NTSB to Release Report Detailing Brake Pedal Misapplication

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board will release results from its investigation into a May 9, 2005, crash of a Liberty, Mo., school bus into two cars stopped at an intersection that is expected to show that the school bus driver stepped on the gas instead of the brake pedal.

The two drivers of the other cars were killed and at least two students on board the school bus suffered life altering injuries after they were thrown head first into the seat guard at the front of the bus. The crash resulted in lawsuits against the school district, the bus manufacturer and dealer, the brake company, and the company that serviced the school bus electrical system after the driver blamed the crash on a loss of braking power. The driver was also named in the suit.

But NTSB's findings are expected to point solely to driver error. Says NTSB's Web site:

During the course of the investigation, information was uncovered that suggested pedal misapplication as a factor in the accident. The NTSB subsequently investigated four additional accidents involving heavy vehicles, dating from 2005 to 2008, in which pedal misapplication was determined to be a factor. The report examines pedal misapplication through the analysis of these five accidents and information gathered from previous work on unintended acceleration incidents. The report evaluates the benefits of brake transmission shift interlock (BTSI) devices, pedal design, positive separation, and event data recorders to determine if they are effective in preventing accidents and whether further preventive measures or actions are needed.

The hearing will take place at 9:30 a.m. EDT in Washington, D.C. The proceedings will be broadcast online.

Health Care Reform Plan Unveiled

With many school bus drivers across the nation ineligible for benefits because of the part-time hours they work, the new House health care plan released today seeks "shared responsibility among workers, employers, and the government so that all Americans have coverage of essential health benefits."

The draft would allow people who are content with their current coverage to keep it while reforming the insurance marketplace to make coverage more affordable. It would also reduce out-of-control costs, improve choices and competition for consumers and expand access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. It would also guarantee that almost every American is covered by a health care plan that is both affordable and offers quality, standard benefits by 2019