William Mattar | Injury Law Blog

November 16, 2011

Lives have been lost in the Bronx, in Virginia, in Upstate New York as sleep-deprived intercity bus drivers cause their buses to careen into other drivers and off the road.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s report commissioned by Senator Schumer and Representative Velazquez is the latest in a string of wake-up calls, said Lawrence J. Hanley with the Huffington Post.

Their leadership on this issue so far has been admirable, but not yet enough has been done. Congress needs to focus on ensuring driver fatigue is addressed in bus reform proposals.

Focused on seat belts, vehicle structure, and unsafe bus owners, the Motor Coach Enhanced Safety Act of 2011 passed by Congress does nothing to combat drivers who get behind the wheel with little or no sleep.

Due to an outdated loophole, intercity bus operators do not get overtime pay. They are exempt from overtime rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is not fair to intercity bus drivers.

Congress and the Administration need to realize what a danger these drivers are on our roads, a danger to themselves, their passengers, and other drivers. Lifting the FLSA overtime pay exemption is a start.  Then bus drivers can be fairly compensated for their work exceeding 40hours.

Not only is this the right thing to do, but it is the safe thing to do for all of us who travel on the roads.

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If you or someone you know were the victim of a New York auto accident, the New York auto accident lawyers at the William Mattar Law Offices may be able to help you.

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November 14, 2011

The headlines have been coming in for months: lives lost in the Bronx, in Virginia, in Upstate New York, as intercity buses careen into other drivers and off the road.

Last week’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report was a much-needed look at the ugly underbelly of the bus industry, said Lawrence J. Hanley with the Huffington Post.

These crashes are devastating, but they are not unexpected. They are the result of an unregulated intercity bus industry that operates below the law and encourages its drivers to work on little to no sleep, according to Hanley.

Among the key findings in NTSB’s latest report is “driver fatigue as a contributing factor to fatal motor coach accidents,” and it “has identified driver fatigue as an issue on its Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements.”

Intercity bus companies get away with paying their drivers criminally low wages, forcing them to work more than 100 hours per week to make ends meet.

NSTB estimates that 36 percent of fatal bus crashes in the past decade have been the result of driver fatigue. It is the number one cause of fatal accidents.

These intercity bus drivers asleep at the wheel  are a danger not only to themselves and their passengers, but also to any car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian on the roads.

In our next blog, you will find out what is being done to correct this problem.  Check back in on Wednesday.

Read more.

If you or someone you know were the victim of a New York auto accident, the New York auto accident lawyers at the William Mattar Law Offices may be able to help you.

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