Northern California Accident Attorney Blog

On May 5, the U.S. Transportation Department's (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced many new measures to help improve bus passenger safety and enforce regulations for bus and commercial vehicle carriers and drivers.

The FMCSA has made it clear with the debut of its new regulations that it will do everything possible to monitor, regulate, and penalize unsafe, irresponsible, and negligent passenger vehicle operators. Just about any San Francisco personal injury attorney would tell you that these new rules could make a big difference in reducing serious injuries and wrongful deaths.

Some of the new regulations and enforcement efforts include:

• Requiring stricter commercial driver's license testing (CDL) standards


• Seeking new rules to reinforce passenger carriers and driver compliance with federal safety regulations


• Provide consumers with easily accessible safety records of bus companies to review before booking transportation


• Conducting unannounced motorcoach inspections at busy travel destinations during the spring and summer travel seasons


• Requiring those who apply for a CDL to first get a commercial driver's learner's permit (CLP)

In relation to the new CLP rule, it will also be required for all state licensing agencies to use a CDL testing system that meets the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators CDL knowledge and skill standards. In addition, to lower the chances of testing fraud, the use of foreign language interpreters is prohibited.

Another new measure gives the U.S. DOT stronger authority to enforce action against unsafe "reincarnated" passenger carriers by creating a federal standard to help identify whether a "new" carrier is actually a re-made "old" and unsafe carrier.

The U.S. DOT will also require new motorcoach companies to have a full safety audit before getting U.S. DOT operating authority, revise current law to make sure a driver's CDL can be suspended or revoked for drug- and alcohol-related violations that happen in non-commercial vehicles, and increase the penalty to $25,000 a day for passenger carriers that try to operate without U.S. DOT authority.

Bus drivers often have many lives in their hands. With the new regulations in place for commercial drivers that transport passengers, it is important to remember that all drivers have responsibilities that need to be upheld.