SCARSDALE, NY - Spurred by the tragic accident that took the lives of 20 people in Schoharie, NY, Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) introduced six bills to improve the safe operation of stretch limousines and increase protections for drivers and passengers alike.

Assemblymember Paulin has been concerned with this issue since 2006, when she first sponsored a bill strengthening the requirements for the inspection on limousines that had been modified post-registration. This bill was eventually adapted to be part of New York State Department of Transportation regulations concerning stretch limousines.

“Because the investigation is ongoing, we don’t yet know whether any of these individual steps would have affected the shocking and fatal outcome in Schoharie,” said Assemblymember Paulin.  “But we’ve known for a long time that the regulation of stretch limousines needs to be reviewed and reworked.  Stretch limousines are the vehicle of choice for so many happy occasions, from family events, to birthdays, to weddings, to the annual ritual of prom. We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to prevent the operation of these vehicles in an unsafe manner that could put our children and our loved ones in danger."

For the purpose of these bills, “stretch limousines” refers to any vehicle with a chassis that has been modified to transport more than 10 persons, including the driver, in a for-hire capacity.

The need for legislative action was underscored by the tragic July 2015 stretch limousine crash in Cutchogue, New York that killed four people and injured four others.  It was further reinforced by the final report and recommendations of the Suffolk County Supreme Court Special Grand Jury, which was impaneled to investigate that Cutchogue crash and suggested a number of improvements in passenger safety that ought to be made at the state and county levels. Although action on those recommendations has been slow, Assemblymember Paulin believes the even deadlier crash in Schoharie underscores the need for action.

Bill 1 follows the recommendation from Section IV of the Recommendations in the Suffolk County Special Grand Jury Report called for the creation of “a task force in conjunction with limousine industry officials and community groups to study the safety of stretch limousines.” Paulin’s bill would implement this recommendation by creating a task force of owners and operators of businesses that utilize stretch limousines throughout the different geographic regions of the state, understanding that the particular issues in New York City may not be those experienced in Buffalo or Syracuse, to say nothing of suburban and rural communities.  The task force would be convened and co-chaired by the designee of the Commissioner of the NYS Department of Transportation and the Commissioner of the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.  Since law enforcement will be required to enforce any changes, the State Police would also be represented.  Finally, the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, and President of the Senate would select additional appointees, including representatives from community groups and those with deep knowledge and commitment to the issues of traffic safety and reducing accidents and fatalities more broadly.

Bill 2 would extend current seat belt requirements to passengers within stretch limousines – another recommendation by the Suffolk County Grand Jury. Under the New York State Department of Transportation’s Regulations, stretch limousines falls under the definition of “buses” due to the number of passengers they convey. Bus passengers are exempted from the seatbelt requirements of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. This bill would add the seatbelt requirements specifically for stretch limousines.

Bill 3 would include stretch limousines among the passenger vehicles that are prohibited from making U-turns except when directed to do so by law enforcement – another recommendation by the Suffolk County Grand Jury. School buses and other passenger vehicles with lengths comparable to stretch limousines are already prohibited from making all U-turns, including three point turns.

Bill 4 would require that carbon monoxide monitors be placed in the cabins of stretch limousines. Defective exhaust systems have been known to lead to carbon monoxide poisoning while a vehicle is in an operation, even outside of a garage or other closed space, but carbon monoxide alarms are not currently required for stretch limousines. Since stretch limousines have been modified post-manufacture, this safety precaution could be particularly necessary.

Bill 5 would prohibit the use of hands-free devices when the vehicle is in operation, except in cases of emergency and dispatch instructions.

Bill 6 would require drivers licensed to operate stretch limousines to submit to periodic drug and alcohol testing. Federal regulations already require drug and alcohol testing of drivers for passenger vehicles for 16 occupants or more.  However, stretch limousines between 10 and 16 occupants do not currently have this requirement.

“When it comes to stretch limousines, state law does not reflect the ever-changing array of safety features available to other motor vehicles,” said Assemblymember Paulin. “Those can be fixed through new regulations or legislation.  But there are a number of broader questions that are specific to stretch limousines. To my mind, those can best be solved by bringing together as a task force the stakeholders who best understand the problem and have the most incentive to keep our drivers and our passengers safe.”