2003_美国_HAR0301.pdf

8

Collision of a Greyhound Lines, Inc.

Motorcoach and Delcar Trucking Truck Tractor-Semitrailer Loraine, Texas June 9, 2002

〔图〕插图 Highway Accident Report

NTSB/HAR-03/01

PB2003-916201

Notation 7532

References

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Highway Accident Report

Factual

Accident Narrative

On Sunday, June 9, 2002, about 5:10 a.m. central daylight time, near Loraine, Texas, a 1993 Motor Coach Industries (MCI) MC-12 motorcoach, operated by Greyhound Lines, Inc., (Greyhound) and occupied by the driver and 37 passengers, was traveling east on Interstate 20 (I-20), on a scheduled route from El Paso, Texas, to Abilene, Texas, (see figure 1) at a driver-reported speed of 65 to 67 mph.$^{1}$ A truck tractor-semitrailer, consisting of a tractor and a semitrailer leased by DelCar Trucking (DelCar), which was being operated by a driver in training with a codriver in the sleeper berth, was entering the interstate from a picnic area at a driver-estimated speed of 40 mph and proceeding into the

〔图〕TexasAbileneLoralnAccidentlocationEl Paso\n

Figure 1. Map of route.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

〔图〕Taylor CountyMitchel CountyiNolan CountSweetwaterAbileneMilepost 228LoraineRanch Road 644Mitchell County|Nolan County1IM

Figure 2. Accident location.

eastbound lanes (see figure 2). The motorcoach collided with the rear of the semitrailer near milepost 228 of I-20, pushing the tractor-semitrailer approximately 276 feet.

Three passengers on the Greyhound bus, all seated in the front of the bus, were fatally injured. Five other passengers and the busdriver were seriously injured. Twenty-four passengers sustained minor injuries, and five passengers were uninjured. The truckdriver sustained a minor injury, and the codriver was uninjured.

Motorcoach

The bus departed El Paso at 8:30 p.m., mountain daylight time, on June 8, 2002, en route to Abilene with a scheduled arrival time of 6:00 a.m. The location and time of the accident indicated that the bus was on schedule when the accident occurred. The driver estimated that he was traveling about 65 to 67 mph and said that he had the low-beam headlights illuminated.

One bus passenger stated he observed the bus collide with the rear of the truck, and it appeared that the truck was stopped in the right lane of the highway. He stated that he “didn’t notice any lights” on the truck. Another passenger who also observed the collision thought the truck was stopped or parked in the right lane of the highway. A third bus passenger stated that after the accident, the busdriver told him the truckdriver “didn’t have his back lights on” and said he “couldn’t see the semi before it was too late.”

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

〔图〕L202A-11\n

Figure 3. Postaccident left side of motorcoach and semitrailer.

〔图〕插图

Figure 4. Postaccident right side of motorcoach and semitrailer.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Injuries

Table 1. Injury codes.$^{3}$

Medical and Pathological Information

Three motorcoach passengers sustained fatal injuries. The fatally injured passengers in row 1 (see figure 5) sustained severe impact injuries to the head, upper torso, and arms, as well as internal injuries. The passenger in row 2 by the left window sustained a fracture of the left temporal head area and fractures of the left scapula, arm, pelvis, and leg.

Five motorcoach passengers and the busdriver sustained serious injuries. The passenger in row 1, right window seat, sustained a diffused fracture of the left hip and lacerations and contusions (bruises) to the left leg, ankle, femur, forearm, and wrist. The passenger seated in row 2, right aisle seat, sustained a fractured right femur, a contusion to the right upper chest, and multiple contusions and abrasions to the head and upper torso. The passenger in row 3, left aisle seat, incurred multiple facial and head contusions and abrasions, a fractured left shoulder, and lacerations of the left leg. The passenger in row 3, left window seat, sustained several lacerations to the face, closed head injuries, neck injuries, a fractured vertebra, and a dislocated left hip. The passenger in row 10, left aisle seat, sustained a fractured left mid tibia, fractured left hand, left forearm fracture, and contusions of the left arm. The busdriver sustained traumatic injuries to both legs, the abdomen, and internal organs; his right leg was amputated during extrication from the wreckage.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

〔图〕M-39:SF-55:SF-50:FF-74:FF-10:MF-40:F2F-72:SF-52:MM-24:MF-10:S3M-22:MM-31:SM-22:MM-15:M4F-44:MM-61:MM-01:NM-21:M5F-18:MF-

