In-depth intercity bus crash investigation: Case study of fire-gutted bus in Thailand
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This paper presents the proposed measures to prevent traffic accidents from compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. The fire-gutted bus with a CNG system was investigated in detail of component and system defects as a case study, although many single bus accidents were recorded from and caused by errant bus drivers in Thailand. Thus, several measures were proposed to encourage safer road users from bus drivers in Thailand, such as drink-not-drive, GPS-monitored speed, and the readiness of rest areas, including driver fatigue prevention. While there are many existing vehicle standards for buses from United Nations (UN) regulation and Thailand, several buses have still erupted in flames. Therefore, the proposed measures from the investigation of the fire-gutted bus and the existing vehicle regulations can be used to enhance and accelerate actions in the approval of CNG bus and periodical technical inspection for roadworthiness. Through data information from the accident investigation and proposed technical inspection, the prevention of bus accidents with CNG systems can be continuously improved and enhanced under various traffic situations. Furthermore, the results from the investigation can be useful for forensic experts to support SDG Target 3.6 in reduction of deaths from road traffic accidents.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
United Nations. The sustainable development goals report 2016. New York: United Nations; 2016.
World health organization. Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: WHO; 2018.
The office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). Master plan under the national strategy (2018-2037). Bangkok: NESDC; 2021.
The Johns Hopkins University. Operational evaluation of unmanned aircraft systems for crash scene reconstruction, operational evaluation report, version 1.0. Laurel: The Johns Hopkins University; 2018.
Office of the council of state. Land transport Act B.E. 2522 (1979) [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 8]. Available from: https://web.krisdika.go.th/data/law/law2/%A111/%A111-20-9999-update.pdf. (In Thai)
Bus online ticket. Bus schedule from Buengkan province to Bangkok [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 8]. Available from: https://www.busonlineticket.co.th/booking_th.
Department of land transport. Measures of accident prevention for public transportation during 7 days of Songkran festival [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 8]. Available from: https://www.dlt.go.th/th/public-news/view.php?_did=2862. (In Thai)
Taneerananon P, Somchainuek O. Bus crash situation in Thailand: case studies. J East Asia Soc Transp. Studies. 2005;6:3617-28.
Department of land transport Thailand. Public bus accident data-open government data from planning division [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 5]. Available from: https://data.go.th/dataset/acbus. (In Thai)
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette under outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for the 1st time in Thailand [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2021 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2563/E/069/T_0001.PDF. (In Thai)
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette for method and assessment for bus body structure based on UN Regulation R66 in Thailand [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2021 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2563/E/305/T_0025.PDF. (In Thai)
UNECE. UN Vehicle regulations-1958 agreement, strength of superstructure (buses) UN-ECE R66, 1995 [Internet]. 2014 [2021 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs61-80.html.
Powell T. 20 Killed as bus erupts in flames in Thailand [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2021 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.standard.co.uk/ news/world/thailand-bus-fire-at-least-20-workers-killed-as-doubledecker-bus-goes-up-in-flames-a3802861.html.
Bangkok post public company. Driver of fatal-fire tour bus charged [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 10]. Available from: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2099727/driver-of-fatal-fire-tour-bus-charged.
Department of land transport. Information news regarding the measures for CNG inspection from the case of the fire glutted bus during Songkran festival 2021 [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 12]. Available from: https://www.dlt.go.th/th/public-news/view.php?_did=2863. (In Thai)
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette for method and assessment for braking in vehicle based on UN Regulation R13 in Thailand [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Sep 12]. https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2554/E/039/57.PDF. (In Thai)
UNECE. Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles of Categories M, N and O with Regard to Braking [Internet]. 1995 [cited 2021 Sep 15]. Available from: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r013r6e.pdf.
Osueke CO, Uguru-Okorie DC. The role of tire in car crash, its causes, and prevention. Int J Emerg Technol Adv Eng. 2012;2(12):54-7.
McDonald KM. Separations, blow-outs, and fallout: a treadise on the regulatory aftermath of the ford-firestone tire recall. John Marshall Law Rev. 2004;37(4):1073-179.
Thiriez K, Subramanian R. Tire pressure special study: tread depth analysis. Washington: National Center for Statistics and Analysis; 2001.
NHTSA. Final rule-federal motor vehicle safety standards; tire pressure monitoring systems; controls and displays NHTSA [Internet]. 2005 [cited 2021 Sep 17]. Available from: https://www.nhtsa.gov/document/final-rule-federal-motor-vehicle-safety-standards-tire-pressure-monitoring-systems.
