Tonko, Schumer, Gillibrand, Delgado, Stefanik Introduce Limo Safety PackageReps: Do Not Allow The Victims Of Schoharie’s Tragedy To Be Forgotten; Pass Meaningful Reforms Now
Washington,
October 16, 2019
"The first night our communities came together in vigil, these families called on us to respond not just with our thoughts and prayers, but with clear, enforceable standards that close dangerous loopholes and make rider safety a priority. This legislation answers that call." - Congressman Paul Tonko
TONKO, SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, DELGADO, STEFANIK INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN PLAN TO SET FEDERAL LIMOUSINE-SAFETY REGULATIONS & CLOSE SAFETY LOOPHOLES TO GET DANGEROUS VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD; CALL FOR IMMEDIATE REVIEW & PASSAGE TO HONOR THE TWENTY LIVES LOST IN SCHOHARIE Schoharie’s October 2018 Limo Accident Was Nation’s Deadliest Accident In Years; Reports Revealed Gaping Loopholes In Federal Safety Regulations With The NTSB’s Initial Safety Report On Stretch Limousine Safety Shortcomings Now Public And Tragic Anniversary Past, Schumer, Tonko, Gillibrand, Delgado, Stefanik Introduce Three Pieces Of Bipartisan Legislation To Boost Safety Of Aftermarket Stretch Limousines On NY Roads For Passengers, Drivers, & Pedestrians Reps: Do Not Allow The Victims Of Schoharie’s Tragedy To Be Forgotten; Pass Meaningful Reforms Now WASHINGTON--U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (NY-20), U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19), and U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (NY-21) today introduced three pieces of legislation to increase the safety of stretch limousines for all of the Americans and New Yorkers who ride in them: the Safety, Accountability, and Federal Enforcement of Limos Act (SAFE Limos Act), the Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act, and the End the Limo Loophole Act. The officials explained that their bipartisan legislation would set a full slate of new federal stretch limousine safety rules and standards, help get unsafe vehicles off the road and close federal safety loopholes. The officials urged their colleagues in Congress to honor the memory of the heartbreaking limousine crash in Schoharie last October, which took the lives of 20 New Yorkers far too soon, by passing all three pieces of legislation as soon as possible. “Our limo safety plan reflects more than a year of painful work built on the guidance of experts, crash investigators, and most importantly the grieving families who suffered an unspeakable loss in the Schoharie limo tragedy,” said Congressman Tonko. “The first night our communities came together in vigil, these families called on us to respond not just with our thoughts and prayers, but with clear, enforceable standards that close dangerous loopholes and make rider safety a priority. This legislation answers that call. Once advanced through Congress and signed into law, this set of bills will work together to save lives and ensure this kind of devastating, preventable tragedy can never happen again.” “In the aftermath of that fateful afternoon last October that tragically took the lives of 20 Upstate New Yorkers in their primes, the families of these victims made it their mission to close the fatal gaps in limo-safety that contributed decisively to this tragedy. Today I’m proud to join them hand-in-hand, along with my Congressional colleagues in New York, to introduce three pieces of legislation that will do just that,” said Senator Schumer. “This legislation would set a full suite of federal stretch limousine safety rules, from seat strength requirements to aftermarket alteration rules and so much more, close loopholes that are making our streets more dangerous and take unsafe vehicles that never should’ve been there in the first place off our roads. By passing these sorely-needed pieces of legislation, we will be a significant step closer to ensuring that the lives lost in Schoharie are not in vain and that these preventable heartbreaks and tragedies are averted in the future.” “Last year’s horrific limousine accident in Schoharie revealed gaping holes in the nation’s road safety rules, and it is an absolute tragedy that 20 New Yorkers lost their lives because of it. Ever since then, I have been working closely with my colleagues in Congress to close these gaps, and I am proud to join with them today to introduce legislation to implement the Limo Safety Action Plan,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This legislative plan is a comprehensive set of bills that would directly address the lack of safety regulations in the limousine industry. It would hold limousine companies accountable, create new safety standards for limousines based on recommendations from the NTSB, and help get dangerous vehicles off the road. These bills would help make our roads safer, and I will do everything in my power to push for their swift passage in Congress.” “We must do everything we can to honor the twenty lives lost in the heart-wrenching Schoharie Limo Crash, and address the systemic safety failures that led to this horrific accident,” said Congressman Delgado. “Today I join my colleagues to honor the lives of the victims and their families with action to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again with a long-overdue legislative package that acts on the NTSB recommendations and takes strong steps to improve