6 Things to Know about Curbside Passenger Bus Safety in the U.S. | DENENA | POINTS
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6 Things to Know about Curbside Passenger Bus Safety in the U.S.

A tragic 2011 accident involving a curbside passenger bus traveling back and forth from New York City to the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut brought national attention to the problems of safety and driver fatigue in curbside motorcoach operations. The bus veered off I-95 in The Bronx and eventually crashed into the metal post of a highway sign. Part of the bus was sheered away. Our Galveston bus accident attorneys note that more than a dozen passengers died in the terrible crash.

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Curbside passenger buses have been growing in popularity due to their convenience and inexpensive fares. Even regular coach bus services have some curbside operations these days. For the most part, buses are still a safer means of travel than passenger cars. But curbside bus operations present some special safety risks and challenges, such as the following:

  • Curbside passenger buses have higher fatal accident rates and higher out of service rates because of driver violations such as driver fatigue, driver logbook violations, and driver health/fitness issues.
  • Because curbside passenger buses can bypass fixed inspection stations and inspectors would have to stop and inspect during brief curbside wait periods, oversight and inspection of these buses and their drivers presents challenges. And curbside passenger buses therefore receive fewer needed inspections than regular coach bus services.
  • Curbside bus operations and curbside passenger buses represent a method of doing business rather than a government transportation category. And because so many of the services change registrations frequently and are rarely known by their legal name, even tabulating data on such bus operations is difficult and many carriers are overlooked.
  • Many curbside passenger buses, about 72%, rely on bus “brokers” to sell tickets. The brokers are often the only means to obtain any information regarding the buses, but brokers aren’t regulated under the U.S. DOT transportation laws. And our Galveston bus accident attorneys emphasize that bus brokers aren’t even required to disclose the name of a carrier, so passengers can’t easily obtain safety information regarding the carrier.
  • All passenger bus services are required to report their annual mileage to the government. But an NTSB study found that 32% of curbside passenger buses never reported this. And another 32% had not updated their annual mileage figures since 2008.
  • The bulk of curbside passenger buses operate in five states: Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and California. (Source: U.S. NTSB’s Executive Report on Curbside Motor coach Safety, 2011)

Contact the Galveston bus accident attorneys if you or your loved ones suffer injury from a bus wreck

We offer a FREE and confidential initial legal consultation. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. Our 15 years of experience and legal knowledge guiding injured clients to successful financial compensation recoveries could help provide you with the information you need to make wise decisions regarding your family’s future after a tragic accident. And our Galveston bus accident attorneys don’t charge you attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. So call us today at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.

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