Last month we posted on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog about the tragic New York City bus accident that killed 15 passengers; the bus collided with a tractor-trailer in the Bronx following a trip to Mohegan Sun casino.
Tour buses are a common mode of transportation for New Yorkers and tourists who enjoy gambling, historical sites, and garden tours. New York personal injury lawyers want to remind tourists that as we approach summer tour season, it’s important to do your homework when picking a bus company.
Bus companies have a responsibility to comply with federal regulations to keep passengers out of danger.
Following the Bronx bus accident, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) decided measures needed to be taken to keep tour bus companies in check. Governor Cuomo pushed additional safety inspections following the incident; 164 buses and drivers were inspected across the state of New York at 13 different locations. New York City Police, New York State Police, Border Patrol and NYSDOT inspectors made a cooperative effort to execute the inspections over a 3-day period.
“Bus operators and drivers must follow the basic rules and regulations of the road designed to keep passengers safe,” said Governor Cuomo. “As proven by these enhanced checkpoints, some of these drivers had no business being behind the wheel and some of these buses had no business being on the road – this is a warning to everyone involved to abide by the law.”
Results from the weekend inspection last month included the following:
-New York State Police handed out 45 moving violations to bus drivers over the course of the inspection weekend.
-Manhattan had 3 checkpoint locations in which 26 buses were pulled over for inspection. Over 60 percent of the buses or drivers at the inspection were found with violations substantial enough to remove them from service.
-There were 72 minor vehicle infractions reported at the 3 checkpoint locations in Manhattan.
-Throughout the rest of the state, 138 buses were inspected. There were 25 bus and/or drivers pulled out-of-service following the inspection.
Other targeted locations besides Manhattan were Hudson Valley, Upstate New York, Long Island, and the state border near Canada.
NYSDOT typically conducts 160,000 pre-scheduled inspections twice a year on school, airport, line-run commercial, ambulette, and charter buses. Two tragic accidents involving numerous fatalities in March have forced them to up the profile of such inspections.
“While the actions of a few should not tarnish an important and reliable industry, the memory of those who lost their lives in March demands that additional action be taken to safeguard the traveling public,” said NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald. “As always, drivers and buses found to be unsafe will be removed from the road.”
If you are injured in an accident involving a bus, subway, train or taxi, contact New York personal injury lawyer Nicholas Rose for legal advice. The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose is experienced in holding companies responsible for their negligence so call for a free consultation at 1-877-313-7673.
