Mass transit bus systems are an integral part of the national transportation network, serving more than 20.6 billion passenger-miles per year with a relatively low fatality rate. Bus occupant injuries are evenly distributed among crashes on all sides of the bus, while fatalities primarily result from frontal crashes. The three primary objectives of this crashworthiness research were to (1) characterize the structural response of mass transit buses, (2) characterize the occupant kinematics and injury mechanisms in mass transit bus interiors, and (3) develop interior design concepts and crashworthiness design procedures for mass transit buses. For better understanding of how injuries and damage result from bus crashes, this research used computational and virtual reality methods to model crash effects on buses and their occupants and full-size sled tests with “crash dummies” of varying sizes to verify the simulation results. The research found that primary mechanisms of injury to occupants are passenger-to-passenger collision and passenger-to-seat-structure impact. The research suggested design guidelines that should reduce occupant injuries and fatalities during side, frontal, and rear-impact collisions of transit buses with various vehicle types.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of transit bus safety regulations and standards developed by all 50 states, as well as information on ho...
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United States Department of Transportation
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