Three bills proposed in the New York legislature this session would require school bus drivers to blow into ignition interlock devices before driving (A 837, A 1862, and S 1347).
State Senator George Maziarz says he introduced one of the bills after four crashes involving school buses on Long Island. “The driver was slumped over the wheel. He was totally absolutely intoxicated,” he told a TV station. “This is just one incident of many.” Maziarz went on to say that installation of the devices is a “fool proof” way to ensure that “the very small percentage of bus drivers who would drive the bus while intoxicated are unable to.”
The New York School Bus Contractors Association (NYSBCA) testified against the proposals at a public hearing. “The [NYSBCA] believes that mandating ignition interlock devices on every single school bus in New York is simply not a rational response to a few isolated, yet widely-publicized, incidences,” a board member said, “considering the excellent safety record of the industry, the technical challenges of ignition interlocks, and cost.”
More information on the issue can be found in the May 28, 2013 issue of the “School Transportation Director.”