Figure 5. Motorcoach seating chart. (Probable seating locations based on passenger interviews.) Definition of passenger labels: Gender – Age : Injury Severity.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Driver Information

Truckdriver

The 36-year-old truckdriver possessed a Texas Class A commercial driver's license (CDL) learner's permit, issued on May 26, 2000, with an expiration date of January 28, 2005. Federal regulations at 49 CFR 383.23 required that the truckdriver be supervised by a licensed CDL holder when operating commercial vehicles and that the licensed CDL holder be positioned in the front seat of the vehicle. Another employee of the motor carrier was assigned as a codriver/supervisor but stated that he was in the truck's sleeper berth at the time of the accident. Federal regulations at 49 CFR 391.41(a) require that drivers possess a valid medical certificate prior to operating a commercial vehicle; the truckdriver was not medically certified at the time of the accident nor did records indicate that he had ever been certified. Texas DPS cited the driver for not having a licensed CDL holder supervising him from the front passenger seat and for not having a medical certificate in his possession.

The motor carrier reported that the truckdriver had been working for the company about 2 weeks and had worked for another motor carrier prior to his employment at DelCar (the owner of DelCar had no records indicating how long the driver had been driving or working for another motor carrier). The truckdriver was on his second trip and in his 4th day of supervised driving for the motor carrier at the time of the accident. (For the truckdriver's logbook entries, see table 2.) The truckdriver's logbook was not completed for June 8 or June 9.

Table 2. Truckdriver logbook entries.

After the accident, the truckdriver was released by Texas DPS to return to El Paso. According to the owner of DelCar, the truckdriver traveled to Juarez, Mexico, where he had relatives,$^{4}$ and refused Safety Board requests to return to El Paso. Safety Board investigators were unable to contact the truckdriver.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Table 3. Busdriver logbook entries.

Vehicle and Wreckage Information

Truck

The 2000 Peterbilt tractor was towing a 1991 Stoughton 53-foot van semitrailer. The total weight of the tractor-semitrailer and load$^{6}$ was 40,710 pounds; the gross vehicle weight rating of the semitrailer was 68,080 pounds. The tractor, inspected by the Texas DPS on June 9, 2002, and released prior to the arrival of Safety Board investigators, was

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Highway Information

Highway Design

The accident occurred on eastbound I-20 approximately 1,200 feet east of milepost 228 in Mitchell County. I-20 is classified as a principal arterial and is a divided, two-way, four-lane, paved asphalt, controlled access highway. The posted speed limit was 70 mph during the day and 65 mph at night. A picnic area was along the south side of the interstate; the gore area $^{10}$ for the entrance ramp from the picnic area was about 935 feet west of the accident site (see figure 6).

〔图〕To El PasoChevron alignment signsNarrel Road (overpass)and eastermost area ofhighway safety lightingRamp leading toInter

Figure 6. Interstate 20 diagram.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Each eastbound lane measured approximately 12 feet across and was divided by painted stripes approximately 10 feet long and spaced every 30 feet. The left paved shoulder was about 4 feet wide and delineated by a 4-inch-wide retroreflective yellow painted edge line; the right paved shoulder was about 10 feet wide and delineated by a 4-inch-wide retroreflective white painted edge line. Rolled rumble strips $^{11}$ measuring 26 inches long were on the shoulder, approximately 4 inches from the right lane edge line. The westbound lanes were similarly configured and separated from the eastbound lanes by a 39-foot depressed earthen median.

Records provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) revealed that in a 5-mile section of I-20 centered on milepost 228, one accident had occurred in the previous 5 years: a single-vehicle run-off-the-road accident with possible injury. According to TXDOT, the annual average daily traffic count for 1996 to 2000 ranged from 9,200 to 12,100 cars (see table 4), with trucks accounting for 35.7 percent of the total traffic in 2000.

Table 4. Annual average daily traffic count.

Picnic Area Acceleration Ramp

The picnic area had a 975-foot acceleration ramp from the truck parking area to the interstate (see figure 7). The acceleration ramp from the picnic area was defined by the design plans as a single-lane, free-flow entrance terminal with a taper-type design. The interstate had a 4-percent upgrade beginning 375 feet east of the gore created by the picnic area's acceleration ramp. No visual obstructions existed between the acceleration ramp and the interstate.

