In May 2011, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revealed new measures to improve passenger bus safety. Implementation of the safety measures started immediately with more than 3,000 surprise passenger carrier safety inspections during the first two weeks in May that resulted in 442 unsafe buses or drivers being removed from the nation’s roadways. In addition, out-of-service citations were issued to 127 drivers and 315 vehicles during the unannounced inspections.

\”Safety is our number one priority,\” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. \”These new requirements we are announcing today will help ensure passengers are safe and that carriers and drivers are in full compliance with federal safety regulations. The public deserves to know that when they board any type of bus or commercial vehicle, they will be delivered to their destination safely.\”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will now require more rigorous commercial driver\’s license (CDL) testing standards. The changes include a new final rule requiring first-time applicants to obtain a commercial driver\’s learner\’s permit. The U.S. DOT will require all state licensing agencies to use standardized CDL testing. Then, in an effort to reduce the potential for testing fraud, the new measures also prohibit the use of foreign language interpreters.

U.S. DOT has also included a provision that would give the Department greater authority to pursue unsafe, reorganized passenger carriers by establishing a federal standard to help determine whether a new carrier is a reincarnation of an old, unsafe carrier. Additional policies proposed would:

– Allow for bus inspections to occur in places such as rest stops, amusement parks, casinos and other locations

– Require new motorcoach companies to undergo a full safety audit before receiving operating authority

– Tighten current laws to require a driver\’s CDL to be suspended or revoked for drug- and alcohol-related offenses committed in non-commercial vehicles

– Increase the penalty to $25,000 (from $2,000) for passenger carriers that attempt to operate without U.S. DOT authority

– Go above and beyond the 2010 ban on commercial drivers texting behind the wheel and would prohibit hand-held mobile phone use entirely

– Require buses to have electronic on-board recorders to replace easily falsified paper records of driver hours

A pre-trip safety checklist is available to help consumers review a bus company\’s safety record, safety rating and U.S. DOT operating authority before buying a ticket or hiring a bus company for group travel. The checklist is online at FMCSA\’s Passenger Bus Safety Web site, www.fmcsa.dot.gov. Consumers are encouraged to report any unsafe bus company, vehicle or driver to the FMCSA.

Over the past five years, FMCSA has doubled the number of bus inspections (from 12,991 to 25,703) and comprehensive safety reviews (from 457 to 1,042) of the nation\’s estimated 4,000 passenger bus companies. While these safety measures are a step in the right direction, they have not eliminated unsafe tour bus companies from operating; nor have they been able to prevent tour bus fatal crashes associated with unsafe bus companies and inadequately trained bus drivers. It appears to be empty rhetoric to say that safety is their number one priority. Tell that to the families that lost loved ones in the New York City tour bus crash on March 12, 2011 or those that lost loved ones or were injured in the Sky Express bus crash on May 31, 2011.

Author Bio: Pritzker Olsen bus accident attorneys represent clients nationwide in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against bus drivers, bus companies, bus maintenance companies and manufacturers of buses and bus parts. Senior Partner Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

Category: Travel
Keywords: tour bus accident lawyer, commercial bus crash attorney, bus accident wrongful death lawsuit