Senate joins attempt to pass bus safety bill after horrific accidents
A recent series of horrific bus accidents, including one in New York that killed 15 people and injured 18 others in March, 2011, has spurred some members of Congress to try to take action. It is an uphill battle, though, and the proposed bus safety legislation faces strong opposition.
A disproportionate number of fatalities are occurring in curbside tour buses, which pick up passengers on the street rather than in bus terminals. Curbside buses have a crash fatality rate that is seven times higher than that of traditional terminal-based buses. Continue reading
Congressional advocates of intercity bus safety try again
Recently, there have been several horrific bus accidents in New York. In March 2011, 15 people were killed and 18 injured when a chartered tour bus, traveling at high speed from a Connecticut casino to Manhattan’s Chinatown, overturned in the Bronx on Interstate 19. Some of the victims were thrown out of the bus while others were trapped inside and at least one was decapitated.
In July, two people were killed and 35 injured in a crash in upstate New York in a tour bus headed for Niagara Falls. In another upstate New York accident that month, a tour bus coming from Canada crashed into a tractor trailer, killing the truck driver and one bus passenger, and injuring 30 passengers. Continue reading
New York bus accident risk increases with interstate curbside operations
In our last post, we discussed the statistical conclusion — based on accident data and inspection violations – that curbside buses are the riskier option for interstate travelers in New York and across the country. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the fatal bus accident rate for curbside operators was 1.4 percent for the period between 2005 and this past March when the New York accident taking 15 lives occurred.
The 1.4 percent statistic may not seem like a particularly large number, but when compared to the 0.2 percent fatal accident rate for conventional bus operators the number seems a lot bigger. When you realize that it is your life that is being gambled, that fatality rate may seem even greater. But why is there such a discrepancy between traditional buses and curbside operations? Continue reading
Cheap New York travel fares may save money but cost you your life
Money saving is on the minds of many New Yorkers these days as families find that the flow of money is not as swift as it may have been 10 years ago. Online sites and companies that offer deals on discount travel are becoming vastly popular when people still want to travel, but cannot do so at a high cost.
The curbside bus industry is one of those operations that offer incredibly low fares for interstate travel, but some safety experts say that it may cost you your life. According to a National Transportation Safety Board study, the curbside operations have a much higher fatal bus accident rate and violate a much larger number of safety violations. Continue reading