RV/Motorcoach/Bus Safety Changes
NHTSA “released its Motorcoach Safety Action Plan which lays out concrete steps for improving motorcoach safety across the board. The action plan addresses major safety issues such as driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollover, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.”
Motorcoach accidents have been widely publicized in recent years. According to the Dallas Morning News, “In 2007, a bus carrying an Ohio college baseball team crashed in Atlanta and killed seven people. Last year, a crash near Sherman, Texas that killed 17 people and injured 40, galvanized the Texas congressional support for bus safety legislation.”
At least in part due to the recent accidents, NHTSA is finally taking serious action. NHTSA’s press release reads:
While motorcoach travel is a very safe mode of highway transportation in the United States, carrying 750 million passengers annually, an average of 19 motorcoach occupants are killed in crashes each year according to data collected by DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Additional fatalities result among pedestrians, and occupants of other vehicles involved in these crashes.
To address this issue, Secretary LaHood directed DOT’s agencies to take a fresh look at motorcoach safety issues, identify actions to address outstanding safety problems, and develop an aggressive schedule to implement those actions.
The comprehensive action plan announced today proposes enhanced regulatory oversight of new and high risk motorcoach operators, as well as the increased use of new technologies. To address driver distraction, it proposes to initiate rulemaking to prohibit texting and limit the use of cellular telephones and other devices by motorcoach drivers. It also discusses requiring electronic on-board recording devices on all motorcoaches to better monitor drivers’ duty hours to address fatigue, and enhanced oversight of unsafe carriers.
The action plan can be found at this link. If someone you know was injured or killed as the result of a motor coach, RV, or bus accident, encourage them to immediately contact a competent attorney for advice. It is extremely important to do this quickly to ensure that evidence is preserved, statements are taken, and the rights of all potential plaintiffs are protected.
