Tennessee Bus Crash

[usbusin]

Our prayers go out to the families of those killed and injured.

http://www.newsmax.com/US/tennessee-bus-crash/2013/10/02/id/528975


Okay, was it a "church" bus or a "charter" bus?   Rather confusing article.  Anybody nearby (Interstate 40 in Jefferson County) know the facts?

[John316]

http://www.newsmax.com/US/tennessee-bus-crash/2013/10/02/id/528975

Very sad

[jbnewman]

Based on the pictures on knoxnews, it's a church bus.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/oct/02/fiery-bus-crash-shuts-i-40-jefferson-county/

[luvrbus]

Looks to be a shuttle bus

[kyle4501]

Sad indeed. What chance did the Tahoe have?

Reports said bus blew a tire & crossed median into oncoming traffic.

Hope they can find out why the tire blew out & why the bus driver wasn't able to stay out of oncoming traffic. May help minimize future instances. . . .

[Jon]

Because we live in Knoxville we have gotten a lot of information on this from our local news sources. It is still reported a left front tire blew on the bus. Of the eight dead one was the truck driver and one was in the Tahoe, both traveling in the opposite direction from the eastbound church bus.

This really hits a nerve because like our private buses there are no specific safety requirements for our vehicles and no licensing requirements for drivers, both of which I think are wrong. In TN for example it is perfectly legal to have no inspection whatsoever on my 53,000 pound coach. Unless or until I decide to change tires I can drive on tires with cracks in the sidewalls legally as long as the tread depth is OK. I am also legal to drive my coach with a standard driver license, which is ironic when one considers I need a special license to operate a motorcycle.

As of this morning's news the accident investigators are going to examine all the bus working parts such as brakes and determine if in fact the accident was caused by a tire blowout. That may have contributed, but it is hard to imagine the bus could not have been controlled to the extent it would not have gone through the median, a cable barrier and into the opposite lane if the driver dealt with it properly.

[luvrbus]

Same here in AZ it is down right scary to me to see some private buses and drivers on the road here, that driver probably had CDL's since the bus had seating for over 15 passengers or should have had a CDL with passenger endorsement sad indeed 

[VoM]

My uncle's friend was in that accident. Terrible stuff. RIP to all the deceased.

[lostagain]

That bus might have been well maintained and in tip top shape. The driver might have been very competent and experienced with CDL.

But in my experience, most church and sports team buses are operated on bare bones budgets, maintained by reluctant volunteers and barely passing inspections, if any. They are driven by volunteer, part time driver's who, even if they have experience, only now drive occasionally. That means they are not comfortable with the bus because they only drive it once a month, or twice a year. You can't get the full time professional mechanics, bus drivers and truckers in town to help you because they don't have time.

I spent years maintaining and driving our junior hockey team's D3 as a volunteer. I quit a couple of years ago. It is again in the hands of part timers with good intentions, but it is an accident waiting to happen...

Just the other day, I was talking to the guy who maintains it, and the coach told him how the driver that takes them to most of the games now, cannot shift gears very well and takes corners too fast because he would rather not down shift...

I have voiced my concern before several times, and will again. But having your own team bus with your name and colors on it is important I guess.

Passing the liability on to a commercial charter outfit might be more expensive in the short term., but will pay off in the long term.

JC

[TexasBorderDude]

How to Handle a Tire Blowout in Your RV

[Len Silva]

I believe that, almost without exception, a blowout accident is because the driver hit the brakes.  It's instinctive and takes training and experience to overcome.

[luvrbus]

Buses are sorta of like airplanes if you don't try to over correct you will probably live to tell about it another day

[lostagain]

That is why a crash like this is less likely to happen to a professional driver than to an occasional driver.

JC

[luvrbus]

Yep JC I have been to Marathon with a friend that purchased a new Prevost they spent 3 hrs showing him how all the gadgets worked on the conversion then they drove him around the parking lot showed were reverse and forward was handed him the paper work and keys about 30 minutes total wished him luck and sent us on our way

This guy never drove anything larger than a pickup and was clueless 1st thing he did was knock off the mirror on my side hitting a sign 

[tomhamrick]

North Carolina does require a CDL for church buses and this was a North Carolina church. We have to have them at our church.