The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) released the final report on the investigation of Long Tai tourist bus rear-ended another tourist bus and vehicle at the intersection of County Highway 159 and County Highway 166.

At approximately 07:54 on February 16, 2025, a tourist bus operated by Long Tai Transportation, Ltd. rear-ended another tourist bus operated by Hua Jin Transportation, Ltd. just before the intersection of County Highway 159 and County Highway 166 in Xingang Township, Chiayi County. The tourist bus in front was subsequently pushed into a private passenger car. The occurrence resulted in injuries to 27 people.

In accordance with the Transportation Occurrence Investigation Act, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) is the independent transportation occurrence investigation agency responsible for conducting the investigation. The investigation team also included members from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC); the Highway Bureau, MOTC; the Tourism Administration, MOTC; Long Tai Transportation, Ltd.; Hua Jin Transportation, Ltd.; and Haoke Travel Agency.

The draft investigation report was completed in May 2026, and, according to procedures, sent to relevant agencies (institutions) for their opinions. The investigation report was published after review and approval by the 87^th Board Meeting on June 12, 2026.

After comprehensive investigation and analysis of the factual data, a total of 6 findings and 6 safety recommendations were obtained.

Ⅰ.Investigation Findings

Findings Related to Probable Causes

1. The occurrence driver engaged in multiple distracting activities for an extended period while driving, and the occurrence vehicle was speeding prior to the occurrence. The driver was also distracted by conversations with the tour service personnel and reduced the driver’s attention to the road ahead, causing the driver to apply the main brake too late. As a result, the vehicle did not have enough distance to stop and collided with the tourist bus in front.

Findings Related to Risks

1. The TTSB has investigated two occurrences, including this occurrence, involving drivers’ improper timing in the use of auxiliary brake and main brake. In one occurrence, the driver did not have a fully accurate understanding of the auxiliary brake and attempted to use the auxiliary brake, rather than directly applying the main brake, to significantly reduce the vehicle’s speed. In this occurrence, the driver was distracted and applied the brakes too late. Although the two occurrences were caused by different reasons, they both show that the drivers’ operation and understanding of the braking system are important factors contributing to occurrences.
2. The driver, tour service personnel, and some passengers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the occurrence. Consequently, they were not protected by seat belts when the vehicle rear-ended the tourist bus in front, which could have reduced the chance or severity of injury.

Other Findings

1. No abnormalities were found in the tires, steering system, or braking system of the occurrence vehicle. The driver held a valid driving license issued by the Highway Bureau, and the driver’s past violations were not directly related to the occurrence. There was no evidence indicating that this occurrence was related to alcohol or drugs.
2. The occurrence vehicle was carrying 39 people, of whom 23 were injured in the occurrence, including 2 who sustained serious injuries and 21 who sustained minor injuries. The serious injuries mainly consisted of leg fractures, while the minor injuries mainly consisted of abrasions and contusions to the head and limbs. Three people on the tourist bus in front sustained minor injuries consisting of head lacerations. One person in the private passenger car in front sustained minor injuries consisting of back and neck contusions and a strain.
3. Due to the limitations of the advanced emergency braking (AEB) system, the AEB system was unable to activate during the occurrence because of the driver applied the hydraulic retarder and main brake when colliding with the tourist bus in front.

Ⅱ.Safety Recommendations

The safety recommendations originally proposed in the draft investigation report to Haoke Travel Agency and the Tourism Administration of the MOTC are as follows:

Haoke Travel Agency: Establish and implement a management mechanism to ensure that tour service personnel properly use seat belts and are effectively protected by seat belts while the vehicle is moving.

Tourism Administration, MOTC: Supervise Haoke Travel Agency in strengthening improvement measures to ensure that tour service personnel properly use seat belts.

With regard to the implementation status of safety recommendation by Haoke Travel Agency and the Tourism Administration of the MOTC, the completed and ongoing improvement measures are detailed in Section 4.2. Accordingly, this investigation report will not include the safety recommendations.

To Long Tai Transportation, Ltd.

1. Help drivers understand the impact of distraction on the driving task, raise their safety awareness, which will make them more alert about being distracted and more concentrated while driving.
2. Establish and implement a management mechanism for drivers to properly use seat belts while driving, so as to ensure that they are effectively protected by seat belts when driving.
3. Educate drivers on when to use the hydraulic retarder and main brake, so that they fully understand the functions and limitations of the braking system.

To the Ministry of Transportation and Communications

1. Establish a requirement that rear-seat passengers wear seat belts when tourist bus carriers provide travel-related services. The requirement should apply on all roads except freeways and expressways.(This is an existing safety recommendation and still controlled by relevant sub-projects. This is the fifth time it has been proposed. Please refer to safety recommendation number TTSB-HSR-22-11-009 of the previous case when handling this recommendation.)

To the Highway Bureau, MOTC

1. Supervise Long Tai Transportation, Ltd. in strengthening its measures to help drivers understand the impact of being distraction on the driving task and ensure they proper use seat belts.
2. Supervise tourist bus carriers in strengthening drivers’ understanding of the correct operation of the main brake and auxiliary braking systems, and ensure that drivers use the main brake first in emergency situations.

Full Final Report in Chinese is available for download at https://www.ttsb.gov.tw

Eric Shen, Specialist

Secretary Office

Tel: +886-2-7727-6229

E-mail: ericshen@ttsb.gov.tw

Frank Siao, Investigator-In-Charge

Highway Occurrence Investigation Division

Tel: +886-2-7727-6271

E-mail: frankbet@ttsb.gov.tw