Fatal crash spurs Duck Tours safety overhaul
Boston Duck Tours will overhaul its hiring criteria, require mandatory driving courses and subject its safety procedures to outside review in the wake of a crash that killed a Beacon Hill woman last year, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.
“The enhanced safety measures set out in this agreement reduce driver distraction and increase the safety of vulnerable road users on scooters, mopeds, and bicycles,” Suffolk DA Daniel F. Conley said.
Allison Warmuth, 28, was killed when a duck boat ran her over while she was riding her beloved red moped in Beacon Hill. After the crash, Boston Duck Tours added a second employee to give the narrative tours, allowing the driver to focus on the road. The company also added blind spot cameras and sensors that detect when an object is close.
“This is a fair result that incorporates significant input from Ms. Warmuth’s family,” Conley said, “and leaves all our options on the table in the event of noncompliance.”
Under the settlement, the company will not hire any operator found to be at fault for three or more collisions in any five-year period, or who has been convicted of a driving-related felony. Through 2022, the company will also alter its route every year on April 30 — the date Warmuth was killed — to avoid the scene as a sign of respect. Boston Duck Tours will also make a $5,000 donation to the Livable Streets Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for bike and pedestrian transportation infrastructure.
“We are pleased we were able to come to an agreement with the District Attorney’s Office,” Cindy Brown, chief executive of Boston Duck Tours, said in an email.
“Boston Duck Tours has always been and will continue to be a responsible community partner with a strong commitment to safety,” Brown said. “We will continue to work hard to constantly improve every facet of our operation.”