An uncover investigation by KNBC News has revealed confirmation that distracted bus drivers present a very real and common threat to bus passengers and every motorist on the highway. According to the news report, over the course of three months, KNBC News followed twenty-five buses from six different tour companies and found repeated acts of distracted driving and speeding. Because of these and other factors, this year has been the very worst in terms of tour bus accidents on California highways.
Distracted Bus Drivers
Perhaps most shocking is the fact that distracted driving appears to be the number one cause of bus accidents. In spite of Federal and State laws prohibiting hand-held cell phone use while driving, bus drivers do not refrain from such dangerous driving. In fact, the KNBC investigative news team had no trouble finding multiple bus drivers using their hand-held phones while behind the wheel. In one instance, the driver was so distracted by his call he actually ran a red light, something that was captured on video.
Speeding Bus Drivers
Behind distracted driving, speeding is cited in the the news story as the number two cause of bus accidents. In the story, the news team was able to document with a laser gun one bus driver traveling at 93 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. In fact, of the twenty-five buses followed, the undercover investigators were able to catch twenty-four of them speeding. According to a representative from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, D.C., speed is a contributing cause in about one-third of all bus crashes.
If you have been injured or a loved one killed in a bus accident, contacting a bus accident attorney with experience at handling such claims is an important first step toward obtaining compensation for the injuries and damages sustained.
SOURCE: Caught on Camera: Tour Bus Drivers Text, Speed and Put Lives at Risk, KNBC News, November 5, 2013, by Joel Grover and Chris Henao
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