Cuomo signs bills aimed at boosting safety of stretch limousines

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday signed into law a package of bills to improve the safety of rented stretch limousines after fatal crashes on Long Island and upstate prompted calls for action.

Families of the victims already are trying to seize the moment as they push for national laws to better regulate the vehicles, which are popular for weddings, proms and winery tours.

The bill signing is a near total victory for the families of those who died or were injured in the 2015 crash in Cutchogue and the 2018 crash in Schoharie County.

The families banded together to get the State Legislature to pass several batches of measures, overcoming disagreement over approaches between the Senate, Assembly and Cuomo in recent months.

“The industry and its patrons will be protected through these laws,” said Nancy DiMonte of East Northport, a spokeswoman for the families whose relatives died in the Cutchogue crash. Her daughter, Joelle, 29, was seriously injured in the incident.

The laws require:

• All vehicles converted to stretch limos after Jan. 1, 2021, to have at least one safety belt in the rear for each passenger the vehicle was designed to carry. The law also requires seat belts to be installed in all limos by Jan. 1, 2023. The measure also requires all taxis and for-hire vehicles to have seat belts.
• All drivers of limos that carry nine or more passengers to have a commercial driver’s license with authorization and training to transport passengers.
• Immediate impoundment of limousines deemed unsafe by the state transportation commissioner. Use of a sidelined vehicle could be punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.
• Higher fines of up to $400 and 15 days in jail for a first offense for illegal U-turns. Drivers of stretch limos that violate the law while carrying at least one passenger face a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
• Use of GPS technology designed for commercial vehicles to better prepare for upcoming turns and intersections.
• Drug and alcohol testing before drivers are hired, followed by random testing.

"These far-reaching reforms deliver much-needed protections that will help keep dangerous vehicles off our roadways, crack down on businesses that do not prioritize safety and will give New Yorkers piece of mind when they enter a limo in this state," Cuomo said.

Passage of the legislation required intense lobbying and negotiations.

Industry advocates argued that a few unscrupulous operators — not the entire industry — needed greater regulation.

The laws also come as the limo industry is transitioning to the use of large sport utility vehicles and buses, which the advocates said are safer than stretched sedans.

The effort on behalf of the legislation began in 2015 on Long Island. Four women on a winery tour died after a modified Lincoln Town Car in which they were riding made a U-turn and collided with a pickup truck.

Three years later, a stretch limousine carrying friends celebrating a birthday in rural Schoharie crashed at an intersection, leaving 20 dead.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.