According to a New York limo safety task force, stretch limousines should be equipped with side-impact protection devices and taken off the road after 10 years or 350,000 miles. The report, submitted on Sept. 30 to the governor and legislature, also recommended improvements to driver training programs and says passengers should get a pre-trip safety demonstration, like you get on an airplane. Improved communications between state agencies – like the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation, and state police – was also mentioned.
The task force was convened after a Ford Excursion SUV stretch limo carrying a group of friends to a birthday celebration sped out of control on a hill and drove into a gully in Schoharie, NY on Oct. 6, 2018. The driver and 17 passengers were killed, along with two pedestrians.
The National Transportation Safety Board report blamed the limo owner’s “egregious disregard for safety” for the brake failure but added that “ineffective state oversight also played a role.” The limo was kept on the road even after repeatedly failing safety inspections.
Source: ABC News
