Mass Transit Bus-vehicle Compatibility Evaluations during Frontal and Rear Collisions

Mass transportation systems and specifically bus systems are a key element of the national transportation network. Buses are one of the safest forms of transportation. Nonetheless, bus crashes resulting in occupant injuries and fatalities do occur. Therefore, crashworthiness research is a continuing effort. Using funding from the Federal Transit Administration, NIAR at Wichita State University is performing research to analyze and improve the crashworthiness of mass transit buses. According to the Traffic Safety Facts reports from 19992003, an average of 40 fatalities and 18,430 injuries of bus occupants occurred per year. An average of 11 bus occupants per year are killed in two vehicle crashes while 162 occupants per year of other vehicles are killed. For this period of time an average of 12,000 bus occupants per year are injured in two vehicle crashes while 8,800 occupants per year of other vehicles are injured. Vehicle compatibility is an issue that needs to be addressed in order to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries to mass transit bus, and collision partner vehicle occupants. Crash incompatibility between vehicles has been attributed to three factors: mass, stiffness, and geometric incompatibilities. The objective of this research is to identify vehicle compatibility issues encountered during typical Mass Transit Bus collisions with sedans, light trucks, and heavy trucks through the use of numerical finite element simulations. The findings of this research can be used in the future by bus and vehicle manufacturers to improve crash compatibility.