Motor Vehicle Crashes: Bus Accident Fatalities Worse Than Reported.
Motor Vehicle crashes involving fatal bus accidents appears to be much higher than government reports according to a recent review of government records and news reports.
USA Today has found that a number of fatalities suffered in bus accidents – including a widely publicized bus crash in Tallulah. Lousiana which killed 8 people-has not been included in statistic of fatalities available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
USA Today found at least 42 deaths of motor coach occupants and drivers which were not reported suing the NHTSA’s standard definition of a motor coach in the years 1995-2009 (the most current years for which data is available. Since 2003, 32 fatalities were not included, which represents a 24% increase from the 133 deaths the agency did report. In addition, there were 42 deaths in midsize buses. This data suggests that motor coach crashes and fatalities have surged in recent years even as highway deaths as a whole have fallen 25% since 2005.
We applaud the current administration in its aggressive efforts to improve motor safety by doubling the number of surprise bus inspections and proposing the requirement of seat belts on motor coaches. Thanks to USA Today for taking on the review of government records and advising consumers of realities of bus safety. It appears to have encouraged renewed efforts by the NHTSA to work with state officials to improve the quality of accident data. The Chicago accident lawyers and South Chicago personal injury attorneys at Grazian and Volpe will be tracking the results of the improved data in the hopes it results in improved bus and motor coach safety.
