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Tourist Attraction Accidents And Safety Examined After Recent Duck Tour Fatalities

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Recent Duck Tour Fatalities Have Authorities Looking At Tourist Attraction Accidents And Safety

While traveling people take to duck boat tours, canal tours, bus tours, and helicopter tours to see the sights. Unfortunately, reports show these rides may not be as safe as they claim. In recent years, eight people have died while on a duck boat tour. With the most recent Duck Boat tour fatalities in Seattle and one earlier this year in Philadelphia.

According to insider reports, although these rides are inspected frequently, they may not be getting the maintenance necessary to protect tourist from serious injury and death. Just last week a duck boat in Seattle swerved out of the way on an oncoming bus, killing five people and injuring dozens more. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the duck boat did not have an axle repair that should have been performed, which was a contributing factor in the fatal tourists attraction accident. According to the NTSB report, the duck boat should have received the new axle in 2005. At the time of the NTSB investigation, the axle on the duck boat had broken. Over 50 people were taken to the hospital to treat their injuries as a result of the crash. What was most surprising about the accident was that the duck boat had received all necessary examinations and met all federal standards, suggesting that this type of vehicle may not be road safe. [http://abc7.com/news/ntsb-duck-boat-in-seattle-crash-didnt-have-recommended-fix/1005559/]

Earlier this year, a duck boat in Philadelphia also suffered a similar fate, killing a woman on board. In 2010, a duck boat collided in the water and killed two. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the families of the fatally wounded passengers for a total of $17 million in 2012.
[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/07/end_the_ducks_philadelphia_law_firm]

These are not the only tourist attraction accidents occurring in recent years. In May 2015, a woman was struck by a tour bus and killed. The popularity of helicopter tours also makes them dangerous. In New York City, seven serious injuries or deaths have occurred on tourist helicopter rides since 2006. A 2009 tourist helicopter crash resulted in the death of the pilot flying the helicopter. In September 2015, a man was killed by a tour bus in Maryland after the tour bus failed to yield to the man entering a parking lot. Seven passengers on the tour bus were taken to the hospital to treat non life-threatening injuries. [September 2015,
http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/laurel/2015/09/17/laurel-bus-accident-fort-meade-road/72361770/]

According to safety advocates, tour rides are risky for passengers and other vehicles on the road due to their operational system. Although the vehicles may get inspected regularly, just like the Seattle duck boats, this does not guarantee that the vehicles have all necessary safety updates. Federal regulations may not provide enough restriction to keep passengers safe in a crash. Additionally, safety advocates say that a low bottom line, designed to compete among other tourist companies in the area, cause tourist companies to higher drivers and pilots who may not be as well-trained as they should for operating, large, unwieldy vehicles, helicopters, and planes.

Safety advocates claim that these tourism rides are unsafe and should be avoided by travelers who do not want a tragic end to their vacations.