Bus wrecks are occurring frequently these days, with reports of bus accidents causing catastrophic loss of life as well as critical injuries to those who survive the bus wrecks. With many causes reflecting negligence on the part of the bus driver, and the reported cases are rising with the cause being driver’s fatigue, as well as intoxicated drivers, and distracted drivers.
In the New York bus crash in March 2011, the cause of the wreck was suspected that the driver of the bus was suffering from drivers fatigue, an investigation was conducted following the deadly bus crash that that killed 15 people and investigators discovered that the bus driver had rental car records showing the rental car in continuous use during the hours the bus driver claimed to be sleeping.
In addition investigators discovered that the driver of the tour bus had driving privileges suspended eighteen times prior to 2007, in addition he also had a criminal record and he had multiple licenses including one that was suspended before the New York bus crash in different names.
The driver of the bus was also said to be speeding at the time of the bus crash with reports of 78 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone, when the bus hit a barrier and landed 480 feet below, after the fall the bus slid into a sign support that split the bus in half.
Cell phone records during the investigation reveal that while the bus driver was driving the bus he was also using a cell phone as well the phone numbers he was calling were also being dialed when the bus driver claimed to be sleeping.
In light of the horrible events that unfolded in March 2011, as a bus takes out a total of 15 lives there has to be laws to protect all of the passengers that get on a tour bus driven by a driver that is deemed incompetent to drive, and should be the case when a bus driver has eighteen different drivers license suspensions.
When public safety is in the hands of people who drive public transportation vehicles, it is a requirement of the owner of the public transportation, to use determining factors in order to put only the best responsible drivers in their buses, and background checks to reveal any information that would put the public in danger, clearly in the March 2011 New York bus crash this was not done.