Fatal Bus Crashes in California
California is one of the states that have the largest number of public and private bus collisions that have a lethal outcome. Researchers have long been working to identify the factors that contribute to a higher risk of such accidents in the state. Studies suggest that 83 percent of drivers who participate in such serious crashes haven’t exhibited risky behavior before. The age of the driver and their experience could be two factors explaining the risk of high severity crashes.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics both have thorough reports about bus collisions that resulted in death. Here are some of their most recent findings.
Fatal Crashes in California: Annual Reports
FMCSA has the newest statistics for fatal collisions:
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buses involved | 1,110 | 950 | 236 |
| Number of Crashes | 1,106 | 943 | 230 |
| Fatalities | 22 | 17 | 2 |
| Injuries | 960 | 851 | 158 |
*2017 data is incomplete
Thre is also data provided for 2013 and 2014. In 2014, California had 29 fatal bus collisions which caused 37 deaths. One year later, there were 20 crashes and 34 fatalities.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates that fatal crashes caused by public and commercial transportation represent 0.6 percent of all vehicle accidents that have caused death.
In October, 13 people were killed, and 31 sustained injuries after a tour bus crashed. The accident occurred in the Southern region’s highways and the bus collided with a tractor trailer. Speeding contributed to the deadly collision near Palm Springs. The driver was killed in a collision.
In August, five people were killed when a bus got nearly sliced in half after it slammed into a highway pole in San Joaquin Valley. Eighteen people were injured, none of them experienced critical wounds. According to passenger reports, only eight individuals survived the accident unharmed.
Passenger reports suggest that a risky overtaking could have been the cause these accidents.
How do California Numbers Compare to National Averages?
Statistics for California suggest that deadly accidents occur more frequently in the area than in other parts of the US.
Fatal collisions involving large trucks and buses has gone down significantly during the period from 1975 to 2015. In 1975, there were 4,032 crashes that caused 4,816 fatalities. The fatal crash rate per 100 million vehicle miles for large trucks and buses was 0.32.
In 2015, total collisions that killed people went down to 3838, and the fatalities were 4337. This represented 0.124 accidents that resulted in death per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.