Is Reviewing Bus Safety Regulations the Proper Answer?

A bus can accommodate more people compared to cars because of its bigger size. When an accident occurs, the likelihood that someone will die or be injured is higher compared to other vehicle accidents.

What may be the reason why bus accidents, along with other road disasters continue to happen? U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood may have the same question in his mind because he is planning to have a full departmental review concerning motor coach safety.

This plan was told a day after four French and one American were killed when a bus crashed in Soledad, California. The bus was carrying 34 French tourists, the driver, and a Canadian tour guide when the accident happened.

Spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) Rae Tyson said he expects the agency to offer new bus safety regulations before the year ends.

Hopefully, these new safety regulations will reduce the number of bus accidents. Bus drivers should also remember that they are responsible for the safety of the passengers whenever they are operating a bus.

University City Crash Pilot to Fly Again

Lack of skills and inexperience play a vital role in plane crashes. Worse, it could lead to devastating effects in a pilot’s flying experience.

With just 150 flying hours, Lt. Dan Neubauer’s (Neubauer) inexperience certainly showed on the way he handled the in-flight crisis that occurred on December 2008. As I can recall, Neubauer landed his jet in University City neighborhood killing four people on the ground.

Due to the crash, Neubauer was put on probation. Spokesperson Major Eric Dent pointed out that Neubauer’s probation was not a disciplinary thing and that it was just a matter of determining whether Neubauer could carry safe flight operations.

The investigation revealed that Neubauer failed to follow emergency checklist when he lost oil pressure in one engine. Neubauer failed to land sooner but instead flew over a populated University City. His inexperience was even heightened by the conflicting advice from Marimar officials on the ground about where to return the aircraft carrier.

Investigation even disclosed that Neubauer’s squadron failed to correct the defect in the engine which existed for six months. Consequently, four members of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 had been dismissed and nine others were disciplined.

Neubauer’s case has been reviewed by the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station and the Marine Corps headquarters. The two boards determined that Neubauer was fit to resume flying.

While Neubauer may be given a chance to fly again, certainly, the board should really ensure that he is fit to be on the front seat again.

Pilot should have the necessary experience and skill to fly plane which I think Neubauer lack at this time. As the crash happened only months ago, Neubauer has still to undergo extensive trainings and seminars.

Two die in Miramar plane crash

Plane crash occurs due to several reasons. Faulty equipment, piloting errors, design or structural defects, weather conditions, negligence are just few of it.

As Federal, state and agency laws strictly govern most aircrafts and strictly implement aviation laws, accidents still happen.

In another plane crash Miramar police already identified one of the two victims. Friedrich Leo Weber died from severe head trauma following the crash of their Piper Comanche. The other person in the plane, a woman, was still unidentified.

The single-engine Comanche was registered to him but it was still unclear if he was the one piloting the plane. The plane was heading to Field Municipal Airport. The air controller had not received any distress call from the plane before it crashed on a hilly terrain.

Reports revealed that the Comanche had permission to fly above the Marine Air Station Miramar. No information yet on how the plane crash or what it was doing in the military airspace.

One thing is for sure, if negligence causes this fatal crash, plane crash lawyers could very well participate. The deceased’s loved ones could summon their aid should they desire to litigate their claims.

San Diego Bicyclist Struck by DUI Driver

Certainly, damage is greater when a bicycle collides with a vehicle. The bicyclist would surely sustain severe injury than the vehicle driver.

True enough, in a San Diego bicycle accident, a bicyclist was hit by a drunk motorist. The incident happened on Balboa Avenue, near Charger Boulevard and Interstate 805.

San Diego Police Department spokeswoman Monica Munoz reported that the bicyclist initially sustained serious head injuries but upon medical treatment, the injuries were downgraded to minor ones.

Jeffrey Althoff, the vehicle diver who struck the bicyclist, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In this situation, the bicyclist was at the disadvantage. While he sustained injuries, the vehicle driver did not. Clearly, the extent of injury was expected taking into account the size of the bicycle vis-à-vis the vehicle. More so, the bicyclist has only the helmet to protect himself from the impact.

This calls for the involvement of a bicycle accident lawyer to ensure liability upon Althoff. Zealous pursuit of the case would give justice to the victim.

An odd and brutal hit and run accident

While families of hit and run victims continue to suffer, drivers who caused such suffering were still at large and live as if nothing happened.

Carmen Bachan still mourns for the death of her daughter, Adriana Bachan who had been a victim of hit and run. Unlike other hit and run cases, this particular incident was brutal and odd.

While Adriana and friend Marcus Garfinkle were crossing at a designated crosswalk at Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street near USC, a car beat a red light and hit them. Garfinkle’s body clung to the car’s hood about 500 meters. The car stopped, a passenger got out only to remove Garfinkle’s motionless body from it.

Due to their injuries, Adriana died at the hospital and Garfinkle was in critical condition.

Under California laws, a vehicle driver approaching a pedestrian within a crosswalk is required to exercise all due care, reduce speed and take necessary action to safeguard the safety of pedestrians. Moreover, a vehicle driver involved in an accident resulting to injury or death must stop at the scene of the accident.

Clearly, these obligations were ignored by the victim’s offenders. The utter disregard of human life is unimaginable in this case. I can hardly understand how someone could just speed of and leave lifeless bodies on the street.

The police officers were one with Carmen’s plea for witnesses to give information on the violators’ whereabouts.

Previous to this case, a fatal accident already happened in the same intersection. These two incidents should serve as wake up calls for the authorities to do something.

Surely, some changes must be done or steps to be taken to prevent cases of pedestrian accidents and hit and run accidents from happening in this intersection again.