Senator Corbett Introduces Legislation Improving Limo Safety

Senator Ellen Corbett (D-East Bay) introduced legislation to enhance limousine safety in California earlier this week.

SB 109 will require two exit doors in the rear portion of limousine vehicles to allow for the prompt evacuation of individuals in the case of fire or other emergency, a press release stated. It will also require that at least two windows in the limousine passenger compartment of the vehicle can be pushed out, if necessary.

The legislation comes after the deaths of a bride and four friends — one of which was an Alameda resident — in a horrifying limousine fire last month on the San Mateo Bridge. One of the injured passengers was from San Leandro. In another recent limo fire in Walnut Creek, 10 elderly women escaped serious injury or death before heading to a birthday party.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) currently oversees the limousine industry in the state and has been criticized for not being more proactive in responding to the ongoing safety needs of this transportation service industry that serves greater number of passengers per vehicle than traditional passenger vehicles, the release stated.

“Though four young women luckily survived the horrible fire on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, the fact remains that five women perished unnecessarily and in a way that seems both incomprehensible and preventable,” Corbett said in the release. “This legislation simply strengthens limo safety requirements in California by making sure that passengers can evacuate the vehicle quickly in the case of an emergency.”

SB 109 is currently in the Assembly Transportation Committee for consideration, though a hearing date has not yet been set.