Provincial ferry passengers in Newfoundland, Canada since last year have been told that they must vacate their vehicles during crossings. A ferry users group on Bell Island had been advocating for passengers who need to stay in their vehicle for medical reasons, but an independent risk assessment released last week sided with the existing rule, citing passenger safety.
Since the MV Legionnaire came into service in late July 2017, passengers on all ferries in the province were told they were not allowed to remain in their vehicles during crossings.
The risk assessment conducted in April by Lloyd’s Register considered hazards to passengers who remained in their vehicles compared to passengers who vacated their vehicles while the ferries were in transit. The report concluded that risks associated with passengers vacating their vehicles were low, and cited possible dangers of passengers remaining in their vehicles included getting hit by a vehicle or having difficulty evacuating the ferry in an emergency.