SCHOHARIE, NY- Lockportjournal.com reports that lawmakers are stepping into action after the horrific limousine crash that killed 20 people. The tragedy led to realizations about the inadequate regulating of stretch limousines, which allowed 18 people to be traveling in a vehicle that was far too dangerous to have ever been allowed on the road. One […]
SCHOHARIE, NY- Lockportjournal.com reports that lawmakers are stepping into action after the horrific limousine crash that killed 20 people. The tragedy led to realizations about the inadequate regulating of stretch limousines, which allowed 18 people to be traveling in a vehicle that was far too dangerous to have ever been allowed on the road.
One proposal stated that vehicles that fail their safety checks should be marked to make it obvious that they are not meant to be used. Operators of these vehicles would now be required to remove vehicles from service one decade after they were registered.
The crash, which took place on October 6, 2018, killed the 17 passengers and driver of the vehicle and two pedestrians who were hit when the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine went careening in a parking lot.
The vehicle involved had undergone modifications, possible on several occasions. The stretched-out passenger compartment made it possible to fit far more people than the original vehicle was intended to carry. Following the crash, questions have emerged about whether the vehicle’s brakes were modified to accommodate the added weight of the vehicle and the extra passengers. While investigators are still looking into the cause of the accident, early inspections indicate that the vehicle’s brakes failed, leading to the Excursion plowing through an intersection, into a parking lot, and finally hitting an embankment.
Newly proposed laws could make side airbags mandatory in limos, force limousine carriers to have insurance coverage of $2 million per accident at a minimum, make transporting passengers in a vehicle that failed safety checks a felony, and would require special training for limousine drivers.