Photo: busworld.org
In an attempt to harmonize European bus safety standards with the ones applied in the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently cooking up new rules that will improve the safety of coaches and large buses sold Stateside.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new regulation to protect large bus and motor coach passengers in those nasty rollover crashes happening ever so often. According to the NHTSA, the new federal motor vehicle safety standard aims to improve the structural design of large buses, ensuring that passengers are better protected in crash situations such as rollover accidents.
As an ultimate goal, the NHTSA wants this new regulation to ensure that the space around the passengers remains sufficiently intact and the emergency exits remain operable. And you know what that means: two of the biggest tradeoffs come in the form of added weight and fuel efficiency penalties, but there's another one that'll affect the industry itself and fleet owners.
The agency also expects that manufacturer costs for safer buses will rise by at least $5 million and a maximum of $13 million per year, while the new regulations translate in a $282 to $507 addition to the selling price of each large vehicle. "The consequences for passengers in rollover crashes are severe," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "I want passengers to know that when this Department sees opportunities to make their travel safer so that they can more confidently visit their families or get to work, we are going to do just that and we believe this proposal is a step in that direction."
NHTSA's new bus rollover standards would also require the seats, overhead luggage racks, and window glazing to remain attached to their mountings during and after the test. In a separate rulemaking action to improve safety even further, the Department is planning on finalizing requirements later this year for stability control technologies in these vehicles, which would help prevent rollovers from occurring.
"The traveling public deserves safer service and peace of mind when they board a motorcoach or large bus," added NHTSA acting administrator David Friedman. "Stronger large bus structures, combined with seat belt use will help keep passengers secured and protected in the event of a crash."
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a new regulation to protect large bus and motor coach passengers in those nasty rollover crashes happening ever so often. According to the NHTSA, the new federal motor vehicle safety standard aims to improve the structural design of large buses, ensuring that passengers are better protected in crash situations such as rollover accidents.
As an ultimate goal, the NHTSA wants this new regulation to ensure that the space around the passengers remains sufficiently intact and the emergency exits remain operable. And you know what that means: two of the biggest tradeoffs come in the form of added weight and fuel efficiency penalties, but there's another one that'll affect the industry itself and fleet owners.
The agency also expects that manufacturer costs for safer buses will rise by at least $5 million and a maximum of $13 million per year, while the new regulations translate in a $282 to $507 addition to the selling price of each large vehicle. "The consequences for passengers in rollover crashes are severe," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "I want passengers to know that when this Department sees opportunities to make their travel safer so that they can more confidently visit their families or get to work, we are going to do just that and we believe this proposal is a step in that direction."
NHTSA's new bus rollover standards would also require the seats, overhead luggage racks, and window glazing to remain attached to their mountings during and after the test. In a separate rulemaking action to improve safety even further, the Department is planning on finalizing requirements later this year for stability control technologies in these vehicles, which would help prevent rollovers from occurring.
"The traveling public deserves safer service and peace of mind when they board a motorcoach or large bus," added NHTSA acting administrator David Friedman. "Stronger large bus structures, combined with seat belt use will help keep passengers secured and protected in the event of a crash."
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