Human factors issues in motorcoach emergency egress

Pollard, John K.; Markos, Stephanie H. · 2009 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This interim report, prepared by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), addresses human factors issues related to emergency egress from motorcoaches. The study was motivated by the need to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 217 and address safety improvements identified on the National Transportation Safety Board’s “Most Wanted List,” specifically regarding easy-opening windows and roof hatches. The research aims to identify design changes that could increase passenger egress rates and reduce injury risks during catastrophic events such as fires, rollovers, or water immersion. The methodology for this first year of a two-year study included a comprehensive literature review of regulations and research from other transportation modes and countries, naturalistic observations of passenger egress at bus terminals, and field measurements of release and opening forces for emergency exits. Additionally, human factors egress experiments were conducted using federal employees as volunteer subjects to estimate flow rates for front doors, emergency exit windows, wheelchair-access doors, and roof hatches under ideal daytime conditions. Key findings indicate that normal front-door egress from a fully loaded motorcoach takes three to four minutes, with rates generally below 20 passengers per minute. While current emergency exit windows comply with FMVSS 217 force limits, the margin is small for larger windows, and many adults require openings larger than the minimum specification to egress safely. Roof hatch release forces were well within regulatory limits, and able-bodied adults could egress through them at approximately 12 passengers per minute when the bus was overturned. However, significant barriers to rapid egress were identified: front doors may be blocked or inaccessible if the driver is incapacitated; wheelchair-access doors cannot currently be opened from inside the bus; and emergency exit signage is often illegible in low-light conditions (0.1 to 0.8 lux). The report concludes with several potential design changes to improve emergency evacuation. Recommendations include installing positive “hold open” devices for all emergency exits, increasing the number and size of roof exit hatches, and adding a second side door or modifying the wheelchair-access door to allow interior operation. To enhance exit identification, the authors propose using high-performance photoluminescent materials, crashworthy emergency lighting, or dual-mode systems, along with clearer instructions and retroreflective exterior markings. These findings provide a basis for future rulemaking to enhance motorcoach safety standards.

Key finding

Normal front-door egress requires three to four minutes for a full bus, whereas emergency roof hatches allow egress at approximately 12 passengers per minute when the bus is overturned, but current exit signage is often illegible at night due to insufficient illumination.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 60

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• evacuation egress
• bus coach