Each year, 750 million people choose motor coaches as their preferred form of travel. But recent crashes involving these buses have left many wondering how safe they truly are.
On May 31, 2011, a bus owned by Sky Express was traveling from North Carolina to New York. Its driver, Kin Yiu Cheung, was fatigued. After Cheung fell asleep behind the wheel, the bus ran off of Interstate 95 near Richmond, Virginia. Four people were killed in the crash and 50 more were injured.
Cheung was charged with reckless driving, and Sky Express was shut down for numerous violations. News spread about how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had planned on shutting the company down prior to the crash. Instead, Sky Express was given more time to operate as investigators addressed new safety concerns.
In response, Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said “I’m extremely disappointed that this carrier was allowed to continue operating unsafely when it should have been placed out of service.” He added, “There is no excuse for delay when a bus operator should be put out of service for safety’s sake.”
More recently, a bus operated by Mares Bus Lines, based in Dallas, crashed on Interstate 35 between Austin and San Antonio. Driver fatigue was also cited as the cause of that Texas bus accident. A young girl on the bus at the time of the crash suffered extensive injuries and had to have her leg amputated.
Under current federal rules, a bus driver can drive for up to 10 hours straight and can work for as long as 15 hours. After 10 hours of driving though, he or she must take off at least eight hours.
If you or a loved one were injured in a Texas bus accident, call the experienced bus accident attorneys at Van Wey Law today at (214)329-1350 or (800)489-5082.
