Fatal Bus Accident Statistics – Pennsylvania

Fatal Bus Accident Statistics – Pennsylvania

Every year, millions of people take to the roads on buses. Speed, distracted driving, fatigue, and improper maintenance are some of the most common reasons for accidents. Failing to make repairs or respond to recalls, or having blocked or non-working emergency exits can result in injuries and fatalities. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration oversees safety on many levels and can issue stiff penalties for those who violate its regulations.

Pennsylvania Bus Crash Stats

The Commonwealth defines a bus as a vehicle that can carry more than 15 people. It has more than 120,000 miles of roads/highways over 67 counties. Traffic accidents are investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement departments.

In 2015, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported 594 vehicles involved in commercial bus accidents, resulting in three occupant deaths. However, it noted ten fatal crashes and 412 injury crashes, while 166 incidents involved property damage. The agency combined heavy truck and bus vehicles for work zone crashes, of which there were 195 on interstate highways, 114 on state highways, 115 turnpike crashes, and 15 on local roads.

A total of 907 bus drivers were involved in crashes, but only one was found to have been drinking. There were 21 incidents in which one vehicle hit a fixed object. The report also noted that 163 commercial buses were in two-vehicle collisions, of which 90 hit a passenger car, and three hit other buses.

The 2012 report listed 584 commercial buses in crashes, with no fatalities of occupants. However, ten crashes somehow resulted in deaths, while 409 incidents resulted in personal injuries and 162 ended in property damage. There were 152 incidents on interstate highway work zones, 34 on state highways, eight on turnpikes, and four on local roads. In total, 968 drivers were involved in crashes, and none were drinking at the time.

Fourteen commercial buses hit fixed objects, and 170 were in collisions with passenger cars. One hit another vehicle of the same type. For other years, the department reported 534 commercial bus crashes in 2014, including one with a train resulting in one fatality, and 923 drivers involved in bus accidents.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Statistics

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System spans 2011 through 2015 and reveals that two bus occupants were killed in 2011 and eight sustained fatalities in 2013. There were two deaths reported by the administration in 2015, but none for the other years. Discrepancies in information can be due to different interpretations of vehicle type and the people involved in reported incidents.

Bus crashes can have disastrous consequences for those on board, in other vehicles, and who are walking the streets. Safety and attentiveness are often issues found to result in collisions with cars, objects, or people. Statistical trends can help officials determine common factors that can be addressed proactively to lower the number of future bus crashes and fatalities.