New York lawmakers last year invoked a fatal bus crash carrying students and teachers to band camp as the impetus for a new bus seatbelt law, saying it would “save lives.” Less than six months after the law went into effect, several people were killed when a tour bus traveling on the New York State Thruway near Pembroke, Genesee County, went off the road and rolled multiple times. Police said many of the 54 passengers were not wearing seatbelts. Several were ejected from the bus.
The crash has raised questions about if and how the law is enforced.
New York law requires seatbelt use on charter buses. Who enforces it?
The seatbelt law went into effect in April this year. It requires passengers over the age of 8 to use seatbelts provided on charter buses manufactured after November 2016.
“Federal law requires that charter buses have these belts installed but does not require that they be used,” a justification section in the legislation reads. “The matter has been left to the states. … Seatbelts save lives and this legislation will prevent further loss of life in crashes involving charter buses.”
Still, the Bus & Motorcoach News article noted responsibility for compliance rests with passengers, “not drivers or operators.”
The tour bus in the Aug. 22 crash was carrying sightseers back to New York City after a trip to Niagara Falls. Many passengers were from India, China and the Philippines and spoke limited English.
Why should you wear a seatbelt?
Nearly half of all vehicle fatalities in 2023 involved a person who was not wearing their seatbelt, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Seatbelts work by using a locking mechanism during sudden stops to absorb the force of the impact during a crash. It also restrains the person in place, helping to reduce the risk of injury or death.
“It holds you securely to help prevent you from striking hard objects inside the vehicle while being tossed around,” an explainer on the state DMV website says. “You are less likely to be thrown (ejected) through the vehicle’s windshields or doors ― and vehicle ejection usually results in death.”
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Twitter @kaylacanne and @bykaylacanne on Instagram. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY bus crash raises questions about state’s new seatbelt law
Reporting by Kayla Canne, USA TODAY NETWORK / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
