Southern California bus accident shines light on lacking regulation

May 10, 2013 (Press-News.org) Southern California bus accident shines light on lacking regulation

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Questions still linger after a commercial tour bus hit two vehicles and then crashed in Southern California in February. The bus was bringing its passengers home after a ski trip when that the brakes of the bus allegedly failed causing the driver to lose control and crash head on into an approaching truck. As a result, eight people died and many more suffered serious injury.

According to USA Today, the tour bus company that owns the bus has a history of failed safety inspections. Nine of its buses were taken out of operation over the last two years according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for safety reasons and over the same time period the FMSCA reviewed the credentials of 28 drivers for the company, forcing the release of one driver.

The bus driver informed investigators the bus's brakes failed as he descended the mountain highway. According to federal records, the model of bus involved in the fatal accident has a history of brake-maintenance issues; however, speed, road conditions and driver fatigue are also being considered as causes of the crash.

Lack of safety regulations

A recent string of tour bus crashes has brought attention to the fact that buses are not under the strict regulations that other large capacity transportation carriers are, such as airlines. Buses often carry the same number of people that commercial airplanes do but bus drivers and operating companies are allowed to continue transporting people after receiving several safety violations. Often, it is only when a bus accident is fatal that a commercial bus company's fleet is shut down. Factors that have led to past bus crashes include:
-Mechanical failure
-Distracted driver
-Driver fatigue
-Unsafe driving practices
-Poor maintenance

When bus accidents occur, passengers are exposed to the risk of varying types of serious injury, such as broken bones, head injury and spinal cord injury. If harsher penalties are but in place by federal regulators, bus companies may be more proactive in their safety efforts, lowering the risk for passengers.

Exact numbers unknown

The 2010 large truck and bus statistics from FMCSA fail to disclose the exact number of tour buses that are involved in accidents because the statistics of commercial bus accidents are not separated from accidents involving public buses. While the numbers indicate a decrease overall in the number of bus accidents, approximately 300 people are killed each year in bus accidents, according to federal statistics cited by CNN.

The American Bus Association agrees that more attention needs to be focused on tour buses. The U.S. Transportation Department claims that 3.5 million inspections are conducted each year; however, it is unknown how many of those inspections are conducted on commercial tour buses.

The big question

While the inspection numbers appear to be impressive, the National Transportation Safety Board points out that federal safety rules are often violated. The tour bus that crashed in Southern California received several safety violations over the past year, but still was still allowed to operate. The question then arises whether stronger regulations and penalties could have prevented the deaths of those eight people.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident or other motor vehicle accident in California, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to explore your legal options.