National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah Hersman recently engaged the United Motorcoach Association (UMA) leaders in a conversation about their concerns as motorcoach operators and shared continuing efforts that the NTSB is recommending to improve the safety of bus operations.

Speaking at the UMA mid-year board of directors meeting in Alexandria, Va., Hersman touched on fatigue management, stating that "fatigue is a huge issue." Statistically, the hours of 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. are shown to be a dangerous timeframe to travel across all modes of transportation, she said.

The NTSB is "interested in providing solutions, not just identifying problems," she said, adding that it is imperative to "educate the public to make the choice to put safety first."

"Chairman Hersman has been a long standing supporter of the bus and motorcoach industry, and we are happy she asked to stop by and speak with us," said UMA President/CEO Victor Parra. "Although outside of her jurisdiction, we appreciate that she listened thoughtfully as many of our board members shared their personal experiences and frustrations with recent FMCSA compliance reviews."

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