Buckle Up – DOT Proposes Seat Belt Mandate for Motorcoaches

In a new report, the Department of Transportation is proposing a mandatory installation of lap/shoulder belt for each passenger seating position in new motorcoaches.

The report states that while motorcoach transportation overall is a safe form of travel in the United States, several motorcoach crashes in 2008 have illustrated that motorcoach rollover crashes, while a relatively rare event, can cause a significant number of fatal or serious injuries in a single event.

DOT believes that the seat belt assemblies that would be installed on motorcoach passenger seats pursuant to this rulemaking could reduce the risk of fatal injuries in rollover crashes by 77 percent, primarily by preventing occupant ejection in a crash.

The additional cost to install seatbelts on a new motorcoach is estimated at $12,900.

Over the ten year period between 1999 and 2008, there were 54 fatal motorcoach crashes resulting in 186 fatalities. During this period, on average, 16 fatalities have occurred annually to occupants of motorcoaches in crash and rollover events, with about 2 of these fatalities being drivers and 14 being passengers. Given the high-occupancy of motorcoaches, when serious crashes do occur of this vehicle type, they can cause a significant number of fatal or serious injuries during a single event, particularly when occupants are ejected.

Seat belts are estimated to be 77 percent effective2 in preventing fatal injuries in rollover crashes, primarily by preventing ejection.3 This NPRM proposes to require passenger seating positions on new motorcoaches to be equipped with seat belts

DOT estimates that installing lap/shoulder seat belts on new motorcoaches would save approximately 1 to 8 lives and prevent 144 to 794 injuries per year.  DOT estimates that installing lap/shoulder seat belts on new motorcoaches would save approximately 1 to 8 lives and prevent 144 to 794 injuries per year.  The NHTSA is seeking public comment on the proposal for the next 90 days.  A copy of the entire report is available online.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/rulemaking/pdf/NPRM_Belts_on_motorcoaches.pdf