OVER-THE-ROAD BUS ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1995-1999

This report is an analysis of the available data on the involvement of over-the-road buses in traffic accidents in the United States for the years 1995 through 1999. The report is taken from the full report, "Bus Accidents in the United States, 1995-1999" (UMTRI-2001-17, TRIS 00821214). Only the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) files identify over-the-road buses as a distinct vehicle body style. Thus the information in this report is taken from the FARS files. The FARS data on over-the-road buses are instructive in many respects. For example, on average, 33 over-the-road buses were involved in crashes producing an average of 45.6 fatalities each year. Sixty-two percent of the fatalities (28.4 fatalities on average annually) in collisions involving over-the-road buses were occupants of other vehicles and 6% (5.8) were non-motorists. Thus, of the nearly 46 fatalities on average each year only about 11 were on board the motorcoach at the time of the accident. Moreover, the 33 fatal involvements of over-the-road buses account for just 11% of the average of 297 buses (school buses, transit buses and over-the-road buses) involved in fatal accidents each year. Bus type could not be determined in the FARS system for 5.8% of the vehicles identified as buses. Of the average of 340 people killed in all bus accidents over the five-year period, only 13.4% were killed in accidents with over-the-road buses. Fatalities resulting from accidents with transit buses and school buses were almost three times as high. Another important fact in the report is that "fatigue" is not a significant factor in over-the-road bus accidents.