Following the recent tragic limousine accident in Upstate New York, Atlantic Limousine has been contacted by customers with inquiries about the incident and about our safety procedures. This accident is a terrible tragedy, and our heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones. It is unimaginable. As we analyze this horrible event, I think it’s important to look at both the company in question and at what Atlantic does to avoid similar situations. In doing so, we hope to ease any anxiety you may have about using chauffeured car service.
Prestige Limousine of Wilton, NY, had a long history of violations; 22 in the last 24 months. The 2001 Ford Excursion Limousine involved in the fatal accident failed inspection just one month ago and should not have been on the road. Driver Scott Lisinicchia did not have a CDL license to transport over 15 commercial passengers, so Prestige had an illegal, unsafe vehicle, operated by an illegal driver.
In contrast, Atlantic Limousine has no material violations on record in 10+ years. Atlantic employs two full-time mechanics who thoroughly inspects each vehicle on a regular basis to ensure the safety of our drivers and clients. These checks include everything from brakes to tire tread depth to windshield wiper quality, and everything in between. All Atlantic chauffeurs are thoroughly trained and properly licensed for vehicle they are driving
Fly by night limousine businesses have always existed, and serviced clients less concerned with safety and professionalism. In recent years, more and more of us are perfectly happy choosing our chauffeured transportation via an app: jumping into a car with a stranger who may or may not be qualified to drive, and into a vehicle that may or may not be safe. That’s the new norm for many. But, here at Atlantic, safety and quality have always been and will continue to be absolutely paramount. We invest in our drivers; we invest in the best vehicles available; we invest in keeping those vehicles safe, and we invest in an insurance policy to protect everyone we care about, in case all else fails. The accident in New York was a horrible tragedy but the largest tragedy is that it was completely avoidable. Please rest assured that Atlantic Limousine is taking a close look internally and doubling our efforts to ensure your safety. As always, we appreciate your trust in Atlantic Limousine and we look forward to providing you, our clients, with safe, consistent, high-quality service for years to come.