Five people died in a Thruway tour bus crash Friday, prompting New York officials to reevaluate the state’s seatbelt law, according to Spectrum News.
The 2024 law requires passengers over 8 to buckle up in charter buses made after 2016—but this bus was older, and the rule didn’t apply. Gov. Hochul stressed the need for stronger enforcement and better rider awareness.
State lawmakers now want to modernize regulations, possibly extending seatbelt mandates regardless of a bus’s age. Officials say some lives were saved Friday thanks to passengers who wore them.
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