NTSB -- DISTRACTED DRIVING LED TO FATAL ARIZONA BUS CRASH, NTSB CONCLUDES

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2010

SB-10-21

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DISTRACTED DRIVING LED TO FATAL ARIZONA BUS CRASH, NTSB

CONCLUDES

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Washington, D.C. -- Today the National Transportation Safety

Board determined that last year’s fatal tour bus accident

near Dolan Springs, Ariz. was a result of the driver being

distracted by his manipulation of the driver’s side door as

he was traveling about 70 mph on a divided highway. As the

driver attended to the door, the vehicle drifted out of its

lane. The driver then made an abrupt steering maneuver to

correct the drift resulting in a loss of directional control

of the medium-sized bus.

On Friday, January 30, 2009, at 4:06 p.m. MST, a 2007

Chevrolet/Starcraft 29-passenger bus, operated by DW Tour

and Charter and carrying 16 passengers and the driver,

crashed on U.S. Highway 93 on a return trip from Grand

Canyon West to Las Vegas. The bus came to rest on the

southbound side of the four-lane divided highway after

veering out of its northbound lane, crossing the median and

rolling over. Seven passengers were killed, and nine

passengers and the driver sustained minor to serious

injuries.

In its investigation the NTSB found that other factors, in

addition to the driver’s failure to maintain control of his

vehicle, contributed to the accident and its severity.

Had the vehicle been equipped with a lane departure warning

system, the driver would have been alerted upon the initial

drift from the driving lane. A stability control system,

already widely used in automobiles, could have reduced the

likelihood of the driver losing control of the bus and

rolling over.

“Along with the efforts being made to address the issue of

distracted driving, lane departure warning technology and

stability control systems can help prevent accidents like

the one in Dolan Springs from ever occurring,” said NTSB

Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.

The Safety Board determined that because the U.S. Department

of Transportation has yet to establish consistent

classifications for each bus body type in operation, it is

unclear whether current bus safety initiatives affect

medium-sized buses. The Board also found that if there were

Federal standards addressing occupant protection, roof

strength and window-glazing, the likelihood of catastrophic

outcomes in medium-sized bus and motorcoach rollovers would

be reduced.

From this investigation the NTSB made the following

recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA): require new commercial vehicles

exceeding 10,000 pounds to be outfitted with lane departure

warning systems, stability control systems, and safer

overhead luggage racks; develop standard regulatory

classifications and definitions for all bus body types;

include all buses above 10,000 pounds, other than school

buses, in rulemaking on occupant protection, roof strength

and window glazing; and require all buses above 10,000

pounds to be equipped with data recording systems.

A synopsis of the Board’s report, including the probable

cause, conclusions, and recommendations, is available on the

NTSB’s website, at

http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2010/HAR1001.htm.

The Board’s full report will be available on the website in

several weeks.

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NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson

(202) 314-6100

peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

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