Because Mitsubishi Fuso doesn’t fix what isn’t broken, it didn’t tinker with the Aero Star city bus’s design. In fact, this one pretty much looks like the previous generation. There were no changes in the engine or the transmission either. What the company did was put a simple upgrade that could save the lives of passengers and road users.

Ever heard about stories of injuries or deaths just because some bus driver didn’t stop driving even if passengers were still boarding the vehicle? Well, the Aero Star now comes with a special interlock device for the accelerator. This prevents the bus from accelerating when the front door is open. This isn’t exactly new tech. Older Aero Stars already had a similar feature for the middle door. But now, it won’t matter which door passengers are using—the bus won’t be able to move until both are closed.

The rearview mirrors have also been tweaked. Following the latest Japanese regulations on indirect vision for buses, the glass and its mounting were redesigned. This means better visibility for drivers so that accidents can be avoided. Again, this will help keep passengers, pedestrians and other motorists safer.

These very minor updates may sound trivial. But for what they do to help prevent mishaps, they could play a major role in preserving lives. Hopefully, our public-utility vehicles get the same upgrades, too.