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Another Fatal Charter Bus Crash
It has come to my old work Division. Left front tire blow out results in coach stricking bridge abutment on US 74/I-74 in Richmond County, NC. At least four fatalities and 40+ injuries.
Keep watch on your tires, especially steer tires, otherwise this could happen to you too. Thanks to BoaterAl for posting, repeatedly, the video about how to control your coach in event of a steer tire blowout. The proper reaction is totally contradictory to how one would “normally” react to the sudden loss of air pressure in a front tire. Today may be an especially good day to go back and intently watch with active listening, that means both ears and an open mind, Al’s tire video.
wncn.com/2016/09/17charter-bus-crash-closes-nc-highway/
Be safe, not sorry – or worse, DEAD.
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7 Replies
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We have repeatedly stressed the importance of care of tires and Al has made it a mission to insure we understand how to react by posting the video every month.
A few years back a church bus with a professional truck driver at the wheel had a left front blowout and it crossed the median striking an SUV and a semi head on, killing at least seven people. Our tires are vital to our safety and we cannot underestimate the value of replacing them as they age, keeping the correct pressures in them based on the weight they carry and inspecting them prior to a trip.
Two hands on the wheel, and don’t allow that cell phone to divert your attention for even a few seconds. A blowout will happen without warning and your response has to be immediate and correct.
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I’am unable to open recent crash video, message says, address invalid.
I have talked to many people about watching this video. No one has made any comments in a negative reply.
You can tell video is a few years old, but the message will never change. Listening to Mr. Parsons explain what happens when you have a blow out or his words “sudden loss of air” then see the scaled forces arrows showing you exactly what happens helps us understand.
I reprinted two (2) side by side RV’er’s letters to the editor on the site. One driver nearly killed every one in RV and the other pulled to the side of the road safely. Both are side by side on the forum thread exactly as in RV magazine. “This video could save your life”
By watching video each month training our brain to think gas pedal and not brake pedal in that split second.
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Carole & Will
thanks. My condolences to the families of the 4 persons.
Ever since i first saw the Benny Parsons video (right here on this site) I have made a note in my bus checklist to watch it every time we move. It is a life saver and if I ever encounter a steer blowout, I hope the repetition of watching what to do kicks in.
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Carole & Will
thanks. My condolences to the families of the 4 persons.
Ever since i first saw the Benny Parsons video (right here on this site) I have made a note in my bus checklist to watch it every time we move. It is a life saver and if I ever encounter a steer blowout, I hope the repetition of watching what to do kicks in.
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Chip, I worked traffic with the NCSHP at North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1990 until Feburary 2004. One of the events I saw Benny walk up through the stands at the start/finish line. What a gentleman he was with the fans. The fans started a Benny, Benny, … chat as he climbed the stairs. He waved at those fans that he could not reach and shook hands wth those he could. He was a former driver for L. G. DeWitt who built the track, opening it for the 1965 season. Shame the track got tied up in the Bruton Smith cry baby that wanted a second date for Texas. The track sits unused and forelorn, with lots of solar panels taking up what space was used for parking and camping.
Sad.
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Jon…
The medium-duty church bus you mentioned where 7 people died was from a church in Statesville, NC. When that happened, North Carolina DOT/NCHP began a campaign of “Safety Seminars” one of which was held at my church here in Shelby. Locally it was primarily attended by those of us (I drive my church’s 56 passenger Prevost when I’m home) who drive church buses…it was voluntary for us. Whether they mandated the professional’s attendance to similar meetings, I don’t know.
A couple of interesting facts came out of the seminar. First, the tire that blew on the Statesville bus was 12 years old! Good grief! Secondly, out of this episode, passenger buses are required to change tires on a much shorter interim…impossible to get an state or DOT inspection without compiance.
Just as I do on my motorhome, when I drive the church bus, it doesn’t move until I check the air pressure. On my bus, I will be at Jeff’s for all the rears in a couple of weeks and I intend to have him install one of Tom’s Pressure Pro systems at the same time. The additional security of that system will be great to have…looking forward to it.
Tires: not a good place to pinch pennies!!!
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I know this is being a Monday morning quarterback but if the tires were good and the driver had responded as the video shows those folks would be alive today. So sad.
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