Gentlemen, we are unfortunately dealing with two very different cultures. People in other countries cannot understand that some of us here in the US would rather be dead than allow our Government to have much authority over us, anymore than we can understand that they welcome it. We both want the same things, something we can never truly have, we just have different ideas how to accomplish it.
I pulled this up off the NTHSA DOT statistics for 1998, which I believe is that last year they have compiled. You can read the entire document here:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/ncsa/tsf-1998.pdf Please note that there were not many bus crashes, but that the majority were transits and school busses, which are almost all PUBLICALLY regulated and generally exempt from spot DOT inspections such as commercial vehicles are. And note too, that only 15 fatalities occured for busses other, and busses unknown. I dont know what those are, but probably not all would be conversions, and quite possibly none of them are if registered as an RV. Looking at large truck based motorhomes, which could possibly include Bus conversions, are 24 fatalities. In any case, for the year of 1998, less than 50 people died in these vehicles, a small fraction of a percent of the total number. More people died on Farm equipment, snowmobiles and ATV's. I think there are greater things to worry about that Big Bus Campers driven by normal Joes with standard drivers licenses.
Table 36
Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes by Body Type
Body Type Number Percent Body Type Number Percent
Passenger Cars 28,992 51.0 Large Trucks 4,935 8.7
Convertible 297 0.5 Step Van 21 *
2 Door Sedan, Hardtop, Coupe 8,353 14.7 Single Unit Truck
3 Door/2 Door Hatchback 1,882 3.3 (10,000 lb < GVWR ≤ 19,500 lb) 165 0.3
4 Door Sedan Hardtop 16,235 28.6 Single Unit Truck
5 Door/4 Door Hatchback 473 0.8 (19,500 lb < GVWR ≤ 26,000 lb) 249 0.4
Station Wagon 1,066 1.9 Single Unit Heavy Truck
Hatchback, Doors Unknown 45 0.1 (GVWR > 26,000 lb) 863 1.5
Other Auto 105 0.2 Single Unit Truck, Unknown GVWR 48 0.1
Unknown Auto 469 0.8 Truck Tractor 3,554 6.2
Auto-Based Pickup 67 0.1 Unknown Medium Truck
(10,000 lb < GVWR ≤ 26,000 lb) 5 *
Light Trucks 19,217 33.8 Unknown Heavy Truck
Compact Utility 3,460 6.1 (GVWR > 26,000 lb) 6 *
Large Utility 677 1.2 Unknown Large Truck Type 23 *
Utility Station Wagon 346 0.6 Unknown Truck 1 *
Utility, Unknown Body Type 16 *
Minivan 2,257 4.0 Motorcycles 2,324 4.1
Large Van 1,403 2.5 Motorcycle 2,215 3.9
Step Van 68 0.1 Moped 33 0.1
Van-Based School Bus 5 * Three Wheel Motorcycle or Moped 2 *
Van-Based Transit Bus 6 * Off-Road Motorcycle (Two Wheel) 40 0.1
Other Van Type 16 * Other Motorcycle/Minibike 30 0.1
Unknown Van Type 58 0.1 Unknown Motorcycle 4 *
Compact Pickup 4,252 7.5
Standard Pickup 6,383 11.2 Buses 285 0.5
Pickup with Camper 43 0.1 School Bus 111 0.2
Convertible Pickup 2 * Cross Country/Intercity Bus 37 0.1
Unknown Pickup Style Truck 122 0.2 Transit Bus 115 0.2
Cab Chassis-Based Light Truck 86 0.2 Other Bus 15 *
Other Conventional Light Truck 1 * Unknown Bus 7 *
Unknown Light Truck (not pickup) 6 *
Unknown Light Vehicle Type 7 * Other Vehicles 450 0.8
Unknown Truck 3 * Large Limousine 5 *
Van-Based Motorhome 30 0.1
Light Truck-Based Motorhome 2 *
Large Truck-Based Motorhome 24 *
Unknown Truck Camper/Motorhome 40 0.1
All Terrain Vehicle 149 0.3
Snowmobile 46 0.1
Farm Equipment Except Trucks 84 0.1
Construction Equipment Except Trucks 22 *
Other Vehicle 48 0.1
Unknown Body Type 662 1.2
Total 56,865 100.0
