4 ms·

Here's the relative risk of pedestrian death per vehicle mile, broken down by vehicle type. (all ages) cars: 1 buses: 7.97 motorcycles: 1.93

Here's the relative risk of pedestrian death per vehicle mile, broken down by vehicle type. (all ages) cars: 1 buses: 7.97 motorcycles: 1.93 light trucks: 1.45 heavy trucks: 0.96 (age 0-14) cars: 1 buses: 11.85 motorcycles: 3.77 (age 85 and older) cars: 1 buses: 16.7 source: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/11/4/232 https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/11/4/232

alphabettsy 3y ago
That data is 20 years old. Maybe stats are the same or similar, but the makeup of vehicles on the road has certainly changed since 2002.
- Mindless2112 3y ago
  The average truck/SUV driver has also changed.
- Zigurd 3y ago
  Despite being old data, what they call "light trucks" are the gigantic pickups and SUVs of today. "Heavy trucks" are almost all commercial vehicles.
camel_gopher 3y ago
So the term “hit by a bus” reflects reality
sokoloff 3y ago
Anyone care to wager that “We’re addressing this from a data-based perspective,” [words of the bill's sponsor], will not impose these proportionally higher fees upon buses?
- snorlaxle 3y ago
  If you look into pedestrian fatalities per mile travelled per pessanger, buses are most probably still far safer than any of the vehicles listed.
sparky_z 3y ago
It seems to me that an even more relevant metric (if there were a reasonable way to calculate it) would be deaths "per passenger mile" rather than "per vehicle mile".
legitster 3y ago
You are skewing the data. The report itself says that. Buses only account for 2% of pedestrian casualties while cars and light trucks account for 90%.
chefandy 3y ago
That statistic supports the obvious: hundreds of thousands of buses throughout the world constantly drive tortuous routes through extremely densely populated areas, and far fewer drive in places with more miles and few people.
sunshinesnacks 3y ago
It seems like it would be useful to show relative risk per passenger mile in addition to vehicle mile. I don’t think that’s in the study, and I can’t find average bus utilization. For example, if cars and light trucks carry 1.5 passengers on average (made up number, but I’m sure it’s less than 2) and buses carry 20 passengers, then buses would be safer for pedestrians. Assuming you can “trade” light passnger vehicles for buses on a 1:1 passenger mile basis, which isn’t perfect, but it’s relevant. Edit: this report [0] says buses average 9 passengers, cars average 1.58, and pickups average 1.46. [0] https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/PublicTransportationsRoleInRespondingToClimateChange2010.pdf https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/Pub...
throwaway562if1 3y ago
Note that for an appropriate relative comparison between individual and mass transit, the appropriate measure is per passenger mile. (For a truly accurate comparison, you should also normalize driving regimes; cities, where buses generally operate, have a much higher rate of incidents per mile.) For an absolute comparison, buses are responsible for 2% of pedestrian deaths, vs approx. 90% for cars (per the same FARS data).

alphabettsy 3y ago

That data is 20 years old. Maybe stats are the same or similar, but the makeup of vehicles on the road has certainly changed since 2002.

Mindless2112 3y ago
The average truck/SUV driver has also changed.
Zigurd 3y ago
Despite being old data, what they call "light trucks" are the gigantic pickups and SUVs of today. "Heavy trucks" are almost all commercial vehicles.

camel_gopher 3y ago

So the term “hit by a bus” reflects reality

sokoloff 3y ago

Anyone care to wager that “We’re addressing this from a data-based perspective,” [words of the bill's sponsor], will not impose these proportionally higher fees upon buses?

snorlaxle 3y ago
If you look into pedestrian fatalities per mile travelled per pessanger, buses are most probably still far safer than any of the vehicles listed.

sparky_z 3y ago

It seems to me that an even more relevant metric (if there were a reasonable way to calculate it) would be deaths "per passenger mile" rather than "per vehicle mile".

legitster 3y ago

You are skewing the data. The report itself says that. Buses only account for 2% of pedestrian casualties while cars and light trucks account for 90%.

chefandy 3y ago

That statistic supports the obvious: hundreds of thousands of buses throughout the world constantly drive tortuous routes through extremely densely populated areas, and far fewer drive in places with more miles and few people.

sunshinesnacks 3y ago

It seems like it would be useful to show relative risk per passenger mile in addition to vehicle mile. I don’t think that’s in the study, and I can’t find average bus utilization. For example, if cars and light trucks carry 1.5 passengers on average (made up number, but I’m sure it’s less than 2) and buses carry 20 passengers, then buses would be safer for pedestrians. Assuming you can “trade” light passnger vehicles for buses on a 1:1 passenger mile basis, which isn’t perfect, but it’s relevant. Edit: this report [0] says buses average 9 passengers, cars average 1.58, and pickups average 1.46. [0] https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/PublicTransportationsRoleInRespondingToClimateChange2010.pdf https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/Pub...

throwaway562if1 3y ago

Note that for an appropriate relative comparison between individual and mass transit, the appropriate measure is per passenger mile. (For a truly accurate comparison, you should also normalize driving regimes; cities, where buses generally operate, have a much higher rate of incidents per mile.) For an absolute comparison, buses are responsible for 2% of pedestrian deaths, vs approx. 90% for cars (per the same FARS data).