Nov 16, 2009 11:25 pm US/Eastern
I-Team: Clean Driving Records For Cab Drivers?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
When you get in a cab, can you feel confident that the cab driver has a good record behind the wheel? What's an acceptable level of infractions? Is one ticket OK? How about two citations? Or three accidents?
The I-Team has been looking into the standards Boston cab drivers are held to and found concern that potentially dangerous drivers are allowed to drive passengers on some of the busiest streets in the country.
ONE WOMAN'S STORY
Last May, Joanna Foley went out to celebrate her graduation as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She took a cab home from a downtown bar with a friend because they don't drink and drive. She thought this plan would keep her safe, but the cab driver slammed into the back of a parked car.
"My tooth actually split like a log and got jammed into my upper jaw", Joanna said as she described the injuries that sent her to the hospital. She also suffered trauma to her eye as she bounced around the back seat and hit the credit card scanner.
The crash didn't happen on a busy street in downtown Boston. It actually occurred on a quiet residential street in Waltham, right by Joanna's home. She said it happened so quickly she didn't have any warning.
THE DRIVING RECORD
Joanna was stunned when the I-Team showed her the driving record of Jean Inozil, her cab driver that night. His record is three pages long and includes multiple surchargable accidents, speeding violations, and failure to stop infractions.
"Unbelievable. I am shocked. I can't believe how frequent they are, "she said as she reviewed the charges. "I don't understand how he could still be employed as a cab driver, taking people's lives into their hands."
WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE?
The I-Team found, despite all of those charges, Jean Inozil does meet the standards to drive a cab in Boston.
Captain Robert Cicciolo, who is in charge of the
Hackney Division of the Boston Police, told us he is comfortable with those standards.
He explained that a driver cannot have more than four surchargeable accidents with the last three years.
A surchargeable accident means the driver is more that 50 percent at fault and there is at least $500 worth of damage. Among the other standards: a driver cannot have had his license suspended for five surchargeable events within the last five years; he cannot have been convicted for operating under the influence in the past five years; and he cannot be a registered sex offender.
So that means despite his long record and driving into the back of a parked car on a quiet suburban street.
Mr. Inozil is qualified according to the Boston Police. That's because he hasn't been responsible for four accidents in the past three years.
Mr. Inozil wouldn't talk to the I-Team about his driving record.
OTHERS OUT THERE?
Captain Ciccolo told the I-Team there could be more drivers with records similar to Mr. Inozil's. Despite that statement, he said the public should have confidence in the safety of Boston cab drivers.
Not all cab drivers agree, however. One long time driver told us he thinks there are many bad drivers on the road who shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel.
That opinion is shared by a driving safety expert, too. Brandon Bogart runs
In Control Crash Prevention Training, a group of driving safety schools around Massachusetts. He said, "We like to remind everybody that cars in general are incredibly dangerous. It's basically the equivalent of a deadly weapon." What worried him most is that drivers are only getting caught for a portion of the infractions they are committing. "Usually it's just the tip of the iceberg."
More than five months have now passed since Joanna's accident, and she is still dealing with medical problems. "I've had a number of dental procedures. The most recent was a root canal." So far, her medical bills are approaching $20,000. Right now she is working with an attorney to try and get the driver's insurance to cover her costs.
There is now, however, another twist to the case. Mr. Inozil will not have to worry about the Waltham going on his record. Despite the police report stating clearly that he hit a marked car, he went before a clerk magistrate in Waltham District Court and was found not at fault. Neither Joanna Foley nor the other passenger was invited to testify.
Each community in the state has its own system for issuing cab licenses. In Boston, each of the 5,000 drivers must renew his hackney license on an annual basis. Information is put thru data bases at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Sex Offender Registry, for example.
Boston cab drivers are also required to prove proficiency in English.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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