Tennessee Fatal Bus Accident Statistics
There were 116 traffic fatalities reported for 2015 in Tennessee involving large trucks and buses. This is an increase from the 110 reported in 2014 but a decline from the 127 recorded in 2013. The deaths occurred as a result of 101 accidents, involving 113 large vehicles. This information comes from a report created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Of these accidents, 17 involved a single vehicle, while the rest included two or more. Nationally, most large-vehicle fatal accidents occur during the day on weekdays. The weather is usually clear with dry pavement. Most occur on rural roads with the vehicle traveling between 50 and 55 mph.
Tennessee has a fatality rate per one million people of 15.30, which is above the national average of 11.19. It is also a significant increase from the 12.92 reported in 2010. The population has increased during this time by about 250,000 people. However, the greatest factor is the increase in the number of fatal accidents.
A bus is defined in this report as a vehicle that is capable of carrying eight or more passengers, along with the driver. This includes school buses, as well as intercity and transport buses along with van-buses.
The number of buses registered has increased from over 462,000 in 1975 to more than 872,000 in 2014. However, the number of fatalities per million miles driven has dropped from 5.75 to 1.77 for the same time period.
Tennessee reported at least one fatality in over half of the counties for 2015. Most had five or fewer while four counties had more than that total. Davidson County reported seven for the year while Bradley had six and Hamilton reported eight. Shelby County in the far western corner of the state also had eight deaths for the year.