FMCSA Steps Up Safety Enforcement but Bus Accidents Continue

Early in the morning on July 1st, a motor coach carrying 21 passengers crashed on northbound interstate 35. Of the 21 people on the bus at the time of the crash, 18 had to be taken to local area hospitals in Austin and San Antonio. A young girl on board suffered such severe injuries that one of her legs had to be amputated.

Troopers from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigated the crash and later released a report stating that the driver, Jesus Basio-Ramirez of Dallas-based Mares Bus Lines, had fallen asleep at the wheel, veering off the road. After hitting a road sign, Basio-Ramirez woke up and attempted to steer the bus back onto the highway, but he ended up overcorrecting and lost control of the bus, causing it to roll onto its side.

Under current federal rules, bus drivers are allowed to drive only 10 hours during a 15 hour shift and must have at least eight hours of rest before getting behind the wheel. Basio-Ramirez’s time logs have not been released, but they might help determine whether Mares Bus Lines was committing safety violations. Rosa Morens, the mother of the young girl whose leg had to be amputated after the accident, has filed suit in Dallas County against Mares Bus Lines.

FMCSA Attempts to Take Unsafe Carriers off the Roads
In a program aimed at preventing motor coach accidents like the one near Austin, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) Anne Ferro instituted Roadcheck 2011. The program includes surprise inspections, full compliance reviews, and enforcement of safety violations.

Beginning in 2010, FMCSA stepped up enforcement and has issued 14 imminent hazard orders to take unsafe carriers out of service since that time. Comparatively, from 2000 to 2009 FMCSA issued the same number of orders.  The agency has increased the number of roadside inspections by 100 percent since 2005 when it conducted nearly 13,000 inspections. In 2010, more than 25,000 inspections were performed.

Fatigued Drivers Still on the Roads
Commercial driver fatigue is still an issue. Some argue that we need to further limit the number of hours a commercial driver may be behind the wheel. FMCSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation have proposed new rules to limit driving hours that could take effect as early as next year. But some argue that even with these limitations, fatigued drivers will still be on the roads.

Despite FMCSA’s attempts to step up enforcement against unsafe motor carriers, accidents continue to happen, and some are deadly. This past Monday, another bus crashed in New York, killing two passengers who were on board at the time. Investigators believe that a blown tire may be to blame for that crash.

So what would make these buses safer to ride? Seat belts are one answer. Despite the extensive seat belt campaigns that have been built up within the past few years, motor coaches are not required to install seat belts. This could change though, if Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson’s bill requiring seat belts in both old and new buses passes.