MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SCHOOL BUS LOCOMOTIVE-CABOOSE COLLISION, LAFAYETTE, OREGON

The report documents the activities and findings of the University of Southern California Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team with respect to a train versus school bus collision in Lafayette, Oregon, Wednesday, September 8, 1976. The collision occurred when the school bus stopped at a stop sign posted at the tracks, then proceeded across the tracks directly into the path of an oncoming locomotive-caboose combination. The collision was apparently caused by improper visual search of the tracks by the bus driver, but environmental factors contributed to a decrease in the pre-crash conspicuity of the train. The impact caused the bus to tilt to the right; the train then rotated the bus about its rear wheels and dragged the bus 30 feet. The bus rotated beyond 90 degrees until the right rear struck the left side of the locomotive, causing three fatal injuries. The bus then rolled upright and on its wheel 300 feet coming to rest when it collided with a wooden garage. No ejections occurred. All three fatalities and many of the more severe injuries resulted from the secondary impact of the right rear bus against the left side of the train.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Southern California, Los Angeles

  Institute of Safety and Systems Management, University Park
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90007

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Flamboe, E E
  • Ouelett, J
• Publication Date: 1977-2-22

Media Info

• Pagination: 142 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Drivers; Environmental impacts; Fatalities; Highway traffic control; Human factors; Human factors engineering; Injuries; Locomotives; Multidisciplinary teams; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad tracks; Railroad trains; Research; School buses; Stop signs; Traffic crashes; Visibility; Vision; Visual perception
• Identifier Terms: Southern Pacific Railroad
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Geographic Terms: Oregon
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision; Grade crossing accidents
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00175277
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-HS-803-237 Tech Rpt.
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 18 1978 12:00AM