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Enhance Protection for Motorcoach Passengers
Objectives
One of the primary causes of passenger injury in motorcoach buses is passengers’ being thrown from their seating area during an accident. In its 1999 special investigation report on bus crashworthiness, the Safety Board concluded that the overall injury risk to occupants in motorcoach accidents involving rollover and ejection may be reduced significantly by retaining the occupant in the seating compartment throughout the collision. The Board asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require new motorcoach bus occupant protection systems that retain passengers in their seating area. In addition, stronger bus roofs and easy-to-open bus window emergency exits are needed to enhance safety.
Summary of Action
In 2002, NHTSA met separately with motorcoach manufacturers and operators to address, through a cooperative research program, the issue of bus window retention and release, including hold-open devices for breakout windows; no research plan was agreed upon at those meetings. In fall 2004, NHTSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Transport Canada to carry out research in the areas of roof crush and window retention technology, with a goal of keeping occupants in the vehicle, because most motorcoach fatalities occur when passengers are ejected from the vehicle. NHTSA’s research shows that in most accidents, the bus only rolls 1/4 turn and comes to rest on its side; therefore, installation of roof exits to serve as an alternate to window exits as a means of rapid emergency egress for bus passengers was also being examined.
On August 6, 2007, NHTSA issued a memorandum, “NHTSA’s Approach to Motorcoach Safety,” which presents a comprehensive review of motorcoach safety issues and the course of action that NHTSA will pursue to address them. Emergency egress, seat belts, and roof strength were determined to be priorities that NHTSA will be focusing on over the next 2 to 3 years. In the course of its research, NHTSA will study its own regulations—such as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 217, which establishes minimum requirements for bus window retention and release to reduce the likelihood of passenger ejection in crashes—as well as international standards to determine the best way to proceed with the establishment of new requirements to better protect motorcoach passengers.
Action Remaining
Continue efforts to improve motorcoach design and to address construction and occupant protection issues.
Safety Recommendations
H-99-9 (NHTSA)
Issued February 26, 1999
Added to the Most Wanted List: 2000
Status: Open—Acceptable Response
Revise the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 217, “Bus Window Retention and Release,” to require that other than floor-level emergency exits can be easily opened and remain open during an emergency evacuation when a motorcoach is upright or at unusual attitudes. (Source:A 1999 special investigation on bus crashworthiness issues [NTSB/SIR-99/04])
H-99-47 (NHTSA)
Issued November 2, 1999
Added to the Most Wanted List: 2000
Status: Open—Acceptable Response
In 2 years, develop performance standards for motorcoach occupant protection systems that account for frontal impact collisions, side impact collisions, rear impact collisions, and rollovers. (Source:A 1999 special investigation on bus crashworthiness issues [NTSB/SIR-99/04])
H-99-50 (NHTSA)
Issued November 2, 1999
Added to the Most Wanted List: 2000
Status: Open—Acceptable Response
In 2 years, develop performance standards for motorcoach roof strength that provide maximum survival space for all seating positions and that take into account current typical motorcoach window dimensions. (Source:A 1999 special investigation on bus crashworthiness issues [NTSB/SIR-99/04])
November 2007
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