Davis Law Group, P.S.

Bus Companies May Start Receiving 'Letter Grades' for Safety

In a new proposal, it is recommended that bus companies should be rated on their safety with letter-grades, from A to F. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer requested that that this be a part of policy for interstate buses. Each company’s grade will be required to be on their website and on the windows of the actual buses.

Due to the amount of deadly bus crashes, Schumer decided to submit a change to safety protocol.

In a recent crash in May, a Sky Express bus crashed and killed four people – the company had a driving record of 46 violations and four previous bus accident yet they were still operating.

Agencies usually hide their safety information if they are guilty of unsafe practices. This way, it will be very evident and easy for customers to go check out their safety rating right on the opening page of each company’s website.

When you go to the full list of interstate bus companies and their safety records, you will see various things. One thing to look out for is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark inside of it. This means that the company has been cited with several serious safety violations during the past year. This list, unfortunately, is very difficult to find. With the new plan however, you will see an immediate letter grade without having to uncover a lengthy report.

Another aspect of the government’s bus safety information, is that each company receives a percentages based on different categories. The categories include unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, substance abuse, and vehicle maintenance. But for many readers, it is very misleading. The company with the lowest percent rating is the best – but doesn’t it seem like it would be the worst?

Opponents of the plan believe that his concern in bus safety is due to reputation enhancement and media attention.

The main issue here: what are we going to do with buses that receive a less than average grade in bus safety?

Click here to the read the government’s list of interstate bus companies and their safety records. It lists all bus companies and details associated with their safety ratings. This list may shock you.