Coach Company protecting their own interest?

[bluebottle]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

A 12-hour road closure for a FATACC isn't unusual. Must have been some collision, Magrew. How many vehicles were involved besides the coach?

[Magrew]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

It was only the coach and the van. Single carriageway road and on a bridge though. Very messy for the two unfortunates in the van and the coach driver was taken out by helicopter. It was amazing that she managed to keep the coach on-line on the bridge. It stopped without even room to walk between it and the parapet.

The Northern Constabulary are very thorough in their RTC investigations though. They once closed a road for a day because the accident happened on a Sunday and I was quite legitimately in the pub. They refused to allow traffic on the road until I was sober and completed the survey the following morning.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

just checked out your link and its a sheer miracle no more people were killed!

Thank god your son was wearing his seatbelt!!

the following is my own interpretation of the Law, im sure BB will know better than me, but as far as im aware, passengers on a coach are now legally obliged to wear seatbelts where available, but the responsiblity is with the individual passenger, as long as the driver has requested they wear their seatbelts the company are covered. As I say im not 100% but its been ringing round my head about the seatbelt issue. Did your son take out travel insurance on his journey? you may be able to get financial help for his injuries with that?!

Interestingly enough you cant take travel insurance out on a train journey, ironic as legally they can travel at nearly twice the speed of a coach.

How far had your son travelled?
The law is seatbelts are compulsary on a long distance, i will look further in to this in the morning when im fully awake

p

[Magrew]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

It was Edinburgh to Inverness so that would be just over 120 miles. He always wears his seatbelt, he is a nervous passenger after breaking his back!!!

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

I'll look it up further, or maybe BB will know off the top of his head (hes amazing like that).

[bluebottle]

Re: Coach Company protecting their own interest?

You are correct, Puff. It is a legal requirement that passengers in a passenger-carrying vehicle (PCV), including coaches, must wear a seatbelt. In the case of public transport, Stage Carriage PCVs are exempt. Contract Carriages, e.g. hired coaches, and Express Carriages e.g. National Express, are not exempt.

It's reassuring that Northern Constabulary are so thorough with their FATACC and Suspect FATACC investigations. My local police force once closed a main road for up to 10 hours due to a FATACC. They didn't have much choice. There was debris all over the carriageway and the vehicles involved were blocking both lanes.