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FMCSA Chief Needs More Funds to Prevent Bus Accidents

The chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is calling on Congress for more authority to crack down on unsafe bus companies and find ways to prevent bus accidents.  Her request comes during a week in which Los Angeles bus accident lawyer lawyers have found a number of horrifying instances of passengers being exposed to serious bus accident risks.

A Michigan-based company last week was found carrying passengers in the cargo hold of one of its buses.  The company, Haines Tours was found hiding extra people-all nonpaying passengers – in the cargo hold.  The incident came to light when a state trooper on a highway found several persons getting off the cargo hold of the bus at a rest stop.  They turned out to be family members of the owner of the bus company, who apparently saw nothing wrong in allowing extra drivers and family members to travel in the cargo hold of the bus.  These people would have been at risk of serious injuries in an accident.  Haines Tours has been ordered off the roads.

Last weekend, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also cracked down on a North Carolina-based company that was using unqualified drivers to operate its buses.

It is no secret to Los Angeles bus accident attorneys that many of the bus safety problems that plague the country have to do with lack of oversight and inspections by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  According to Anne Ferro, who’s the chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, her agency lacks the resources needed to conduct the numbers of inspections every year that would be necessary to keep all bus passengers safe and prevent bus accidents.

According to Ferro, her agency would need to inspect a long-distance bus at least once every year.  Besides, additional inspectors would be needed to conduct surprise safety stops.  The agency chief would also like an increase in the fees that bus companies are currently required to pay to obtain an operating license from Department of Transportation.  Right now, that’s only about $300.  It’s a ridiculously low fee for a bus company to obtain an operating license from the Department Of Transportation.

Anne Ferro was speaking at a congressional hearing on bus safety.  She made it clear that she needs greater powers to crack down on the long-distance bus industry in the United States.  According to her, the year 2011 has been one of the worst periods in recent history for bus safety.  There have been a total of six accidents this year, and these have resulted in a total of 25 deaths and multiple injuries.

In New York, earlier this year, a discount tour bus crashed in New York City, killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others.  Several other similar accidents across the country have raised concerns about bus safety.  When it comes to safety, lawmakers tend to talk the talk, but not walk the walk.  The time for mere words is over- the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration needs more funds to conduct its duties responsibly.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bus accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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