UNECE. Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to their tyre pressure monitoring systems, TPMS (R115) [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/2017/
R141e.pdf.
UNECE. Uniform technical prescriptions concerning the burning behaviour and/or the capability to repel fuel or lubricant of materials used in the construction of certain categories of motor vehicles (R118) [Internet]. 1995 [cited 2021 Sep 19]. Available from: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/R118r1e.pdf.
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette for method and assessment for the burning behaviour based on UN Regulation R118 in Thailand [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2021 Sep 20]. Available from: https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2563/E/154/ T_0006.PDF. (In Thai)
UNECE. Uniform provisions concerning the approval of : I. Specific components of motor vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in their propulsion system II. Vehicles with regard to the installation of specific components of an approved type for the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in their propulsion system (R110) [Internet]. 1995 [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/ wp29/wp29regs/2015/R110r3e.pdf.
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette for installation of equipment in vehicle transportation with regard to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: https://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/300/ 35.PDF. (In Thai)
Ratchakitcha. Road Vehicles-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel systems: part 1: safety requirements [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2550/E/068/6.PDF. (In Thai)
UNECE. Consolidated text of the 1997 agreement on periodic technical inspection of wheeled vehicles [Internet]. 1997 [cited 2021 Sep 26]. Available from: https://www.undocs.org/ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2020/38.
UNECE. Periodical technical inspections of motor vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG), liqufied petroleum gas (LPG) and/or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in their propulsion system [Internet]. 1997 [cited 2021 Sep 26]. Available from: https://unece.org/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29r-1997agr-rules/ECE-RCTE-CONF-4-Add3e.pdf.
UNECE. Uniform provisions for periodical technical inspections of wheeled vehicles with regard to their roadworthiness [Internet]. 1997 [cited 2021 Sep 26]. Available from: https://unece.org/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29r-1997agr-rules/ECE-RCTE-CONF-4-a2r2e.pdf.
Ratchakitcha. Government gazette for periodical inspection in vehicle transportation with regard to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/300/ 64.PDF. (In Thai)
Perrette L, Wiedemann HK. CNG Buses fire safety: learnings from recent accidents in France and Germany. Society of automative engineer world congress; 2007 Apr; Detroit, United States.
Bucsuházy K, Matuchová E, Zůvala R, Moravcová P, Kostíková M, Mikulec, R. Human factors contributing to the road traffic accident occurrence. Transp Res Proc. 2020;45:555-61.
Malin F, Norros I, Innamaa S. Accident risk of road and weather conditions on different road types. Accid Anal Prev. 2019;122:181-8.
Sustainable Infrastructure Research and Development Center (SIRDC). Reconstruction of security scenarios of road in alerted zone, final report. Bangkok: The Army Research and Development Office (ARDO), Royal Thai Army (RTA) & Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand; 2022. (In Thai)
Fuad K, Daimaruta M, Kobayashi H. Temperature and thermal stresses in a brake drum subjected to cyclic heating. J Therm Stress.1994;17(4):515-27.
Laguna-Camacho JR, Juárez-Morales G, Calderón-Ramón C, Velázquez-Martínez V, Hernández-Romero I, Méndez-Méndez JV, et al. A study of the wear mechanisms of disk and shoe brake pads. Eng Fail Anal. 2015;56:348-59.
Bahrom MZ, Roslin EN, Arzmi MA, Zainal MK. Evaluation of wear in aftermarket brake pads for enhancing braking performance in a passenger vehicle. Int J Adv Sci Eng Inf Technol. 2016;6(4):553-6.
Wang F, Machemehl RB. Mechanistic-empirical study of effects of truck tire pressure on pavement: measured tire-pavement contact stress data. Transp Res Rec. 2006;1947(1):136-45.
Li Y, Zou S, Lei L, Yang X, Wu X. Analysis of impact factors of tire wear. J Vib Control. 2012;18(6):833-40.
Farroni F, Sakhnevych A, Timpone F. Physical modelling of tire wear for the analysis of the influence of thermal and frictional effects on vehicle performance. J Mater Des Appl. 2017;231(1-2):151-61.
Baecker M, Gallrein A, Calabrese F, Mansvelders R. Simulation of a sudden tire inflation pressure loss in a full vehicle context as a validation scenario for CAE based ESC development. SAE 2016 World Congress and Exhibition; 2016 Apr 12-14; Detroit Michigan, US. Pennsylvania: SAE International; 2016. p. 1-9.
Zhang DL, Xiao LY, Wang Y, Huang GZ. Study on vehicle fire safety: statistic, investigation methods and experimental analysis. Saf Sci. 2019;117:194-204.