Stretched limos’ safety at issue

Tuesday, March 19, 2002 | 11:22 a.m.

The limousine industry and government regulators have stepped up efforts to identify stretched vehicles that are unsafe.

Industry leaders meeting in Las Vegas this week conducted a panel discussion Monday to discuss safety issues involving "stretched limousines" -- motor coaches that are lengthened to add capacity and attract attention.

Limousine company executives fear some owners are allowing professional body shop workers to stretch vehicles without considering chassis improvements and frame modifications that would keep the vehicles safe.

"It isn't these guys we're worried about," said Harry Thompson, chief of the vehicle division of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of the 4,000 people attending the Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation Show that wraps up at Paris Las Vegas today.

"These are the good guys of the industry," he said. "We're preaching to the choir. It's the bad guys out there we're worried about."

The "bad guys," he said, are owners who put stretch limousines on the road that have been modified without proper engineering and testing. Experts at Monday's panel discussion said the added weight of conversion materials and additional occupants in a car can put enough stress on a sedan to make it hazardous to drive.

"If you overload the car, the components are going to break and people are going to get hurt," said panelist Terry Dewey.

Dewey, Qualified Vehicle Modifier Program engineering manager for Lincoln Town Car, is part of a Ford Motor Co. team that is working with vehicle modifiers and government regulators to establish standards for stretched vehicles. The team has designed and tested components for successful stretch projects involving Lincoln Town Cars, Ford Excursions and Crown Victoria hearse packages of 120 inches or less.

Stretch lengths are measured from the front of the passenger door to the end of the rear door.

Manufacturers of Cadillac vehicles have a standards program similar to Ford's effort, known as the Cadillac Master Coachbuilder Program.

Although Ford and Cadillac have established some engineering standards on stretch projects and have identified several authorized limousine modifiers, Thompson said there are others who are producing cars that are suspect.

Brian Buchholz, who operates Presidential Limousines in suburban St. Louis, said many owners are more interested in getting a vehicle larger than their competitor's than getting a car that's safe.

"They want something bigger, something better or something longer," Buchholz said. "They stretch limousines when they'd be better off getting a bus."

Some Las Vegas limousine companies have gone to the "party bus" concept, while others attract attention with their stretched vehicles.

Tony Clark, owner of 24/7 Entertainment Limousines, has a 160-inch Ford Excursion Super Stretch in his fleet. Because the 32-foot vehicle holds 16 people, including the driver, the vehicle technically is classified in Nevada as a bus.

Clark said the vehicle is equipped with one of the strongest frames in the industry and drivers of the vehicle have to take a special commercial driver's license test before taking it out on the road.

Clark said he acquired the vehicle because demand is high in Las Vegas for vehicles capable of carrying large groups to events.

"Las Vegas is the megacenter for bachelor parties," Clark said. "They would rather all travel together and with a vehicle like this, they get a lot more head room and leg room."

Clark said his vehicle not only conforms to federal Department of Transportation standards, but it also has been inspected by Nevada's Transportation Services Authority, which regulates limousines, buses, tow companies and moving companies in the state.

A spokesman for the TSA said today that regulators are working with federal authorities to incorporate stretch limousine rules into Nevada regulations.

Thompson, meanwhile, says he will continue to monitor vehicle safety compliance issues, including those involving stretch limos. His agency has the authority to recall vehicles if it can find enough evidence to justify an investigation.