On December 14, 2007, NHTSA took a city bus - a 2000 MCI 54 passenger motorcoach - and slammed it into a wall at 30 mph. There were 13 rows of seats.
The driver's seat and the front two rows of seats were thrown forward into the front area / windshield. The front three rows of seats did not have dummies. It can be assumed that the driver and at least 50% of the passengers on the first two seat rows would be fatally injured if they were real people. Even the third row was dislodged.
For head injury criterion: (Note, these are rough guides and will not apply to every occupant in every crash)
0 - 399: No injury
400 - 699: Minor injury
700 - 999: Moderate injury
1,000 - 1,299: Serious injury
1,300 - 1,499: Severe injury
1,500 - 1,799: Critical injury
1,800 or higher: Fatal injury
Injury Data - 30 mph Crash
Chest and leg injury was not a major concern for any occupant in the 4th to 12th rows, but some occupants, especially unbelted occupants, would suffer serious head injury from being tossed around and slammed into stiff structures, in addition to numerous cuts, bruises, and abrasions. One unbelted dummy in the 12th row suffered fatal injury levels.
On November 16, 2009, a second, more violent crash test took place. This one was on a 1999 MCI motorcoach and took place at 35 mph. Despite the modest increase in crash speed, there was 36% more kinetic energy. The front three rows were removed. This was a 12 row bus.
Injury measures are with the video on You Tube. Even though they are belted, the fourth row occupants, who are just behind the wreckage, risk serious injury. The first three rows, if they had occupants, would be fatalities; the 4th - 6th rows get pelted by debris, and the interior falls apart. The video says it all. This is a terrifying crash. Some of the belted occupants in the more rearward (8th - 12th) rows get off easy; they are in customized, non-standard bus seats being used for research.
Both tests proved that unbelted occupants, regardless of the location, are at high risk for serious and even fatal injury. It is a good thing that buses are so large.
The driver's seat and the front two rows of seats were thrown forward into the front area / windshield. The front three rows of seats did not have dummies. It can be assumed that the driver and at least 50% of the passengers on the first two seat rows would be fatally injured if they were real people. Even the third row was dislodged.
For head injury criterion: (Note, these are rough guides and will not apply to every occupant in every crash)
0 - 399: No injury
400 - 699: Minor injury
700 - 999: Moderate injury
1,000 - 1,299: Serious injury
1,300 - 1,499: Severe injury
1,500 - 1,799: Critical injury
1,800 or higher: Fatal injury
Injury Data - 30 mph Crash
Chest and leg injury was not a major concern for any occupant in the 4th to 12th rows, but some occupants, especially unbelted occupants, would suffer serious head injury from being tossed around and slammed into stiff structures, in addition to numerous cuts, bruises, and abrasions. One unbelted dummy in the 12th row suffered fatal injury levels.
On November 16, 2009, a second, more violent crash test took place. This one was on a 1999 MCI motorcoach and took place at 35 mph. Despite the modest increase in crash speed, there was 36% more kinetic energy. The front three rows were removed. This was a 12 row bus.
Injury measures are with the video on You Tube. Even though they are belted, the fourth row occupants, who are just behind the wreckage, risk serious injury. The first three rows, if they had occupants, would be fatalities; the 4th - 6th rows get pelted by debris, and the interior falls apart. The video says it all. This is a terrifying crash. Some of the belted occupants in the more rearward (8th - 12th) rows get off easy; they are in customized, non-standard bus seats being used for research.
Both tests proved that unbelted occupants, regardless of the location, are at high risk for serious and even fatal injury. It is a good thing that buses are so large.
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