Just how safe are the buses?

Image via Wikipedia

You may be wondering how safe motorcoaches are.

Motorcoach travel is the safest method of travel per passenger-mile.

American Bus Association study shows that motorcoaches do 630 passenger-miles a year as of 2006.

National Bus Safety Council study shows that between 1987 and 1996, average fatalities caused by buses is 4.6 per year. (For comparison, 44000 fatalities from cars per year for the same period)

Buses are higher off the floor, so the only things that can damage a bus is a truck or another bus, basically something of the same size or larger.

On the converse-side, buses are vulnerable to two things: roll-overs, and fires. Both have caused casualties in accidents. In the bus accident up in Williams, CA a while back, the unlicensed bus rolled over upon leaving the road surface. So far, it was believed that the driver had fallen asleep, though exact cause has not been determined. Some passengers were ejected in the rollover. Fortunately, there was no fire.

On the other hand, during the Katrina evacuation of New Orleans, a bus carrying seniors out of the city had a brake fire. The resultant blaze killed several seniors as they were not able to leave the bus under their own power.

That's one more thing to look for when you hire a bus: fire extinguisher.