Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), along with state and local law enforcement announced that they were conducting a series of safety inspections on motorcoaches, tour buses, school buses and other commercial passenger busses in 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The safety inspection sweeps were a part of the FMCSA's continuing effort to raise the standards for bus safety and to protect the safety of bus passengers by removing unsafe operators from the roads. Starting May 11th and running through May 20th, inspections were to be carried out in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "Safety is our highest priority. Especially during the peak spring and summer travel seasons, we are working hard to remove any bus or driver that places passengers and other motorists at risk on the road."
The detailed inspections included law enforcement officers thoroughly checking the buses for any mechanical problems such as the brakes, lights or engine defects. The bus drivers themselves were also inspected in order to ensure that they were operating in compliance with the hours-of-service regulations, medical fitness, commercial driver's license and other federal safety regulations.
"Rain or shine, at any given location, federal, state and local police are on the ground conducting bus safety inspections that ultimately help save lives," said FMCSA Administrator Anne. S. Ferro. "Our goal is to make bus travel as safe as possible – every trip, every time."
The FMCSA reports that over the last five years, the number of bus inspections and comprehensive safety reviews of the nation's estimated 4,000 commercial bus companies has doubled. The FMCSA says that roadside motorcoach inspections have increased by nearly 100% from 12,991 in 2005 to 25, 705 in 2010. By significantly increasing the bus safety inspections, the FMCSA is proud to have put 54 unsafe companies out of service in 2011 alone.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that in 2008 there were 11,000 injury bus crashes in the United States, leaving 24,000 people injured as a result. If you or someone you love has been injured in a bus accident, you are urged to contact a Houston bus accident attorney from The Doan Law Firm, P.C. to discuss your injury claim.