Low-cost bus services like Megabus are proving that a cheap ride can have expensive repercussions. 43 people loaded into a coach in hopes of winning it big at Salton Sea Casino in California last month, but their expedition ended in disaster when their bus slammed into a truck, killing 13 people and leaving more injured. Despite claims over bus driver negligence, it is a reality that lives could have been saved had passengers had access to seat belts.

Regulations Have Stalled Despite Multiple Disasters

A proposal to require seatbelts on all public buses was made as far back as 1968 after 19 people were killed in a bus accident. It was not until this month that such a proposal will finally go into effect, proving that lawmakers have long catered to the needs of bus companies rather than forcing them to implement policies and install equipment that saves lives. Many of the buses that are still on the road do not have seatbelts and will not have them in the near future because they were produced before current regulations took hold.

A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board pointed out that there are different safety standards for bus travel than there are for aviation and the standards in place for bus services are not adequate. Many of the people who take buses fall at or near the poverty line, making the issue one of class and income inequality. People who cannot afford alternatives should not be forced to pay through an increased risk of bodily harm or death.

Inspections are Falling Short Due to Lack of Oversight

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration employs almost 1,200 workers tasked with performing inspections on over 500,000 companies in the United States. Many of the inspections involve local law enforcement and citations are written by officers present when deficiencies or violations are found. These inspections are coming up short, however, and failing to identify serious issues. One inspection was performed only five days on a bus that then became involved in an accident due to mechanical defect.

Bus industry officials maintain that nothing is wrong with safety practices, however, following numerous controversies over driver negligence, mechanical failures and mass fatalities due to tragic accidents. The frequency of accidents seems to be growing as well, sparking the need for a debate over how much regulation is required to keep companies in check. It is clear that large charter bus companies are incapable of regulating themselves and will always prefer finding ways to increase profit over increasing safety.

Studies have also shown that unannounced inspections return a greater number of reports. This is because bus companies are more likely to self-inspect and perform needed repairs prior to a government inspection when they are expecting the inspector. This data makes it extremely difficult to accept bus companies’ promises that their internal regulatory processes are sufficient to ensuring passenger safety.

Older Buses Shouldn’t Be Allowed on the Road

The bus involved in the accident costing 13 people’s lives was produced in 1996, making it over twenty years old. Such a bus is valued at only $25,000 and it is unclear whether mechanical problems contributed to the cause of the accident. The driver died in the accident, but it was ruled that his actions were negligent leading up to the collision. Twenty-year-old vehicles are bound to require maintenance at more regular intervals than newer ones, and officials have speculated as to whether the bus driver failed to inspect and maintain his bus prior to the accident.