Motor carrier type and factors associated with fatal bus crashes 1999 and 2000

Abstract

In 2000, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) regulatory responsibilities were extended to buses with seating for nine or more occupants, including the driver, transported for compensation. FMCSA has also begun supporting data collection on buses involved in fatal crashes, to enhance information on the buses involved and the motor carriers that operate them. In response, the Transportation Safety Analysis Division at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) initiated the Buses Involved in Fatal Accidents (BIFA) project to collect much more detailed information about buses involved in fatal crashes. The present study focuses on factors associated with fatal bus crashes involving different bus operator types. Five different carrier types are identified: School, transit, intercity, charter/tour, and “other” bus operators. There are substantial differences between these carrier types that are reflected in many aspects of the crashes they are involved in, including when and where the crashes occur, who is injured in them, the configuration of the crash, the previous driving record of the bus drivers, and the frequency of driving errors related to the crash.