Fatal Bus Accidents in Hawaii
The Hawaii’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is a five-year program to be executed in the period from 2013 to 2018. The aim of the program is to make the state’s roads safer and reduce both fatality and injury rates. It applies to passenger vehicles, as well as bus transportation in the state.
Bus Crash Fatality Statistics
While bus fatalities in Hawaii aren’t non-existent, the state doesn’t rank among the ones with the most shocking figures. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) collects and organizes data from all states, creating in-depth reports about the risk of such collisions and deaths linked to them.
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buses involved | 185 | 170 | 28 |
| Number of Crashes | 182 | 166 | 28 |
| Fatalities | 7 | 9 | 5 |
| Injuries | 183 | 146 | 17 |
The most troublesome stat is from 2017. So far there have been 28 crashes; these contributed to five fatalities.
How do these figures compare to earlier reports? In 2013, Hawaii witnessed eight fatal bus crashes that caused the death of eight people. In 2014, nine crashes and nine fatalities occurred.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports for 2010 show that four fatal bus collisions have occurred. These represent 2.9 percent of all deadly collision in the state – a percentage that is much higher than figures for other states. In 2011, the numbers were the same.
How do Hawaii Fatalities Compare to Reports for Other States
The number of collisions varies from state to state with some parts of the US deemed much more dangerous than others as far as public and commercial transportation goes. While bus collisions represent a relatively large portion of fatal accidents in Hawaii, the number is still small when compared to data for other states.
Taking 2011 data in consideration, other states that have similar fatality levels include Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina.
The best performers in the ranking are Wyoming, Vermont, South Dakota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Maine, District of Columbia and Alaska. These are the states that haven’t had a fatal crash during the year.
On the other end of the spectrum are California, Florida, New York and Texas – the states that witness the most people killed in bus-related driving accidents.
Latest Accidents
One recent accident has gathered a lot of attention and the driver involved is now the subject of criminal proceedings.
A tour bus collided with an SUV in Honolulu, causing the death of the SUV driver. In fact, this was the driver’s second collision for the day. He also refused to do a drug and alcohol test after the second collision.
Several witnesses report that the bus driver’s performance was erratic and that he had to be charged with manslaughter due to the nature of his work and the irresponsible behavior pertaining to controlling such a massive and potentially dangerous vehicle.
In 2017, a pedestrian was also killed in a bus accident. A 65-year-old woman was hit by a tour bus close to Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. Speed and alcohol don’t appear to be factors. The woman was crossing the street at a crosswalk and multiple witnesses saw the accident.