NTSB to Limo Operators: Buckle Up for Change

In the wake of a deadly Ford Excursion limousine crash in upstate New York, the National Transportation Safety Board is calling on limo operators and builders to ensure passengers are belted in. It’s also calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make its recommendation the law of the land.

The 2018 crash in Schoharie, NY killed 18 occupants of the aging SUV-turned-limo, as well as two pedestrians. Using this crash and several others as a starting point, the NTSB’s study and subsequent report found that the only way to ensure passenger safety is the most obvious one: buckle up.

While the 2001 Excursion super-stretch retained the model’s original rear seats and belts and included belts for the perimeter-style bench seating, “the NTSB found the side- and rear-facing bench seats failed in the direction of the crash forces and that the strength of these seats and their anchorages were inadequate during the crash,” the report states.

“In comparison, the original Ford passenger seats in the rear of the vehicle remained attached to the floor and intact.”

Despite the passenger compartment of the limo remaining intact following the crash, none of the occupants were belted when the vehicle lost control on a steep grade. The NTSB feels the crash would have been survivable, had the seats remained secure and the belts properly anchored. And, of course, if the occupants were strapped in.

Two other fatal limo crashes ⁠— one in Elgin, Illinois, and the other in Cranbury, New Jersey ⁠— also saw fatalities, despite lower crash forces than those seen in the NY accident. Again, seatbelts were provided, but occupants chose not to wear them.

Especially with perimeter seating, “if seat belts on limousines are not readily accessible to the passengers, they are unlikely to be worn,” the NTSB claims.

The board’s recommendations are threefold. For one, it calls upon the NHTSA to “require lap/shoulder belts for each passenger seating position on all new vehicles modified to be used as limousines,” and to mandate that “seating systems in these vehicles to meet minimum performance standards to ensure their integrity during a crash.”

It also calls upon the National Limousine Association to educate its members on proper seat belt use and “develop methods to ensure seat belts are functional and accessible to passengers and encourage passengers to use them.” Lastly, the NTSB wants the New York Department of Transportation to “ensure all limousine seat belts are functional and accessible in their regular inspection process.”

[Image: Volvo Cars]