According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (USBTS), public transportation use is on the rise, with most major transit systems seeing at least one full percentage point increase in ridership.
For years, the number of accidents involving buses increased alongside public transit use, before peaking at 69,000 bus accidents in a single year. The most recent statistics show only a small decrease since to 65,000 incidents per year. More people ride buses than any other form of public transportation in the United States. Along the same lines, buses make up the majority of public transit accidents.
While government statistics point to bus travel being among the safest modes of transportation, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) survey reports that over 700 million people use buses every year. Recently, the occupant fatality rate was 45 deaths per 100,000 bus accidents. By comparison, the fatality rate for passenger car accidents is 251 deaths per 100,000 accidents.
Although buses are generally considered safe, accidents can and do happen. The NTSB reports almost 3,500 injuries and 1,315 fatalities stem from bus accidents during a seven-year period. Additionally, a University of Michigan study discovered that 63,000 buses, on average, are involved in bus accidents each year, with 14,000 of these resulting in an injury and 325 producing at least one death.
We can draw two simple conclusions from these statistics. One, buses are relatively safe, especially when compared to other vehicles. Two, buses are not immune to accidents, and those involved in these accidents may suffer severe injuries and even death.
