock fitted to many vehicles to prevent skidding.

l High seat position: Offers improved visibility and places passengers above most collision accidents.

l Emergency exits: Fire extinguishers and numerous exits allow rapid evacuation in an emergency.

l Safe seats: High back, energy absorbing seats minimise any impact injuries. Since 1988, all new vehicles require lap belts on seats without a high back seat front.

l Fire-retardant materials: Increases time for quick evacuation in case of emergency.

l Efficient fuel: Diesel fuel is far less inflammable and emits fewer pollutants than petrol. l Excellent ride: With heavy components nearer the ground, a low centre of gravity combined with air suspension gives excellent stability.