Motorcoach fire safety analysis : the causes, frequency, and severity of motorcoach fires in the United States

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration\u2019s (FMCSA) mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities on our nation\u2019s roads involving motor vehicles, and to further its work the agency set out to identify ways to reduce motorcoach fire risk. FMCSA\u2019s Vehicle and Roadside Operations Division contracted the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to perform a study to collect and analyze information from government, industry, and media sources on the causes, frequency, and severity of motorcoach fires in the United States, and to identify potential risk reduction measures. Volpe Center analysts only considered fires that were mechanical or electrical in origin, and that were neither the result of a collision nor arson. This study establishes an integrated incident database, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of risk trends and patterns, and provides recommendations that could result in fewer motorcoach fires and, in turn, safer roads and lives saved