Tour Travel

Posts Tagged ‘City Buses’

The number of accidents on U.S. roadways that involve buses has been steadily rising in recent years. Federal transit authorities report that the number of bus accidents went from just over 9,700 in 2003 to more than 28,000 in 2007.

And whether it is a city bus, tour bus, chartered bus, road bus or school bus, any type of serious bus accident can have severe health consequences for passengers.

But perhaps the most unsettling facts related to bus accident data are the ones involving children. Consider:

Children between the ages of 11 and 14 are the most likely to be injured in a bus accident. In children under the age of 9, more than 50 percent of the injuries reported for the age group involve some form of head injury. One-fourth of all bus accident injuries to children occur when a child is getting on or off a bus. More than 23 million children ride school buses every day in the U.S., and an estimated 17,000 of those children will be injured annually. Why are bus accidents so dangerous for children?

Bus design/structure. Buses are huge and bulky vehicles, with high centers or gravity. This makes them easier to roll over than most passenger vehicles. Exiting a rolled-over or otherwise compromised bus is also not as simple because of the bus design (two exits on most buses). Also because of their size and weight, buses are more difficult to turn and maneuver in tight traffic situations.

Lack of seat belts. Most school and city buses, except for the latest and most expensive models, do not offer seatbelts for passengers. This means that in the event of a collision, children can be violently tossed against the sides, ceiling, floor and other passengers.

Lack of closed storage areas. Most buses do not have closed storage for backpacks, large packages, laptop computers and other bags passengers bring on board. So when a crash occurs, these items often shift and become airborne, and children are easy targets for these flying objects.

Lack of security/adult oversight on school buses. Roughhousing is a common factor leading to school bus driver distraction. Unsupervised school buses mean drivers make more mistakes, leading to more serious accidents.

Inadequate boarding policies or signage at bus stops. Poor policies or signage can lead to small children being struck by oncoming traffic.