When deciding to take a bus trip to your destination, you might be looking forward to sitting back and relaxing instead of being confronted with traffic. Instead of spending countless hours driving, what may come to mind is watching a movie, listening to music or a podcast, reading a book, or taking a nap. While it might be tempting to put your headphones on and tune out, you may want to reconsider.
While most bus trips end with passengers getting to their destinations safely, there have been more and more bus crashes due to bus drivers and bus companies failing to prioritize bus passenger safety. Whether a bus is poorly maintained or a driver is driving drowsy or without the proper license, many bus companies fail to comply with federal safety regulations. As a result, bus passengers are put at risk.
This is why it is important that passengers on busses know what to do if something doesn’t look right, such as bus drivers who:
- appear intoxicated, disoriented, or nodding off behind the wheel
- are speeding, driving distracted, or operating the bus in a reckless manner
- won’t pull over even if there are known maintenance issues such as skidding or heavy smoke coming out of the bus
If you are on a bus and believe you are in danger due to one of these aforementioned scenarios, you need to call 911 and report the emergency. If you have a concern with a bus driver or bus company that isn’t an immediate safety threat, you can make a complaint via FMCSA’s toll-free hotline at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) or visit the National Consumer Complaint Database.
If you have been injured in a bus accident due to the negligence of a bus driver or bus company, you should speak with a lawyer about filing a personal injury claim for damages. To speak with an accident attorney in a free consultation, please contact our office today at (301) 942-9118.
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