Adopted: July 22, 1981
EAST SIDE CHURCH OF CHRIST
BUS SKID AND OVERTURN
U.S. ROUTE 183,
NEAR LULING, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 16, 1980
NTSB Number: HAR-81/04
NTIS Number: PB81-233462
SYNOPSIS
About 7:25 a.m., central standard time, on November 16, 1980, an intercity-type bus was traveling south on U.S. Route 183, a two-lane rural highway in south-central Texas. It was raining and the pavement was wet. As the bus approached and attempted to negotiate a curve to the left, the rear tires of the bus lost traction. The bus skidded across the opposing traffic lane and onto the shoulder before it could be steered back onto the highway. As it crossed the highway again, the bus spun 180 degrees and slid into a drainage ditch where it struck the side of the ditch and overturned onto its left side. Two bus passengers were killed, and the busdriver and 35 passengers were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the low wet cornering capability of the marginal yet “legal” rear bus tires and the low frictional quality of the wet pavement, which combined to produce loss of rear tire traction and vehicle control as the bus was being operated at or near the posted 55 mph speed limit.
RECOMMENDATIONS
As a result of its investigation of this accident, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that:
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
Accelerate its activity to establish rulemaking action for minimum frictional quality standards for commercial vehicle tires. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-33)
Advise State Motor Vehicle Inspection agencies of the, problems associated with operating vehicles equipped with tires worn to noncontinuous tread groove depths. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-34)
Issue model inspection criteria to prohibit the use of tires worn to noncontinuous tread groove depths. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-35)
Reevaluate its Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 119 to eliminate tire designs that produce noncontinuous tread grooves before the tire is worn to the tread wear indicators. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-36)
the Federal Highway Administration:
Revise Sections 393.75(b) and (c) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to prohibit the use of tires worn to noncontinuous tread groove depths on any axle of a commercial interstate vehicle. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-37).
Issue an On-Guard Bulletin to advise owners, operators, maintenance personnel, and State commercial vehicle inspectors of the problems associated with operating vehicles equipped with tires worn to noncontinuous tread groove depths. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-38)
Evaluate Pennsylvania Department of Transportation policies for the Placement of "slippery when wet" signs and the detection and correction of potential wet pavement problem locations for national policy purposes. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-39)
the Texas Department of Public Safety:
Revise its tire tread depth inspection criteria to prohibit the use of tires worn to noncontinuous tread groove depths. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-40)
Reevaluate its tire tread depth inspection criteria that limits the tread depth criteria to only one tire in each set of dual wheels while permitting that tire to have less than 2/32 inch of tread depth in the shoulder grooves at the same time. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-41)
the Texas Department of Highways and Public Transportation:
Post “slippery when wet” signs with flashing lights at the accident location until the pavement surface is repaired and its skid resistance qualities are improved. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-81-42)
Repair and improve the skid resistance qualities of the pavement surface at the accident location after those locations with high accident histories and low frictional quality pre improved. (Class II, Priority Action) (H -81-43)
