Motor Carrier Safety Measurement System identified the operators as risky after incidents or investigation showed they exceeded acceptable benchmarks in at least one of five areas: Unsafe driving, driver fatigue, driver fitness, drivers operating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and vehicle maintenance.
In a letter to U.S. DOT Sec. Ray LaHood, six U.S. Senators pushed for quick implementation of safety standards to prevent fatigued bus drivers from getting behind the wheel after last week’s bus crash in Virginia.
The motorcoach carrier involved in the Virginia bus crash on May 31 is, according to the FMCSA, attempting to operate and sell tickets under a different company name, including 108 Tours and 108 Bus. The order is effective immediately.
In its independent investigation to determine the cause of the crash of a 2000 Setra motorcoach, operated by Sky Express Inc. on May 31, the Board released a brief summary of the investigative work completed by NTSB investigators to date.
With the addition, 33 states, the District of Columbia and Guam have now banned text messaging by all drivers. Eight states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have prohibited all hand-held cell phone use while driving.