After Fatal Bus Crash, Report Reveals Unsafe Driving Record for Many Companies
Coming on the heels of the deadly bus crash that took the lives of three people in Queens, Senator Jeff Klein released a report that examines the driving records of the ten most dangerous charter bus companies operating in New York.
The investigation titled, Violations by the Busload: An Investigation Into the Most Unsafe Bus Companies Operating in New York, found that the man responsible for the recent crash has previously been involved in a drunk driving incident and the company he worked for, the Dahlia Group, had a shocking record of dangerous driving violations. While this company made the top ten, it surprisingly was not at the top of the list.
Federal studies show a high correlation between unsafe driving behavior and a higher incidence of crashes. Using data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) the report found 121 companies out of the 249 examined that had points for unsafe driving violations, 51 of which had received sufficient violations to receive an unsafe percentage value from the agency.
In order to avoid future tragedies, Senator Klein is proposing new legislation that will increase transparency of violations and stiffen penalties for bus companies who fail to follow the law. Despite the shocking track records of many of the companies transporting residents around the state, the violations they racked up are not readily available to customers nor easy to find. The proposed bills will change that by requiring companies post their inspection records online and at the ticket counter. Currently the DMV can impose of fine of between $500 and $2,500 for the first violation with the second and subsequent violations resulting in fines between $1,000 and $10,000. Under the proposal, those penalties would double if a company failed to disclose the hire of a driver with a drunk driving conviction. Penalties would triple if a company failed to disclose a hire to the DMV and that driver is subsequently involved in an accident that kills or injures a person.
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