Severity of urban transit bus crashes in Bangladesh

Unlike in developed countries where buses are a relatively safe mode of transport, there is a significant safety concern in many developing countries like Bangladesh regarding transit buses. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the factors contributing to the number or severity of bus crashes. Using the ordered probit model on bus crash data from 1998 to 2005 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, our study shows that there is a general increase in the severity of transit bus crashes over this period. Also, crash severity tends to increase when the collision occurs on weekends, off-peak periods, and two-way streets or involves only one vehicle, a pedestrian, and other vulnerable road users. On the other hand, the severity of a crash tends to be lower at locations with some form of police control or road medians, as well as for crashes involving hit object, parked vehicles, or sideswipes. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.