Most of us don’t think about bus accidents or bus accident statistics until a high-profile crash appears on the news. However, government agencies, as well as other entities, have been compiling data on bus accidents for several years. Some of the statistics may surprise you (please note that these statistics include school buses, tour buses, and all other types of motor coaches):
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported in 2012 that more than 700 million passengers use buses annually. While the vast majority of these people traveled without incident, 250 passengers died in 2009 and 20,000 were injured in bus accidents that same year. Between 2000 and 2007, the NTSB reported that bus accidents were responsible for 1,315 deaths and nearly 3,500 injuries (these numbers include bus passengers, as well as pedestrians and other drivers).
The Journal of Safety Research conducted a study in 2012 that noted young bus drivers increase the risk of a bus accident being severe, as do drivers aged 55. A bus driver aged 65 or older has the highest risk of being involved in a serious accident. The study also found that in more than 80% of bus accidents, the bus driver was not engaging in risky driving behaviors, and that fewer than 5% of bus drivers involved in accidents were charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, or other serious offenses.
A 2010 study by the University of Michigan found that, on average, about 63,000 buses of all types are involved in accidents each year. Around 14,000 of these result in injuries, and 325 result in at least one death. Additionally, the study found that around 50 bus passengers (including the bus driver) die in any given year. Intercity and charter buses have a higher probability of being involved in an accident, with charter buses having a significantly greater chance of experiencing “driver error.”
The NTSB conducted a study in 2011 which found that during 2009, the bus occupant fatality rate was 45 deaths per 100,000 accidents. This is significantly lower than the rate for occupants of private passenger vehicles: 251 deaths per 100,000 accidents. Between 2005 and 2010, there was an annual average total of 1,003 bus accidents: 32 of these were fatal, resulting in 44 deaths. Five hundred and five of these were nonfatal accidents resulting in injuries only, and 467 accidents involved property damage only.
What do the statistics tell us?
While the above statistics do support the conclusion that you’re far more likely to be killed in a car crash than in a bus crash, they also reveal some concerning trends:
- Bus accidents occur regularly every year;
- The age of the bus driver plays a significant role not only in determining their risk of being involved in a bus accident but also in correlating with the severity of the crash;
- Bus accidents are responsible for a number of deaths and injuries, not only to bus passengers but also to other road users.