Administration To Seek Seatbelts In Motorcoaches

JOAN LOWY

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration said Monday it will propose long-sought safety requirements for long-distance buses, including seatbelts and stronger roof standards.

A motorcoach safety plan released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls for developing performance requirements for bus roofs before the end of this year and issuing a rule by early next year on installation of seatbelts.

Safety advocates have for years urged seatbelts and stronger roofs to prevent passengers from being ejected in rollovers.

Motorcoaches are buses with elevated passenger decks over a baggage compartment. They are widely used for service between cities and by the tour industry.

Other elements of the plan include:

— Requiring devices that record when a bus is turned on or off, in an effort to prevent drivers from operating a bus longer than is allowed. Driver fatigue was cited as a factor in some fatal accidents.

— Prohibiting drivers from texting, and limiting their use of cell phones while behind the wheel. Federally-sponsored research found drivers were 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash if they were texting and nearly six times more likely if there they were dialing a cellphone.