Bus Accidents

Published on: June 17, 2015

New York Bus Drivers’ Union initiated a work slowdown this morning to protest a new Zero Vision Law that makes it a misdemeanor for drivers to strike pedestrians or cyclists with the right of way.

In New York every year several pedestrians and cyclists die and many others suffer personal injury after being struck by an MTA Bus. In many of these accidents investigation shows that drivers were negligent and failed to yield or failed to exercise due care. Since the beginning of the year a few bus drivers were arrested after a new Vision Zero Law made it a misdemeanor for drivers to strike pedestrians or cyclists who have the right of way. TWU Local 100, the bus drivers Union is against this new law and would like bus drivers to be exempted from it. This morning TWU local 100 launched a work slow down on 181st Street in Washington Heights between 7:00 am and 9:00 am to protest the law.

The flyers handed out to bus drivers by the Union (see picture) said “DO NOT TURN UNLESS THE INTERSECTION IS CLEAR!”. Isn’t that what bus drivers are supposed to do to keep NYC streets safe?

Read more in the New York Post and on Streetblog

Published on: June 4, 2015

The new Electronic Stability Control (ESC) final rule issued by the National Transportation Highway Traffic Safety Administration may prevent as many as 1759 bus and truck accidents as well as 649 personal injuries and 49 deaths every year

By GGCRBHS&M

A long awaited NHTSA rule has the potential to decrease by 56% untripped rollover crashes (rollover crashes that are not caused by striking an obstacle or leaving the road) of large trucks and big buses. This new rule requires that all Class 7-8 trucks and large buses be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC) system. According to the NHTSA “ESC works instantly and automatically to maintain directional control in situations where the driver’s own steering and braking cannot be accomplished quickly enough to prevent the crash.”

This new rule has been a long time coming. The first recommendation to equip large truck and buses with ESC was issued by the NHTSA in 2011.

Read the press release from the NHTSA

Published on: June 1, 2015

A 68 year old pedestrian died after being struck by a tour bus in Morningside Heights, New YorK City

By GGCRBHS&M

A 68 year old Spanish woman visiting from Spain died in a bus accident in Manhattan last Thursday. The woman was waiting to cross the street with her sister when a United Coach Line white bus that was parked just next to her pulled out of its spot and caught her under the front wheels. The scene unfolded in front of her sister who had to be hospitalized in shock. The United Coach Line bus had parked on Amsterdam Ave. outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where the Teacher’s College of Columbia University was holding a hooding ceremony. The university was also holding its commencement, so thousands of graduates and their families were milling about the neighborhood. The driver apparently didn’t see the victim before pulling out. Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: May 12, 2015

Thankfully nobody was injured when a bus from New York exploded on the Massachussets Turnpike

By GGCRBHS&M

A Boltbus that departed from New York to go to Boston exploded on the Massachusetts Turnpike yesterday during rush hours. The bus driver noticed smoke coming out of the bus, pulled over and immediately evacuated the 47 passengers with their belongings. Shortly after the bus exploded and caught fire. The recasons of the explosion are still being investigated.

Published on: April 14, 2015

A cyclist and a pedestrian were critically injured in two separate accidents in Brooklyn, New York

By GGCRBHS&M

Two men suffered severe personal injury in two separate accidents that happened in Brooklyn, NYC, on Sunday night. One of them was a 46 year old cyclist who crashed his bike into the back of an MTA bus in Williamsburg and the other one was a pedestrian who was struck by a car three hours later in Crown Heights. Both were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: March 10, 2015

Two people suffered serious personal injury in a bus accident near the George Washington Bridge in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

Two people were badly injured this morning in a bus accident in New York. The bus was about to enter a ramp connecting the Henry Hudson Parkway to the George Washington Bridge when it slid down the embankment north of Fort Washington Park. The two victims who were the only two people in the bus were rescued by the FDNY and taken to the hospital. The police are still investigating the cause of the crash. Read more on the NBC New York website

Published on: February 20, 2015

The recent arrest of a New York Bus Driver who failed to yield and severely injured a 15 year old pedestrian angers the union

By GGCRBHS&M

The Transport Workers Union says that the new law penalizing drivers who have injured or killed a pedestrian after they failed to yield should not apply to bus drivers and that it is supporting a proposed amendment in the City Council to exclude bus drivers from the law. This statement from the bus drivers Union follows the arrest last week of Francisco de Jesus, a bus driver who severely injured a 15 year old girl after he failed to yield and struck her in the crosswalk (see previous blog). The bus driver is facing fines of up to $250 or 30 days in jail. Vision Zero proponents believes the punishment is not excessive and should apply to all drivers including bus drivers. Read more in the New York Times

Published on: February 17, 2015

A 15 year old pedestrian suffered serious personal injury in a MTA bus accident in Brooklyn, NYC; the driver was arrested and charged

By GGCRBHS&M

A 15 year old girl suffered a severe leg injury after she was hit by a New York MTA bus. The accident happened when the bus driver made a left turn from Union Ave to Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC Friday morning. The young girl whose name is Jiahuan Xu was crossing the street in a crosswalk and had the right of way. She was struck by the bus and her left leg was pinned under the wheel of the bus for 15 minutes. The driver, 58 year old Francisco de Jesus was charged with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. Failure to yield became a misdemeanor last year as part of the Vision Zero program to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. The bus drivers union was upset with the charges and said that drivers should be exempt from criminal charges related to driving.

Published on: January 27, 2015

How to avoid accidents when children are getting in and out of a school bus?

By GGCRBHS&M

Recently in New York a young boy getting out of a school bus suffered personal injury after being hit by a reckless driver. Unfortunately this type of accident happens too frequently. According to the National Traffic Safety Administration since 2003,119 school-aged pedestrians have died in school transportation related collisions. Among these fatalities 30% of them involved another vehicle.

Drivers need to exercise extra caution when they drive near a school bus. Here is a video that shows how we can all make the road safer for our children.

Published on: January 20, 2015

Black ice caused multiple traffic accidents and 911 backlog in New York on Sunday

By GGCRBHS&M

Multiple traffic accidents, including 59 MTA bus crashes as well as slips and falls caused by black ice created a backlog of hundreds of 911 calls in New York on Sunday. According to the FDNY as many as 600 emergency callers were put on hold on Sunday early in the day. The NYPD responded to a total of 1800 calls compared to an average of 400 to 500 a day.

Read more in the New York Post