New duck boat safety regulations proposed in state Senate
State lawmakers are considering new regulations for duck boats after a crash involving one of the vehicles and a scooter killed a 28-year-old woman last month.
The bill’s co-sponsor, Senator William Brownsberger, told The Boston Globe he felt moved to bring forward the legislation after speaking with the parents of Allison Warmuth, who died in the April 30 crash.
During a Wednesday press conference on the bill, her parents praised the proposed legislation that would require sightseeing vehicles that operate on land and in water be equipped with blind spot cameras and sensors. The vehicle operators would also be prohibited from narrating a trip or tour while driving.
If approved, the legislation would take effect April 1, 2017.
“At first, we didn’t even want to look at the pictures or articles about this,” Ivan Warmuth said of the crash that claimed his daughter’s life.
But he said that he and his wife, Martha, became concerned that nothing would be done to prevent it from happening again and started doing research into what other cities, such as Seattle, have done to address duck boat safety concerns following serious crashes.
“This is where the nation is going in regard to requiring safety on these types of vehicles and it’s not something that’s just occuring in Boston,” Warmuth said.
Martha Warmuth said the the safety of the people on Boston’s streets is their goal.
“We can’t get out daughter back,” she said, her voice breaking as she spoke.
Boston Duck Tours, the operator of the vehicle that killed Allison Warmuth, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that safety has always been the company’s main priority:
We have rigorous standards, training and oversight along with a fleet of modern duck boats, designed to insure the safety of the motoring public and pedestrians. In the weeks since the tragic accident, we have taken several steps to further enhance the safety of the vehicles to ensure that it is at the highest possible level. We have already installed a new camera on each duck, which will complement the eight existing mirrors to address any blind spots. We also plan to add sensory equipment to the front and back of the vehicle in the near term. We await the conclusion of the City of Boston’s investigation and will collaborate with them on any additional safety procedures that they recommend.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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