According to current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines, an acceleration ramp should be long enough for a driver to make the transition from the speed on the entering roadway to the operational speed of the highway. The design of the ramp should be such that motorists can attain a speed

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

〔图〕插图

Figure 7. Picnic area acceleration ramp (looking west from accident site).

approximately equal to the average running speed of the highway, less 6.21 mph, by the time the left edge of the ramp joins the traveled portion of the highway.

Under current AASHTO guidelines, a vehicle leaving the picnic area from a parked position and entering onto a highway with a design speed of 70 mph requires an acceleration ramp of 1,410 feet at a maximum grade of 2 percent. When the picnic area was built in 1965, no guidance existed for the lengths of acceleration ramps. According to TXDOT, a roadway's design features are brought up to the current standards when a major rehabilitation project takes place. According to a TXDOT engineer, the agency plans to investigate the feasibility of revising the rehabilitation contract $^{12}$ to include changes to the eastbound picnic area acceleration ramp in spring 2003.

Lighting

In the immediate area of the accident site, the highway did not have overhead safety lighting. The picnic area west of the accident site did not incorporate lighting along the ramps or within the picnic area. Approximately 1,500 feet west of the picnic area, a series of eight dual-mast-arm light poles were in the center median, and two single-mast light poles were along the right-side right of way in each direction. These 12 lights were used to illuminate the interchange between I-20 and Ranch Road 644, as well as the 3-degree left curve preceding the picnic area. The easternmost lights can be seen in figure 6.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

〔图〕To El PasoBeginning oftandem wheetire marksEastboundInterstate 20WestboundInterstate 20Beginning ofsingle wheetire markB

Figure 8. Postaccident diagram.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

Tests and Research

Acceleration Tests

On June 18 and 19, 2002, Safety Board investigators recorded the acceleration rates of 16 commercial vehicles departing the picnic area near the accident scene. The average speed while the vehicles were still within the picnic area was about 17 mph. The vehicles accelerated for about 35 seconds to the general area of the accident scene and reached a speed at that location of about 34 mph. Both the highway and oncoming traffic can be seen from the acceleration ramp.

Semitrailer Lights Examination

Four taillights, an identification lamp, and a license plate lamp on the semitrailer (see figure 9) were examined to determine the condition of the lamp filaments. Each of the four rear semitrailer taillight lamps had two filaments, a smaller one connected to the taillights and a larger one connected to the stop lights. The filaments for all four of the semitrailer's taillight lamps were intact and connected to their respective posts. The smaller filaments for the two center taillight lamps displayed age sagging. The support and electrical posts on the identification lamp were bent and distorted, but the single filament was intact with some deformation in the area of the support hangers. No indications of filament oxidation were found on the identification lamp, even though the glass envelope was broken. None of the filaments exhibited stretching.

〔图〕RightLeftsidesideclearanceclearancelightslights(mounted on(mounted onside of trailer)side of trailerLefRighsidesidetaill

Figure 9. Rear semitrailer lighting.

Factual

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Highway Accident Report

$contractor_{26}$ not once has any motor carrier correctly answered all the compliance questions, even though the applicants are established motor carriers.

Currently, about 25 percent of motor carriers who apply to MTMC fail the initial screening process, and about 40 percent of those carriers who pass the screening process fail the prequalification inspection by MTMC contractors. All of these carriers have “satisfactory” ratings from the FMCSA and have been in operation over 12 months. Since the implementation of the prequalification inspection, no fatalities have occurred to persons while being transported by a MTMC-approved carrier.

New Entrant Safety Data

In 1998, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) issued a report on New Entrant Safety Research$^{27}$ under a project agreement with the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Motor Carriers (now the FMCSA). The study found that carriers with less than 1 year of experience had significantly more acute violations and patterns of critical violations$^{28}$ of safety management regulations than carriers with more than 1 year of experience (see table 5). The number of violations drops dramatically after the first year and, as carriers gain more experience, continues to decrease.

Table 5. Violations of safety management regulations per 1,000 drivers.

The study recommended that the FMCSA provide education and training programs at the time a motor carrier begins operation to shorten the compliance learning curve and increase the speed at which new carriers come into compliance with the FMCSRs.

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Highway Accident Report

Appendix B

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Forms MCS-150, MCS-150A, and OP-1

OMB No. 2126-0013

$$ \alpha $$

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

MOTOR CARRIER IDENTIFICATION REPORT

(Application for U.S. DOT Number)

〔图〕□S人\n 〔图〕V/N\n

8. For Cargo Tank (CT) Carriers of HM

a) The carrier has a system in place to ensure that its cargo tanks are inspected and tested as required by 49 CFR 180 by a facility registered with the U.S. DOT under part 107, Subpart F.

