ANALYSIS OF RECENT TRENDS IN BUS AND COACH SAFETY IN BRITAIN

We examine in derail trends from 1966 to 1990 and the fitting of stati stical models to assess whether significant changes have taken place i n casualty rates since local bus deregulation in 1986. The major sourc e of data is the 'Stats 19' collated from police reports by the Depart ment of Transport. The evidence indicates that no significant change i n casualty rates for bus and coach occupants (defined as those killed or seriously injured) has occurred since local bus deregulation, altho ugh the previous trend of reduction in fatality rates has not been mai ntained. International comparisons have been made between Britain and a sample of other West European countries. Britain appears to have a h igher occupant fatality rate. However, other countries' data do not al ways include casualties to bus and coach occupants other than those in which vehicular collisions occur. Better comparative data is availabl e for accidents involving buses and coaches with other road users, not ably for Britain and Germany. These suggest that such accidents tend t o reflect the national pattern of road casualty rates - for example, G ermany has a higher level of collisions between buses and coaches, and other road vehicles, while Britain has a relatively high incidence of casualties involving pedestrians. Differences in accident rates betwe en Britain and other European countries and the extent to which they r eflect real differences, as distinct from those due to differences in recording of data, are evaluated, along with policy implications.