Two passengers on a MARTA bus were injured Saturday afternoon when the mobile data terminal inside the bus reportedly tipped over and caused the bus driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a pole. According to a report from 11 Alive, the accident happened in Atlanta on Joseph E. Boone Blvd, The passengers’ injuries were described as minor.
MARTA has a target rate for its buses of no more than 3.8 accidents per 100,000 miles traveled. The authority’s website notes that from August 2022 to February 2023 (the most recent month for which data was provided), they failed to meet that standard, exceeding the allowable number of crashes. The company boasts a fleet of more than 500 buses that provide service along 1,439 miles of roadway throughout the region.
There have been numerous crashes involving MARTA buses in recent years, including a 2019 accident on I-20 in which a MARTA bus collided with two other vehicles, and two passengers were injured. An accident on I-20 in 2018 resulted in 13 passengers of a MARTA bus sustaining injuries, as well as the driver of another vehicle.
Buses, like other large commercial vehicles, are more difficult to maneuver than other vehicles on the roadway due to their size. Commercial carriers, such as transportation authorities, are required to carry higher levels of liability coverage in order to compensate passengers and other roadway users who are injured as a result of their driver’s negligence. However, it is important to understand that not all bus accidents are the fault of the bus driver. When the driver of another vehicle causes an accident with a bus in which people are injured or killed, that driver’s auto liability policy is the most likely source of compensation.