Illinois Injury Law Blog

Despite a more aggressive defensive-driving campaign and a heavier reliance upon bus simulator technology to train and re-train newly hired and veteran bus drivers, the Chicago Transit Authority continues to lead the national average in large system public bus accidents.

Just last week, ABC-7 reported that nine passengers were injured and taken to area hospitals after the No. 12 CTA bus was rear-ended by a car. Now, the Chicago Tribune has reported that current records compiled by the Federal Transit Authority indicate that CTA buses are involved, on average, in one crash per day.

While neither CTA administrators or drivers nor passengers are thrilled with this number, CTA official noted that bus drivers are driving further between accidents, logging 34,566 trips between crashes that occurred over more than 9.3 million runs. According to CTA records, 521 people were transported to hospitals after accidents involving CTA buses last year, and there was one fatality involving a pedestrian.

Information posted on the CTA website notes that the bus system is the second largest public transit system in the nation and provides, on average, 1.7 million rides daily. CTA public buses service 140 routes, 12,000 bus stops and make more than 25,000 trips daily.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that in 2008, there were 950 fatal crashes resulting in 1043 fatalities on Illinois roadways. In Cook County alone, there were 197,144 motor vehicle crashes, resulting in 272 fatalities and 40,184 injuries.