Investigation of a mass casualty traffic injury of a double-decker tourist bus rammed into a trailer lorry at an intersection in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/dcj.2023.55Keywords:
Road traffic injury, bus, severity, injury, traffic injury investigationAbstract
Road traffic injuries kill millions of people globally, and thousands of Thais die as a result of them each year. On 26 September 2020, a tourist bus rammed into a trailer lorry led to mass casualty. This
investigation aims to describe the event and identify possible causes of accident and injuries to provide
recommendations and preventions. We conducted interviews with survivors and medical workers and inspected the vehicles and road. Factors related to fatalities and injury severity were determined by linear and logistic regression. A double-decker tourist bus with 3 drivers took turns driving carrying 56 passengers hit a trailer lorry at an intersection with the speed 84 km./hr., after for 21-hour driving. The accident caused 7 deaths at the scene, 2 deaths at hospitals and 50 injured passengers. Those who sat in downstairs (AOR=13.40, 1.35-113.30) or sat in the collapsing area of the bus (AOR=34.88, 3.48-348.73) increase chances of dying. Those who fell from seat or sat on broken seat had 9.42 higher ISS (1.06-17.77) and those who sat in a collapsed area of the bus had 22.95 higher ISS (13.73-32.18). The truck and road reached the
standard of Ministry of Transport, Thailand. This accident was mostly caused by the drivers' exhaustion and the absence of road markings with an audio tractile profile to warn drivers. The severity of injuries was
exacerbated by excessive speed, passenger overload, bus rollovers, and fragile bus components. Workers in the medical field must always be prepared for large casualties. A road marker with an audio tractile profile should be utilized. The Department of Land Transportation should improve enforcement of the law on buses and drivers in order to comply with national and international standards.
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