Saskatchewan’s coroner’s service has released its report into the Humboldt Broncos bus crash and it calls for tougher enforcement of trucking rules and mandatory seatbelts on highway buses.
The office has made recommendations to six different government agencies after reviewing the crash.
The coroner also says the Ministry of Highways should review its policy on signs at intersections and Saskatchewan Government Insurance should implement mandatory truck-driver training.
There is a recommendation that the chief coroner create a mass fatality plan and that the Saskatchewan Health Authority review how it identifies the dead and injured in such an event.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 others were injured in last April’s collision.
A semi-truck barrelled through a stop sign at a rural intersection and was struck by the Broncos hockey bus.
The report lists the deaths as accidental and the chief coroner is not calling for an public inquest.
READ MORE: Humboldt Broncos victims’ families share how crash changed their lives
READ MORE: ‘Why didn’t you stop?’ Humboldt families hear details of deadly crash
In December, the Saskatchewan government announced it will make training mandatory for semi-truck drivers starting in March. Drivers seeking a Class 1 commercial licence will have to undergo at least 121 1/2 hours of training.
Transport Canada announced in June that the department will require all newly built highway buses to have seatbelts by September 2020. Some charter bus companies say many new vehicles already have seatbelts, although there is no way to ensure passengers are wearing them
The Canadian Press
