Bus Safety Investigation Report - Collision between buses mo9982 and mo1531 Campsie - 20 March 2024

Read the Bus Safety Investigation Report

What happened 

On 20 March 2024, bus m/o1531 was undertaking a scheduled passenger service when the driver missed a route turn and continued through an intersection onto Seventh Avenue at Campsie in Sydney. The bus then collided with the rear of bus m/o9982 which was travelling ahead. Several vehicles parked on the side of the road were also impacted in the collision.  

The driver of m/o1531 sustained serious injuries in the collision, and passengers of both buses, and the driver of m/o9982, sustained injuries requiring medical treatment. 

What we found 

The investigation made the following key observations of factors which contributed to the incident: 

• The driver of bus m/o1531 likely experienced a sudden incapacitation event, which resulted in the driver losing effective control over the vehicle. This possible incapacitation may have resulted in reduced physical and cognitive ability to operate the bus safely. The mechanisms behind the likely driver incapacitation event could not be determined.   

• There was no available evidence to support that a technical failure involving bus m/o1531 contributed to the collision.  

Actions taken by directly involved parties during the investigation 

• Following the collision, the operator of m/o1531 proactively tested braking systems on buses of the same configuration as the involved bus across its fleet. No safety critical brake system faults were identified. 

• The operator conducted a post incident technical inspection of the bus, and no technical faults or system failures were identified. 

Post-investigation actions  

OTSI identified potential safety improvement opportunities to reduce the risk of driver incapacitation incidents including: 

• a more robust system of medical assessment for bus and coach drivers 

• a review of the regulatory oversight, and application, of Bus Driver Authority medicals, declared medical conditions, and decisions about fitness to drive (including guidelines/requirements for operators). 

OTSI also issued Safety Advisory – SA02/24 ‘Fitness to drive: Bus and coach drivers’, to remind bus and coach drivers and operators in NSW of their obligations to notify Transport for NSW within 48 hours of becoming aware of changes in the physical and mental condition of a driver of a public passenger vehicle that could detrimentally affect the driver's ability to drive those vehicles safely.