Iowa Fatal Bus Accident Statistics
Iowa reported 61 fatalities in 2015 with 48 crashes, which is an increase from the 48 fatalities in 46 crashes for 2014. This information comes from a report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Fifty large vehicles were involved in these accidents. Only seven accidents were single-vehicle crashes while 41 involved multiple vehicles. According to statistics, most accidents with large trucks/buses involve two vehicles.
A bus is considered to be any vehicle with room for at least eight passengers plus the driver. This may include school buses, transport buses, and intercity buses as well as the newer category of van-buses. As more buses were registered, the number of fatalities per million miles driven has increased. In 1975, there were more than 460,000 buses registered with a fatality rate of 5.75. In 2014, the number of buses was over 870,000 with a fatality rate down to 1.77.
Iowa has a fatality rate per one million people of 15.37, which is considerably higher than the national average of 11.19. However, it had dropped significantly from 25.93 in 2010. Almost all bus fatalities occurred in non-work zones while sixty percent of them happened on rural roads. The majority occurred during the daytime on weekdays with clear weather and dry pavement. The average speed for the majority of these accidents was between 50 and 55 mph.
Most counties in Iowa had zero fatalities involving large trucks and buses in 2015. Several reported between one and five deaths, but two had between six and fifteen fatalities.
Mahaska County reported six fatalities in 2015, which was an increase from the one reported in 2014. Benton County, which is located in the eastern central portion of the state, had the highest total of large vehicle accidents with nine. This number is a dramatic increase from the one reported for the prior year.