The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed their investigation regarding a 2005 school bus crash in Liberty, Missouri that killed two. The Kansas City Star reports that according to the NTSB, "pedal misapplication caused the Liberty school bus crash."
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the driver's "pedal misapplication" caused Liberty school bus No. 80 to blast through an intersection in May 2005, killing two motorists and injuring 48 students. The bus was driven by Irma Thomas, who said that she had tried to brake, but nothing happened. There were no defects in the braking, electrical or acceleration systems. However, on that bus the brake and accelerator pedals are similar in size and only two inches apart. They are both bottom-hinged and they feel the same when depressed.
The NTSB is now calling for a redesign of bus pedals so that similar crashes don't happen when drivers mistake one pedal for another. The NTSB has also recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish guidelines for designers and manufacturers on the design and placement of pedals.
