New iOS App: Consumers Take the Driver's Seat on Safety with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's SaferBus

From the FMCSA:

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) [has] unveiled its SaferBus iPhone/iPad application – a first-of-its-kind app that gives bus riders a quick and free way to review a bus company’s safety record before buying a ticket or booking group travel.
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SaferBus provides access to safety records on nearly 6,000 interstate commercial passenger carriers operating in the United States today, which includes privately operated motorcoach, school bus and tour bus companies. Information like this is especially important as more Americans turn to motorcoaches to meet their transportation needs. According to the American Bus Association’s latest research, there were more than 700 million motorcoach passenger trips in 2009.
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SaferBus app search will provide:

• Bus Company Safety Record: The app gives access to up to 24 months of a bus company’s safety performance record. This data provides insight into a bus company’s performance in five safety-critical areas: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substances/alcohol, and vehicle maintenance. Percentiles in any area can range between 0 (best) and 100 (worst), and are based on the company’s compliance with federal safety standards. This information is also available online at FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) website at: http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/Data/Search.aspx.
• Bus Company Operating Authority: In addition to providing a bus company’s safety record, the app will also notify users if that company is an illegal bus company that has been shut down by FMCSA with this language: “NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE.” Bus riders should NOT use interstate bus companies that do not have valid USDOT operating authority.
• Report a Bus Safety Complaint: SaferBus links to FMCSA’s National Consumer Compliant Database, enabling users to instantly submit any bus safety-related concern. The public may also call FMCSA’s safety hotline number, 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238), and should always call 911 in case of a safety emergency.

Direct to SaferBus App (via App Store)
See Also: SaferBus Database on the Web

Filed under: Data Files, Patrons and Users, Resources