Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have recently proposed a new regulation for buses and other large passenger vehicles in an effort to make these vehicles safer for the people who ride them. Proposed on July 30, 2014, this new regulation specifically aims to ensure that the structural design of buses and coaches is sound enough to sustain rollover accidents so that passengers can be better protected in the event that these potentially deadly bus accidents occur.
As Anne Ferro, an official at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), has explained:
Approximately 700 million trips are taken on commercial buses each year. Raising the standard for a motorcoach’s durability, in the event of a crash, is critical to saving the lives of the passengers inside… in addition to taking critical steps to improve the structural design of buses, we are committed to further increasing motorcoach safety through stricter oversight, in-depth investigations into high-risk companies, and by ensuring that drivers are properly licensed and medically fit for the job.
Specific Proposal of New NHTSA Regulation for Buses
NHTSA officials have recently proposed a new regulation for buses to try to improve protections for passengers in the event of rollover bus accidents.
Modeled after similar regulations for buses and motorcoaches that are currently in place in Europe, the newly proposed NHTSA regulation for buses specifically will require that:
- There is sufficient space around each passenger seat and that this space would be maintained in the event of a bus accident.
- During crash tests for buses and motorcoaches, the passenger seats, overhead racks and window glazing components would not become detached.
- Emergency exits will remain closed during rollover accident testing but would still be capable of operating after this crash testing.
While the complete Notice of the Proposed Rulemaking (i.e., the complete text of the proposed new regulation) can be read in the Federal Register, the public can currently submit feedback and comments on the proposed regulation (and will continue to have this opportunity for 60 days from the date of the Notice).
If this new NHTSA bus regulation ultimately goes into effect (which officials are trying to make happen before the end of 2014), then there will be a three-year window within which the owners of buses will have to get their vehicles retrofitted to be in compliance with the new regulation.
Beaverton Bus Accident Attorney at the Weimar Law Offices
If you have been injured in a bus accident or in any type of traffic accident, Beaverton Bus Accident Attorney Linda Weimar is ready to aggressively advocate your rights and help you get the compensation you likely deserve.
Since 1997, Attorney Linda Weimar has been dedicated to providing the highest quality legal services to injured people and to holding negligent parties accountable for their careless and reckless behaviors. This means that, when injured people choose to work with BeavertonBus Accident Lawyer Linda Weimar, they can rest assured that their important legal matters will be handled by an experienced, dedicated and skilled professional who will do what it takes to obtain the best possible resolution to their case in the most efficient manner possible.
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From our offices in Beaverton, Attorney Linda Weimar represents people with various types of personal injury claims throughout Washington County, including in West Side and Hillsboro.