Left-Turning Buses and Bus Accidents
In May 2010, Oregon's largest transit agency agreed to pay a record $1.5 million to a woman who lost a leg after it was crushed by a bus turning left in to a crosswalk in January 2008. The walk signal said, “Go” so she entered the crosswalk. The bus driver unfortunately also had a green light and turned left. The bus accident clipped victim’s dog, then ran her over.
Other recent bus accidents: Three weeks before, a 17-ton bus hit another woman near a movie theater, knocking her out of her shoes. She had the walk signal too as the bus driver turned left.Despite these recent bus accidents and a federal study showing that bus accidents involving pedestrians are more than twice as likely to happen during left turns, the Oregon transit agency isn’t altering its operating procedures per The Oregonian.
Other transit agencies, however, across the country have connected the dots: left-turning buses cause bus accidents. In the past year, transit agencies in Des Moines, Iowa, and Cleveland have adopted no-left rules and ordered drivers to honk before turning right. Cleveland is also among six cities where buses are being outfitted with pedestrian-warning systems. For instance, 550 buses have been wired to beep when turning. Also drivers in Cleveland sound the horn as they turn at intersections giving pedestrian further warning. Finally, buses in Richmond, Va., are now equipped with a prerecorded voice that tells pedestrians, “Caution: Bus Turning'” at intersections.
Difficulties in Turning a Bus
Turning a 17-ton bus is more difficult than most people realize. The problem is visibility. Similar to blind spots in a car but multiplied. Blind spots make left-turns for buses especially problematic. Even UPS has their truck routes now computerized to avoid left turns whenever possible.
A 2008 Federal Transit Administration study of bus accidents found that bus drivers often fail to properly “rescan'' crosswalks during arcing left turns. What's more, the research showed pedestrians have difficulty recognizing when big, rear-axle vehicles are about to turn left.
Pedestrians and cities alike should do everything they can to avoid tragic bus accidents. For walkers and bikers, it means being especially careful while navigating busy intersections. For city officials, it means embracing any policy that can avoid the recent bus accidents; prevent injuries and save lives.
Seeger Weiss is a law firm who understands first-hand what it takes to achieve justice in bus accidents. In 2009, it was lauded for its staunch representation of 11 victims and their families in the Wildcats Bus Accident Case, after the defendants’ agreed during trial to accept 100% of the responsibility for the tragic crash. The horrific accident, which resulted in four fatalities and countless other serious injuries, occurred when a Coach Canada bus carrying an “under 21” Canadian female hockey team named the Wildcats veered off of Interstate 390 near Rochester, New York and struck a parked tractor-trailer on the shoulder of the roadway.
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