Kobe city bus hits several pedestrians; 2 dead

Tragic.

We're going to need cameras for the driver's feet.

"The bus suddenly accelerated and hit people"

Sorry, but how exactly would that happen? Has that ever actually happened with a bus in real life?

2 dead by now.

This is one of places in the city that might be called the "Shibuya crossing" of Kobe.

Auto makers really should hurry to improve automatic braking systems, especially in the aging Japan.

Automatic breaking systems work very well. However if people don’t buy cars with the option or drive old cars, it doesn’t matter.

So sad to see another similar accident.

Newer cars like our Subaru have drive recorders and an automatic braking systems. Do busses? And would a drive recorder be able to determine whether the pedal was pushed by the driver or whether it was a mechanical fault?

Sudden acceleration in cars was happening in the USA for a while. They fixed it but it causes several accidents and deaths.

Sorry, but how exactly would that happen?

It rather simple. An unresponsive accelerator pedal may result from incursion: i.e., blockage by a foreign object, or any other mechanical interference with the pedal's operation — and may involve the accelerator or brake pedal. Throttle butterfly valves may become sluggish in operation or may stick in the closed position. When the driver pushes harder on the right foot, the valve may "pop" open to a point greater than that wanted by the driver, thus creating too much power and a lurch forward.

It is possible there was a mechanical error, but it’s more likely to be a human error.

I have a desk job and am forced to retire between 60 - 62 years old. 64 years old and driving a public bus around Kobe city..??

I notice more and more people go through red lights and that includes buses in the Kobe area.

The worst are the garbage trucks which regularly fail to respect the rules of the road-I use a drive recorder every time I go out in my car.....

zichi, maybe my post was misunderstood. Nothing wrong with driving a bus at 64 - IF you are healthy. But the hypocrisy and double standards in Japan do not make sense at all. Healthy workers sitting at desks with non-risk jobs to the public are forced to retire at 60 or 62 years old. Then we read about a 64 year old driving a public bus around Kobe city causing an accident that kills two young twenty year olds. If public bus companies permit 64 year olds to drive buses around cities, then drop the retirement age nonsense. If not, then don't let 64 year olds have the responsibility of driving buses in cities and make them retire at 60 to 62 as well.

@zichi

you might not have,but I’ve seen 5-6 in the Kobe area and plenty of near misses too.

Of course this is a terrible event and it seems that the 64-year old bus driver is responsible. Something does disturb me however - there does seem to be a considerable difference in the treatment of the suspect of another, not dissimilar case. The 87-year driver who caused the death of a mother and her young daughter not two or three days ago has not yet been arrested, is still addressed with the honorific '-san' in Japanese news reports, and still refuses to admit that he was at fault. The bus driver's picture, on the other hand, was soon available in every news report and of course he lost his honorific title. The 87-year old's picture has yet to be seen. An ordinary bus driver seems to me fair game but a privileged 87-year old ex-financial ministry official and former amukudari (with a well-known construction machinery company) appears to have many powerful friends to protect him. There does seem to be a significant difference in the treatment of suspects according to their social and financial position in this country.

"I’ve seen 5-6 in the Kobe area and plenty of near misses too."

The population of Kobe is 2.5 million. That's not a lot. In fact. traffic deaths in Japan hit a record low in 2018

The number of traffic deaths nationwide in 2018 fell by 162, or 4.4 percent, from the previous year to 3,532, hitting the lowest level since data became available in 1948, the National Police Agency said Friday

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/01/05/national/japan-traffic-deaths-hit-record-low-2018/#.XLx2tegzbIU

savethegaijin said

"The bus suddenly accelerated and hit people"

Sorry, but how exactly would that happen? Has that ever actually happened with a bus in real life?

I can't speak for buses but years ago I was driving a friend's Pontiac which was on cruise control at 40mph when it suddenly accelerated on its own. I regained control at 60mph and disengaged the cruise control, luckily it caused no accident. Anything mechanical can malfunction.

Gosh only two pedals, in my day we had three, and we had to double declutch, seems to me autonomous Tesla can't come soon enough.

Damn these faulty autonomous buses (give me a break, driver).

"alwaysspeakingwisdom" your information is totally flawed. I am a repair technician for a bus company. I presume this bus is diesel and most diesels do not have butterfly valves for that purpose. Acceleration in a diesel is controlled by increasing fuel delivery. I have never had this occur in my carrer with a bus. Historically it is most often it is driver error. Even the self accellerating Audi's of old where still driver error but they attributed pedal spacing wasn't as good as it could have been.

Vehicles do not suddenly accelerate by themselves however incompetent drivers suddenly accelerate their right foot on the gas pedal thinking that the brake does not respond

Sorry, but how exactly would that happen? Has that ever actually happened with a bus in real life?

Depends upon the condition of the bus itself. The investigation will look into I am sure, and it is NOT easy to make the mistake between the accelerator and brake on a bus, different sizes and shapes, not to mention the dude is a veteran driver with years of experience and a pretty damn clean record.

Accelerators can get stuck and there is video of the accident being shown on TV, and it looked to me as if the brake lights were on. so, it very well could have been a mechanical failure,

A tragic incident for sure!

Buses here are turning off there engines whenever they stop today and giving extra care for anouncments.

Just walked across the crossing, still camera men and red/white chalk markings, RIP.

I often cross that road at lunchtime.

Never thought of it as being particularly dangerous.

This incident has scared a lot of people.

News reports are suggesting the bus driver is on insulin and may have suffered a sudden, temporary diabetic shock (hypoglycemia or low blood sugar).

So let's see. 64 year old bus driver arrested immediately for killing 2 pedestrians, 87 year old ex ministry worker, killed 2, not arrested. If the reporting is anything to go by....

Wonder if the victims we watching the traffic or their phones

So let's see. 64 year old bus driver arrested immediately for killing 2 pedestrians, 87 year old ex ministry worker, killed 2, not arrested. If the reporting is anything to go by....

That's what I got so far as well. They immediately called the bus driver 容疑者 but are referring to the old guy as 男性。

Two prior incidents of foot/mind control has been identified by the company accident division. A major memory loss problem and the company’s illregeponsibility finally resulted in this major Vehicle/ pedestrian accident. This Bus drivers vehicle operating days should have been terminated and his placement if authorized should have been else ware in. The company or retirement/ terminated for his years of service.

Wonder if the victims we watching the traffic or their phones

People who pretend a pedestrian texting is the same as drivers behaving dangerously should never be taken seriously.

A driver can kill someone very easily. A pedestrian cannot and responsibility should be distributed accordingly.