How Safe are the Buses on America's Highways?
When we board a bus we assume that a large vehicle provides an extra degree of safety; however, our assumption is wrong.
Buses are dangerous because bus companies are not required to have buses equipped with modern safety equipment and existing safety regulations are not uniformly enforced by the government.
For example, seat belts aren’t required in buses, there are no requirements for roof crush support structures, nor are there requirements that buses have ejection resistant windows.
Bus safety is low on the government’s priority list and the bus industry is pleased.
Even the simplest regulatory measure to ensure that bus drivers are qualified to operate a bus safely is neglected by regulators.
There are many bus accident where bus passengers are thrown about and injured because there are no seat belts. When a bus overturns and lands on its top there is little to prevent the roof from crushing down and seriously injuring and killing passengers. Also in a bus rollover it is common for passengers to be ejected from bus windows and injured or killed on the highway.
There are many long standing safety features that would improve bus safety and save lives, but they haven’t been required by the government.
Perhaps under the Obama administration we will now see a new emphasis on bus safety; until then, drive your car or take a plane.
To learn more about bus safety, go to The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
