Tragic accident with fiberglass bus

[Kayteg1]

California bus crash

Local news made it headlines for last couple of days.
A car blocked the bus who went into pole.
The pole sliced the bus about 2/3 of the length. Looks that what stop the pole from going farther was main axle.
I drove all metal Prevost for years and can't imagine that kind of damage done to metal body, even Prevost is unibody.
Unfortunately new technology makes more danger.

[Kayteg1]

There is no way metal will slice like the bus on the picture.
From the aerial picture I take it that the pole was sliding along the bus narrower frame and that is why the cut come so straight.
I noticed Prevost go into plastic in last years too, but my 1972 was solid unibody construction. I put marble flooring and marble steps in it and nothing moved.
The crashed bus was Van Hool, so not cheap bus neither.
I am sad when vehicle purchase is based on Bluetooth connection and number of cup holders, when very few ask about safety ratings.

[SoCalDesertRid1]

I didn't watch the newscast.

The thing about fiberglass is it burns rapidly and hot in a fire. Metal doesn't burn.

[sch911]

The exterior skin construction has little to do with the extent of damage here. All of these vehicles are body on frame. Fiberglass or metal would have fared similarly here. Also the Prevost is not a unibody it to is body on frame.

[timmac]

I will bet that speed had a lot to do with it, I have seen these charter bus's doing 75 mph or more on the highways, if they drove 60 to 65 mph I bet this could have been avoided.

[azdryheat]

I doubt it would have made any difference.

[2oldman]

Discussion here