Senate Encouraging Better Bus Safety Rules
Three years after the North Texas bus accident which killed more than a dozen Vietnamese Catholic worshippers, a United States Senate Commerce, Science and Transport subcommittee is holding a hearing today on a new Bus Safety Bill. Over 40 people were injured in the 2008 bus crash which occurred on U.S. 75 in Sherman. As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer, I know that bus wrecks are particularly serious as you’re dealing with a large, heavy vehicle carrying a lot of people.
The Senate Subcommittee’s focus will be on the Transportation Department which has been dragging its feet over implementing new safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board. The majority of the recommendations – some of which have been pending for over a decade - concern motor coaches which typically carry a greater number of passengers. Since rollovers account for around 50% of bus fatalities; top of the list are seatbelts for all passengers, stronger windows and roofs, and emergency exits which are easier to open. One suggestion is the implementation of electronic onboard readers to keep track of how many hours an individual driver is behind the wheel. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood did announce a plan to enforce some of these recommendations back in 2009, but so far the only one to be enacted is the rule banning bus drivers from texting on their cell phone while driving.
I believe stricter regulations for motor coach companies and the drivers that operate them is a must. As a passenger, of course, you have no control over the vehicle so you are powerless to prevent a collision, so it is important that safety is the driver’s foremost priority. Whenever you get on an airplane, you trust that the aircraft is safe and that the pilot will get you to your destination safely. Bus passengers deserve the same reassurance – especially since the number of traffic crashes vastly outnumbers the figure for air transport.
Mark Anderson is a board-certified auto accident trail attorney. Since 1991, he has helped personal injury victims and their families across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. To schedule a complimentary, no obligation consultation on your case, or to request a free copy of Mark’s book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275).