safety, accountability and enforcement measures for limos, keep passengers safe, and remove dangerous vehicles from the road. I will take every action I can in the House to move this legislation through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and to the floor to implement these life-saving measures and keep our community safe on the roads.” “One year ago, tragedy struck Upstate New York when 20 lives were lost in a horrific auto accident,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “While the investigation is still ongoing, NTSB’s recent recommendations make it clear that critical gaps in the federal standards are undermining the safety of passengers. This legislation will close existing loopholes in the limousine safety standards and keep unsafe vehicles off our roads. I’m proud to introduce this comprehensive and bipartisan legislation with my New York colleagues to ensure such senseless tragedies never happen again.” On October 6th, 2018, as reported by the New York State Police, a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine was traveling southwest on Route 30 and failed to stop at the Route 30A intersection in Schoharie, N.Y. The limo traveled across the intersection into the Apple Barrel County Store parking lot and struck a parked and unoccupied 2015 Toyota Highlander. The limo continued to travel into a small wooded ravine where it came to a rest. The accident tragically took the lives of all 18 people in the limousine and two pedestrians, 20 people in total. According to wide reports, this was America’s deadliest transport accident since 2009. The federal officials said that this accident revealed an urgent need for new federal stretch limousine safety regulations. Limousines lack many of the modern safety features required on passenger vehicles due to the way they are constructed. Manufacturers test the safety features of a normal car and are required to certify that all existing safety regulations are met, but these features are often rendered useless when the car is converted into a limousine. Many limousines are not equipped with side airbags or required to provide seat belts, nor are passengers required to wear them. So, with the NTSB’s recommendations now in-hand, the federal representatives launched a push to pass three new pieces of legislation that would significantly improve the safety of stretch limousines for both passengers and other drivers on New York State roads. First, Senator Schumer and Representative Tonko announced the introduction of the SAFE Limos Act of 2019 to their respective chambers of Congress, which would:
Second, Schumer, Gillibrand, Tonko, Delgado and Stefanik argued that while states are already supposed to act to ensure unsafe vehicles are off the road, more must be done to ensure that when vehicles fail inspection that states can step in to protect people. To address these shortcomings, Schumer and Tonko announced the introduction of the Take Unsafe Limos Off the Road Act to both the Senate and House of Representatives, and called on their colleagues to consider and pass it right away. The bill would create a new grant program to support states’ efforts to impound or immobilize vehicles that fail inspection for critical safety reasons. The New York State Assembly and Senate are working on legislation that allows for the immobilization or impoundment of limousines where such vehicles have an out-of-service defect or a defect related to their horn. The act will incentivize states like New York to take strong actions to keep unsafe limos that fail inspection off the road. And lastly, Schumer, Gillibrand, Tonko, Delgado and Stefanik highlighted that currently, a Commercial Motor Vehicle is defined as a vehicle that is designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver. However, vehicles that are altered after manufacture to accommodate more than 9 passengers, such as many stretch limos, fall outside this definition. So, Gillibrand and Delgado introduced the End the Limo Loophole Act to both chambers of Congress, to ensure that limos comply with commercial motor vehicle safety regulations. The legislation would amend the definition of a Commercial Motor Vehicle to ensure that it covers all vehicles used to transport 9 or more people, including the driver, so that critical federal safety rules, such as driver qualifications, apply to these vehicles. The bill also would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to finalize a rulemaking withdrawn by the Trump Administration to require states to implement inspection programs for passenger-carrying vehicles. Senator Schumer has long fought to promote safety within the stretch limousine industry. In 2015, a collision between a pickup truck and a stretch limousine on the North Fork of Long Island killed four women and injured others. According to the Suffolk Times, the limousine attempted to make a U-turn on Route 48 in Cutchogue, N.Y. when a Dodge Ram pickup truck collided with the limo. Following this tragic accident, Senator Schumer urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to gather data needed to upgrade safety standards on stretch limos and other aftermarket altered motor coaches to better protect passengers and make the vehicles more crash resistant. In September of 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) heeded Schumer’s original investigatory call and agreed to investigate future limousine accidents as they occur on a case-by-case basis. ### |