At 10:45am on May 3rd, a huge Freightliner Shuttle Bus crash dealt several injuries on Missouri 100 westbound, west of Eagle’s Nest Drive in Gasconade County. The driver of the bus, a 45-year-old man, veered off the right side of the road, and then overcorrected the other way, resulting in it traveling off the left side of the roadway and into a ditch. The driver sustained serious injuries and was taken by Arch Air Ambulance to a local hospital. Two other passengers were seriously injured, 12 sustained moderate injuries, and 13 were minorly injured in the crash.
Luckily, Missouri requires a Commercial Driver’s License to operate a shuttle bus this large (containing 16 or more individuals, including the driver). Federal regulations have laid out restrictions for the drivers of such buses, to ensure they are always sharp and well-equipped when transporting us and maintaining our safety. Section 395.5(a)(1) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations states that a driver must not be operating a vehicle for more than 10 hours at a time, with no less than 8 hours off-duty in between. Companies who choose not to adhere to these regulations are not only subject to fines and penalties, but incompliance could result in license suspension for the driver and the company.
Similar to how we are required to carry $25,000 in liability limits, the FMCSA sets the minimum insurance limits for commercial buses at $5,000,000. This coverage is intended to protect the bus company against medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages in the event of an accident. However, if the driver of the bus or their company is found to be at fault for the collision, whether it be due to fatigue, incompliance with regulations, or another reason, the victims in the accident may have grounds to recover beyond the policy limit. For the safety of passengers, of other drivers, and for the sake of the commercial bus companies, it is imperative that all laws are followed closely all the time.