Motorcoach Safety

Buses are the safest vehicle on the road, bar none. The bus industry is the proud owner of the best highway safety record regardless of which jurisdiction is gathering the data.

Independent studies, statistics and reviews of industry performance by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Safety Council and other respected safety organizations highlight the industry's consistent, superior safety performances over the past three decades. And, the motorcoach, tour and travel industry is insuring that the already comprehensive safety and maintenance requirements for buses are continually examined for further improvement.

Over the most recent 10-year period for which data are available, traveling by motorcoach has been the safest mode of intercity travel. Among all passenger transportation modes, the motorcoach fatality rate is lowest - 0.5 fatality per 100 million vehicle miles. For passenger cars, the fatality rate is nearly three times higher. For U.S. air carriers, the fatality rate is four times higher. And for passenger trains, the fatality rate is 14 times higher than the rate for motorcoaches.

As well as providing stellar customer service skills, bus companies have always been leaders in providing technical training - defensive driving skills and air brake training, for example, to ensure their drivers are prepared with safety in mind.

Motorcoach passenger safety is one of ABA's top priorities. When it comes to trying to make bus passengers secure, members of the American Bus Association are top notch. Since 2002, ABA members have received a full 90 percent of the $48.8 million in grants awarded to the motorcoach industry by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. That means that ABA members have gotten almost $40 million to secure the nation's private motorcoach industry and help protect this valuable portion of the commercial passenger transportation industry.

ABA members have used the federal dollars to bolster motorcoach safety in a variety of ways. Those include building fencing perimeters, adding security cameras, buying explosive detection screening equipment, installing driver shields, enabling global positioning satellite tracking (GPS), and taking advantage of training exercises to coordinate response efforts with law enforcement and other first responders.