Author(s)

H. Li, R. Nimbalkar, L. Kwasniewski & J. Wekezer

Abstract

Most of the bus safety standards in the USA are not applicable to cutaway buses for which a production process is split into two stages. First, the chassis and cab section are assembled by automobile manufactures. Then the vehicle is shipped to another company, where bus body and additional equipment are installed. Lack of strict structural standards for transit bus body builders stimulates the need for crashworthiness and safety evaluation for this category of vehicles. Such an assessment process is needed and important since transit buses are often used to transport disabled passengers. Although a full scale crash test is considered the most reliable source of information regarding structural integrity, crashworthiness and safety of motor vehicles, the high cost of such tests and difficulties in collecting data result in an increasing interes

Keywords