St. Louis Limo Service Urges Limo Rental Companies to Be Proactive in Addressing Customer Safety and Maintenance Concerns after San Francisco Limo Fire
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) July 29, 2013 -- A Perfect Touch Limo, one of St. Louis, Missouri's largest and most respected limo service companies, has announced new safety initiatives as a response to recent vehicle fires involving limousines in California. A Perfect Touch Limo has always taken pride in providing its limo rental customers with an unparalleled experience, from the luxurious styling and appointments of its limos and coaches to the courtesy and professionalism of its drivers and ultimately the maintenance of its vehicles that ensure a safe and uninterrupted outing. In recent months, there have been a series of fires involving limousines and coaches. One such limo fire resulted in the death of five women in San Francisco after a 1999 Lincoln Town Car limousine caught fire and five of the nine passengers died after being unable to exit the vehicle. A second California limo fire involving a group of women celebrating one's 90th birthday resulted in no serious injuries.
These recent limo fires have brought new scrutiny to an industry most typically associated with entertainment and reminded those utilizing a limo service that safety is a major part of that service. Many smaller limo service companies experienced a number of years with minimal or no profits during the recent economic downturn, leading some to keep older vehicles on the road longer than they otherwise would, sometimes even postponing certain vehicle maintenance. Those limo service companies that were unable to thrive also sometimes chose to use less-experienced and part-time drivers in an effort to reduce labor costs.
In the aftermath of the May 4th limo fire in San Francisco, it appears a breakdown across all of these key safety areas occurred. The vehicle was a 1999 model year, a full eight years older than the average vehicle operated by A Perfect Touch Limo in St. Louis. While older vehicles may be maintained to operate safely, it becomes more and more expensive to do so as the limo ages. For A Perfect Touch Limo, the choice to operate an all late-model fleet is driven by its own company standards in meeting clients' expectations for luxurious elegance and reliability, which automatically ensures passenger safety. A June 5 report by San Francisco KGO-TV (abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=9128860) blamed mechanical failure of air springs in the rear suspension allowing the limo to bottom out and spark, igniting the fuel tank. Subsequent news reports by KGO-TV (7/21/2013, abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=9180530) have portrayed a distracted and unprofessional driver, arguing with his estranged wife on a cell phone, even turning up the music in the limo so that his passengers wouldn't hear the argument. This distraction may have led to his delay in coming to the aid of his passengers.
Although A Perfect Touch Limo has held itself to the highest operating standards for more than twenty years, the limo rental company has still found ways to improve upon its commitment to the safety of the passengers it has the privilege to serve. While each of its vehicles receives a Missouri Department of Transportation inspection approximately every six months, the company vehicle maintenance staff is conducting thorough inspections of emergency windows and hatches every 90 days and vehicles are equipped with emergency escape tools for breaking windows in an emergency situation. Fire extinguishers have been relocated from the trunk to the driver's compartment for immediate access. Driver mobile phone use has always been prohibited, but the policy has recently been reaffirmed with all drivers signing an acknowledgement of the company's zero tolerance for driving while using a mobile phone.
Jeff Ellefson, General Manager of A Perfect Touch Limo, commented "Responsible limousine owners would never allow vehicle maintenance or diver misconduct to deteriorate to the point of becoming a safety issue, we are all too concerned with even causing a minor inconvenience to our clients by failing to maintain our professional fleets or send out a driver that isn't 100% focused on passenger comfort and safety."
About A Perfect Touch Limo
A Perfect Touch Limo has provided limo rental service in St. Louis and the surrounding metropolitan area since 1992. The company currently operates a fleet of 18 limousines and luxury coaches, carrying from 8 to 38 passengers. Regardless of the occasion, whether it is a wedding, prom, anniversary, birthday, graduation or other celebration, or just a night on the town, A Perfect Touch Limo strives to make each and every limo rental perfect for each and every one of its passengers. The company offers the most diverse fleet of limousines in metropolitan St. Louis, each of which is Department of Transportation certified. A Perfect Touch Limo was voted Best of the Midwest for five consecutive years and holds an "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau. More information about A Perfect Touch Limo can be found at http://www.aperfecttouchlimo.com.
Michael Gudeman, Gudeman Group, http://www.gudemangroup.com, 314-614-8709, [email protected]
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