What's happening
This bill requires contract passenger carriers to provide customers with their latest federal safety scores and explanations before contracting services.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and informed decision-making. by requiring contract passenger carriers to proactively share their most recent federal safety scores and explanations with potential customers, allowing clients to better assess safety risks before agreeing to transportation services.
Promotes higher safety standards. among carriers, as the obligation to disclose safety records may incentivize companies to maintain or improve their federal safety ratings to remain competitive and appealing to customers.
Empowers customers. by making complex federal safety data more accessible and understandable, helping individuals and organizations make choices that prioritize passenger well-being.
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Who cares
Contract passenger motor carriers
They would have to give each customer written copies of their three most recent federal SafeStat scores and an explanation of their calculation and meaning before entering a service contract.
Customers hiring passenger carriers
They would receive safety scores and explanatory information before committing to a transportation contract.
New York State transportation regulators
The bill would add a pre-contract safety disclosure requirement to the transportation law governing contract passenger carriers.
Headline styles
Disclose Bus Safety Scores
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4200
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 6, 2017
Introduced by Sen. DILAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to requiring safety reports to potential customers of contract carriers of passengers by motor vehicle
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 10 of section 140 of the transportation law is renumbered subdivision 11 and a new subdivision 10 is added to read as follows:
10. No contract carrier of passengers by motor vehicle, as defined by subdivision nine of section two of this chapter, shall enter into a contract to provide services for any customer without first providing that customer with:
a. a copy, in writing, of the contract carrier's three most recent federal Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat) scores; and
b. an explanation of how the score is calculated and what the score means.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09225-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the transportation law, in relation to requiring safety reports to potential customers of contract carriers of passengers by motor vehicle
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require contract carriers of passengers by motor vehicle to provide and explain their most recent federal Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat) scores before entering into a contract with a customer.
Summary of specific provisions
Amends Section 140 of the transportation law to require that no contract carrier of passengers by motor vehicle shall enter into a contract to provide services to any customer without first providing the following:
-a written copy of the carrier's three most recent SafeStat scores
-an explanation of how the score is calculated and what it means
Justification
Customers of charter bus companies must be able to rely on those companies to operate safely, but in many instances customers sign contracts without access to carriers' safety records.
According to a study by ESPN, the number of buses involved in traffic accidents has increased dramatically in recent years: in 2003, 8,555 buses were involved in such accidents nationwide, rising to 13,195 in 2007.
The United States Department of Transportation, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, operates the Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat), an automated analysis system that combines historical and current safety data to measure the relative safety fitness of interstate commercial motor carriers. SafeStat provides analysis and reports on carriers performance in four analytic Safety Evaluation Areas (SEAS): Accident. Driver, Vehicle, and Safety Management. The four SEA values are then combined into an overall safety status assessment, known as a SafeStat score.
Carriers' SafeStat scores can be viewed at the FMCSA website. However, a large proportion of charter bus customers continue to do business with companies that have compiled substandard SafeStat ratings, though they might not choose to do so if they were provided with this information. These customers include organizations arranging trips for students, seniors, and other potentially vulnerable groups. For instance, the ESPN report found that "at least 85 Division I universities used charter bus companies during 2007 and 2008 that have had one or more deficient federal safety scores."
While it is helpful to have SafeStat scores available at the FMCSA website, it is clear that many potential charter bus customers either do not visit the website or are unable to understand the reports posted there. This bill would require the motor vehicle carriers to provide their three most recent SafeStat scores, as well as an explanation of the SafeStat rating system, to all potential customers before any contract is signed. Carriers violating this requirement would be subject to penalties according to subdivision nine of this section, including a fine of not more than $5,000, and suspension of the registration of all motor vehicles operated by the carrier.
This legislation would ensure that all potential customers have direct access to critical information about the safety records of motor vehicle carriers, and it would provide additional incentive for carriers to improve their own safety ratings.
Prior legislative history
2013-2014 S.404: Referred to transportation 2015-2016 S.2284: Referred to transportation
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.