FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 8, 2007
CONTACT: Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Backs Motorcoach Safety Bill
Recalls Hurricane Rita Evacuation Bus Tragedy and Urges Preventative Measures
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) along with Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today introduced a new motorcoach safety bill designed to reduce deaths and injuries caused by motorcoach accidents.
“A tragic motorcoach accident during Hurricane Rita evacuation efforts in 2005 cost 23 Houston nursing home residents their lives. The sad truth is that this accident could have been prevented. I am pleased to cosponsor new legislation that will enhance federal safety guidelines governing motorcoaches. With an eye toward prevention, we can help avert future motorcoach accidents and make the roads safer for everyone,” said Sen. Hutchison, who serves on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
“In the wake of the Bluffton bus crash, one thing is clear – we need stronger safety regulations,” Sen. Brown said. “This bill takes the lessons learned from the tragic events of the Bluffton University baseball team’s motorcoach accident, and aims to correct them for future riders. It will ensure that motorcoaches are built, equipped, and operated to be as safe as possible.”
The Brown-Hutchison legislation, The Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act of 2007, would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to upgrade federal safety standards applicable to motorcoaches and take action to improve the operational requirements of drivers and companies. The legislation would lead to the adoption of available safety technologies, result in stronger oversight and compliance with federal safety rules, and encourage better training of motorcoach operators to protect passengers from death and injury due to ejection, rollover, roof crush, and fires.
In 2005, a bus fire claimed the lives of 23 Houston nursing home residents who were being evacuated during Hurricane Rita. An investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the fire was caused by poorly lubricated wheel bearings, which overheated and ignited. It was also revealed that the motorcoach motor carrier, Global Limo, failed to require daily safety inspections by drivers and skipped required maintenance.
The DOT does not require basic occupant protection safety features for motorcoaches. The National Transportation Safety Board has made numerous safety recommendations to improve motorcoach safety, including promoting such critical features as safety belts, occupant advanced glazing on windows and other ejection prevention countermeasures, protection against dangerous motorcoach interior impacts, crush-resistant roofs, and protection against fires. These recommendations have languished for years without federal agency attention and action.
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