New York City Bus Crash Leads to Examination of Driver Qualifications

May 08, 2011

New York City Bus Crash Leads to Examination of Driver Qualifications

Several bus crashes in the New York area, including the deadly crash of a bus returning from Mohegan Sun casino, have raised questions regarding bus safety. As discount bus travel companies increase in popularity, the hiring practices and procedures for drivers is facing greater scrutiny. Currently, no training is required for those who drive buses. As long as drivers obtain a valid commercial driver's license, they will be considered qualified to transport passengers.

Drivers are limited to ten hours of driving time per each work day, which can last a maximum of fifteen hours. They are also required to keep a log book which details the amount of time they have been behind-the-wheel. These books will be subject to random inspections, and must include information regarding how the driver spent his or her time when not driving.

Unfortunately, the industry does not take these log books as seriously. It is not uncommon for numbers to have been falsified or missing entirely from the books. In fact, World Wide Travel, the company responsible for the bus involved in the Mohegan Sun crash, had been cited for log book violations in the past.

As a result of these accidents, New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer have proposed changes to the rules regulating bus drivers such as requiring drivers pass a medical evaluation before they would be licensed. Additionally, they propose drivers undergo extensive training prior to getting behind the wheel.

The recommended changes also call for increased roof strength, to help buses remain structurally sound in the event of a rollover accident. Windows and seat restraints would receive enhancements as well, to keep passengers in the vehicle if a crash results.

Officials with the New York Department of Transportation have started to crackdown on buses currently in operation. A recent sting stopped 14 buses at a checkpoint with each bus failing the random inspection. Ten of the buses needed to be pulled off of the roads completely. Four of the drivers were determined to not meet minimum licensing requirements, and five more were cited for exceeding the number of hours that they were allowed to drive within a 24-hour period. In all, 54 criminal citations were issued as a result of the sting.

If you have been injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident, contact an experienced bus accident attorney in your area to understand the options that may be available to you.

Article provided by Trolman, Glaser & Lichtman, P.C.
Visit us at www.tgllaw.com