Severe Coach Accident Survey

Data about severe coach accidents are still limited. More knowledge in this field is required to define safety priorities that designers and manufactures need to consider in future vehicles. Despite the good safety level of coaches, some spectacular accidents nevertheless occur causing serious injuries and death to the users, and these are often brought to the public's attention by the media.

This survey is based on all the fatal coach accidents that occurred in France between 1978 and 1984. The paper describes the causes and accident configurations and analyzes the injury mechanisms. Countermeasures are discussed, and possible ways of minimizing occupant injuries, related to strength of front end structures, seat back improvements, window retention, and fire protection, are suggested