The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center released a study this summer showing that many of the motorcoach fires occurring over the past decade and a half could have been avoided through proper data reporting, oversight and vehicle maintenance.

Commissioned for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Volpe Center created a database of reported motorcoach fires from 1995 to 2008 and found that an average of 160 incidents are reported each year. While the average cost of damages of the 899 fire records found was $65,000, 95 percent were found to result in no direct injuries or fatalities, the most notable occurring in September 2005 fire onboard a motorcoach that was evacuating senior citizens from a nursing home outside of Houston to Dallas during Hurricane Rita. That incident claimed the lives of 23 and injured more than a dozen others.

The National Transportation Safety Board later determined that the Texas fire was caused by insufficient lubrication in the right-side tag axle wheel bearing assembly, a common origin for motorcoach blazes. The Volpe study determined that 7 out of 10 motorcoach blazes originate here or in the vehicle's engine compartment. But another contributing factor, according to NTSB, was a lack of federal oversight of the passenger motor carrier, Global Limo Inc.

The Volpe Study found that, while credible estimates of the frequency of fires on all types of buses combined do exist, motorcoach-specific estimates are not easily found in state and federal accident statistics, national fire databases and general media sources. It recommended improved collaboration with data-source organizations to improve their coverage, depth, and quality of reporting of key elements related to motorcoach fire incidents. It also promoted adherence to regulatory guidance for reporting motorcoach fires to the FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System and increased support of data standardization initiatives for defining common data elements and coding for crash reports.

Improved inspection standards and vehicle maintenance can also catch possible fires before they erupt. An analysis of inspection data suggested that the frequency of roadside inspections with out-of-service violations points to future motorcoach fire risk. But Volpe also found that the current North American Motor Carrier Inspection and out-of service criteria may be incapable of addressing fire prevention during routine inspections. As a result it recommended an increase in collaboration between motor carriers and fire safety experts on indentifying critical inspection items associated with fire risk and an increase in the frequency of on-road inspections. Additionally, the study called for motor carrier out-of-service rates to be used as an indicator that focused fire safety investigations should be conducted. Passenger carrier inspectors and investigators also need enhanced fire training, and there needs to be revised safety ratings to include a broader range of passenger carrier vehicle violations.

As for improved vehicle design, fire safety equipment and operator training, the Volpe study also called for: consideration of design changes to improve the fire safety of brakes, turbochargers, tires, electrical systems, wheel/hub bearings, and exits; evaluation of the effectiveness of automatic failure warning systems and fire detection/suppression systems; support of research and development in technologies for wheel-well fire detection/suppression systems; and enhancement of fire-response equipment, safety procedures, and training requirements for drivers and maintenance personnel.