〔图〕□S人\n 〔图〕□\n By signing these certifications, the carrier official is on notice that the representations made herein are subject to verification through inspections in the United States and through the request for and examination of records and documents. Failure to support the representations contained in this application could form the basis of a proceeding to assess civil penalties and/or lead to the revocation of the authority granted.

C. All applicants must certify as follows:

1. Applicant is willing and able to provide the proposed operations or service and to comply with all pertinent statutory and regulatory requirements and regulations issued or administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, including operational regulations, safety fitness requirements, motor vehicle safety standards, and minimum financial responsibility requirements.

〔图〕□□YesNo\n

1. Applicant is willing and able to produce for review or inspection documents which are requested for the purpose of determining compliance with applicable statutes and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Hazardous Materials Regulations, within 48 hours of any written request.

〔图〕口□YesNo\n

1. Applicant is not presently disqualified from operating commercial vehicles in the United States pursuant to the Motor Carrier Improvement Act of 1999 or any other law.

〔图〕□□YesNo\n

NOTE:

All motor carriers must comply with all pertinent Federal, State, local and tribal statutory and regulatory requirements when operating within the United States. Such requirements include, but are not limited to, all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, or by a State agency operating a plan pursuant to Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 ("OSHA State plan agency"). Such requirements also include all applicable statutory and regulatory environmental standards and requirements administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a State, local or tribal environmental protection agency. Compliance with these statutory and regulatory requirements may require motor carriers and/or individual operators to produce documents for review and inspection for the purpose of determining compliance with such statutes and regulations.

19. Certification Statement (to be completed by an authorized official)

I, (Please print Name) , certify that I am familiar with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and/or the Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations. Under penalties of perjury, I declare that the information entered on this report is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true, correct, and complete.

FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FORM OP-1

Approved by OMB

2125-0568

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY

Expires 04/30/01

This application is for all individuals and businesses requesting authority to operate as motor property common or contract carriers or property brokers.

FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION FOR OP-1

Approved by OMB

2125-0568

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY

Expires 04/30/01

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY - OP-1 (cont.)

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY - OP-1 (cont.)

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY - OP-1 (cont.)

FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

FORM OP-1

Approved by OMB

2125-0568

APPLICATION FOR MOTOR PROPERTY CARRIER AND BROKER AUTHORITY

Expires 04/30/01.

Filing Fee

Information

All applicants must submit a filing fee for each type of authority requested. The enclosed fee schedule will show the appropriate filing fee. The total amount due is equal to the fee times the number of boxes checked in Section II. Fees for multiple authorities may be combined in a single payment.

Total number of boxes checked in Section II: ______ x filing fee $ ______ = $ ______

INDICATE AMOUNT $ __________ and METHOD OF PAYMENT

G CHECK or G MONEY ORDER, payable to: FMCSA

G VISA G MASTERCARD

Credit Card Number $\ldots$ Expiration Date

Signature $\ldots$ Date

Fee Policy

! Filing fees must be payable to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, by check drawn upon funds deposited in a bank in the United States or money order payable in U.S. currency or by approved credit card.

! Separate fees are required for each type of authority requested. If applicant requests multiple types of permanent authority on one application form (for example, common and contract carrier authority) or if applicant submits more than one form in the OP-1 Series in a single filing, multiple fees are required. The applicant may submit a single payment for the sum of the applicable fees.

! Filing fees must be sent, along with the original and one copy of the application, to FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, P. O. Box 100147, Atlanta, GA, 30384-0147. For express mail only: Nationsbank Wholesale Lockbox 100147, 6000 Feldwood Road, 3rd Floor East, College Park, GA 30349. For credit card only: FMCSA, Suite 600, 400 Virginia Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20024.

! After an application is received, the filing fee is not refundable.

! The FMCSA reserves the right to discontinue processing any application for which a check is returned because of insufficient funds. The application will not be processed until the fee is paid in full.

PAPERWORK BURDEN. It is estimated that an average of 2 burden hours per response are required to complete this collection of information. This estimate includes time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate or suggestions for reducing this burden should be directed to the FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, Licensing Division, Suite 600, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20024. This collection of information is required in order for the FMCSA to obtain data and register for-hire motor carriers of regulated commodities, property brokers, and certain U.S.-based Mexican-owned enterprise property carriers. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently-valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 2121-0016.