NTSB reveals limousine safety recommendations

Last year, the safety of limousines was brought into question following a crash of a Ford Excursion limo in New York that killed 20 of the occupants. Now the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has finally provided its recommendations for how to start making limos safer. They’re extremely basic ideas.

The first is for all limousine seating to pass the same crash force testing as those in normal consumer vehicles. The NTSB notes that a contributing factor to the deaths in last year’s New York crash was that the bench seats running the length of the interior broke free in the crash. The OEM Ford seats at the back of the limo stayed in place.

In addition to keeping the seats in place, the NTSB wants occupants to stay in place with seat belts. The organization recommends that all limos should have three-point seat belts for every seating position. Additionally, it says laws should be put in place that require the use of those seat belts. One of the other issues in the New York crash was the fact that none of the occupants in the back were wearing seat belts, and New York allows passengers over the age of 16 to ride in limos without a seat belt. Inspections to ensure belts are accessible and adequate are also recommended.

So far, these are the only safety recommendations NTSB has given for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), state governments and the National Limousine Association. These recommendations, while good, do leave other areas of limo construction unaddressed. As we’ve previously talked about, limos can be lacking in structural reinforcements to protect passengers, and equipment such as brakes and suspension can be substandard given the vehicles’ additional size and weight. But at least these recommendations are a start, and they could probably be met by most limo-building shops without much trouble.