After Fatal Limo Crash: Time to Outlaw ‘Frankenstein’ Vehicles?

What’s the story?

• The stretch limousine involved in the fatal crash in upstate New York that killed 20 people was created by sawing in half a 2001 Ford Excursion, lengthening the body, then refurbishing the interior.
• These modifications can affect the vehicle’s handling and ability to withstand crashes.

"When we look at limousines and stretch limos, we see a really Frankenstein system of cars that potentially are cut up and put back together with parts and pieces that were not original to them," Deborah Hersman, president and CEO of the nonprofit National Safety Council and former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told NPR. "And additionally, some things may be taken off — things like air bags or seat belts."

• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said on Monday that the driver was not properly licensed and the vehicle recently failed a state safety inspection.

What happened during the accident?

• 17 passengers were attending a 30th birthday celebration when the modified 2001 Ford Excursion ran a stop sign and hit a parked SUV on Saturday in Schoharie, N.Y. about 40 miles west of Albany. The crash killed the driver and 17 passengers, as well as two bystanders.
• The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

What are people saying?

• As NPR explained, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets standards for newly manufactured vehicles, but limos that are modified after they're off the assembly line can skirt NHTSA oversight.”
• Gov. Cuomo said, "The instinct is always, 'We need a new law. We need a new regulation.' Sometimes the issue is: 'The law worked fine, and the regulation worked fine; they were just broken.' "
• New York authorities would not comment, however, on whether the passengers killed in Sunday’s accident were wearing seat belts: New York State law only requires that all front seat passengers wear seat belts. 

"We want that to be something that comes out of this crash, and the discussion that we're having at a national level, is that you've got to buckle up in the back," Hersman said. "It's critically important."

What do you think?

Hersman said that “what this crash brings home is that there is a gap in oversight when it comes to limousine operations." Should the NTSB revamp its oversight? Does the NHTSA need to close loopholes in post-factory modified vehicles? Should states require rear seatbelts? Take action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: iStockphoto.com / djjohn)