Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Public Bus Accident Statistics (Part A)
With troubles in the economy and higher gas prices, people are looking for ways to save money, as well as alternative travel options. Some people will curtail the amount of trips they make, combining errands on a single run and other shortcuts. Others will search out public transportation alternatives.
To reduce fuel consumption, a driver might buy a more fuel-efficient car, like a hybrid. One way to achieve both goals in Massachusetts is to use public transportation such as school buses to send your children to school, public buses, MBTA trains and commuter rails.
Public buses are gaining popularity within traffic congested cities and with commuters looking to avoid driving in the overcrowding. Riders choosing a public bus though might wonder about the safety of that particular mode of transportation. Even though they need to save money on fuel and parking, they also want to be assured about their safety on board.
Public Bus Injury Statistics
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), these are some of the startling statistics: 12,000 people were injured in bus accidents in 2007 and 37 people died from bus accidents that same year.
Injury statistics breakdown as follows:
- 12,000 a year
- 1,000 a month
- 231 a week
- 33 a day
These figures indicate a serious need to improve the safety of this transportation mode.
However, if you consider the following data from the NHTSA, “In 2007, there were an estimated 6,024,000 police-reported traffic crashes, in which 41,059 people were killed, and 2,491,000 people were injured; 4,275,000 crashes involved property damage only,” bus accidents seem to be only a small portion of the overall traffic accident dilemma.
Also given that millions of people use public buses in any given year for their transportation, the injury rate is proportionately lower than for personal vehicles.
That being said, anyone who has been involved in a public bus accident knows that the size of the bus often results in massive damage, serious injuries and even accident-related death.
Continue to Public Bus Accident Statistics (Part B) >>
