Did Duck Boat Safety Issues Lead to the Boston Super Tours Shutdown?

The list of duck boat companies in Boston just got a little bit shorter. According to Boston magazine, Boston Super Tours closed its doors for good on October 30th. Boston Super Tours is the company behind Upper Deck Trolley Tours as well as Super Duck Tours, which was a competitor of Boston Duck Tours. However, unlike Boston Duck Tours, Super Duck Tours had yet to be involved in any incidents that raised questions about duck boat safety.

Why Did Boston Super Tours Close?

Super Duck Tours never had any major duck boat accidents, while Boston Duck Tours has had multiple incidents, including:

  • A collision between a Boston Duck Tours boat and a scooter that claimed a 29-year-old woman’s life
  • A Boston Duck Tours accident in Back Bay left a woman injured

In addition to avoiding such safety problems, Super Duck Tours boats were more like buses than Boston Duck Tours boats, which allowed them to carry more passengers. Plus, Boston Duck Tours can only operate in the Charles, while Super Duck Tours was certified to take passengers onto Boston Harbor. Still, despite having so much in their favor, Super Duck Tours reportedly never gained the same level of popularity as Boston Duck Tours. As a result, while no definite reason was given for their closure, it appears to be due to business being slow.

Are Duck Boats Safe?

Massachusetts lawmakers have been working on new rules to help improve duck boat safety, such as:

  • Adding cameras and more mirrors to the vehicles to help operators see in blind spots
  • Requiring duck boats to have one employee act as a tour guide while another is the driver, instead of having one employee do both jobs

We support whatever changes legislators can implement to ensure that duck boats do not endanger the safety or lives of those onboard or anyone sharing the water or road with them.

The maritime accident attorneys at Latti & Anderson LLP have been successfully fighting for the rights of those injured on or near the water for decades.