Category: Driving Safety
FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle and Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public
Press Release
FMCSA Shuts Down Georgia-based Bus Company for Failing to Ensure Vehicle and Driver Safety, Endangering the Traveling Public
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered Atlanta-based STSC Transportation Services, Inc., USDOT No. 2350604, to immediately cease all passenger transportation operations after finding that the company was endangering the traveling public by failing to ensure the safety of its vehicles and drivers. Although the company is registered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company operates service between Philadelphia and New York City.
“Safety is our top priority and we will continue to use every means available to ensure everyone on our roads and highways reaches their destinations safely,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This includes shutting down unsafe bus companies that ignore vitally important safety rules.”
FMCSA safety investigators found that STSC Transportation had failed to ensure that its buses were systematically inspected, repaired, and maintained, and that the company had failed to ensure that its drivers were properly qualified and licensed. STSC Transportation had been cited for not providing many required and vital safety related records which were not maintained at the company’s registered Atlanta address. The federal shut-down order includes all interstate and intrastate operations.
Beginning in November 2013, FMCSA investigators found serious and widespread violations of multiple federal safety regulations, including:
- Lack of management controls to ensure proper inspection, repair, and maintenance of vehicles. STSC had repeatedly been cited during inspections on six occasions for continuing to operate buses after being placed out of service for serious safety violations. STSC failed to produce any proof of annual inspection, preventative maintenance, and repairs completed for its buses. Three inspections found inoperable emergency exits.
- Failure to conduct required random tests for alcohol and illegal drug use by drivers.
- Failure to ensure that its drivers adhered to federal hours-of-service limitations to prevent fatigued driving. STSC Transportation was cited for missing records of duty status, exceeding hours of service limitations, and falsifying records of duty status.
“FMCSA investigators work diligently across the country to prevent crashes from occurring by shutting down bus companies that put their passengers and the public at risk,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “In the past three years, we have more than tripled the number of dangerous companies and drivers we have taken off the road and we will continue taking aggressive action against carriers that disregard our safety standards.”
A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2014/STSCTransportation.pdf.
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As part of FMCSA’s work to make safety data readily available to the traveling public, the SaferBus mobile app gives bus riders a quick and free way to review a bus company’s safety record before buying a ticket or booking group travel. The app, available for iPhone, iPad, and Android phone users, can be downloaded for free by visiting FMCSA’s “Look Before You Book” webpage at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/saferbus.
Travelers planning a bus trip are also encouraged to think safety first before buying a ticket or chartering a bus by using FMCSA’s multilingual passenger carrier safety checklist at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/lookbeforeyoubook.
FMCSA urges consumers and whistleblowers to report any unsafe bus company, vehicle, or driver to the agency through a toll free hotline 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) or FMCSA’s consumer complaint web site: http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/HomePage.asp.
Consumers who bought a ticket on a bus company that FMCSA has recently placed out-of-service may be entitled to a credit from their credit card company under the Fair Credit Billing Act if they paid for the ticket by credit card. For more information, visit: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/pcs/bus-credit-refund.aspx.
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FMCSA 10-4
United States
9:00am-5:00pm ET, M-F
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety focuses on mind, body, and vehicle to promote safe driving
Network of Employers for Traffic Safety focuses on mind, body, and vehicle to promote safe driving
Anthony Foxx
Every October, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) hosts Drive Safely Work Week, an annual reminder for businesses and organizations to help their employees focus on safe driving.
This year, Drive Safely Work Week will run from October 7 – 11. But employers can get a jump start on safety today by downloading this year’s free campaign toolkit at http://www.trafficsafety.org.
NETS has a long history of success with Drive Safely Work Week, which it has been sponsoring since 1996. In just the last three years, an average of 3,500 organizations have participated annually, representing 16.5 million employees per year.
The theme for this year’s Drive Safely Work Week is “Gear Up for Save Driving: Mind, Body, Vehicle.” The campaign takes a holistic approach to safe driving that highlights how being at your physical and mental best–along with the “health” of your vehicle–are all connected in making us safer drivers.
“Driving is a physical task that requires mental focus,” said NETS Chairperson Sandra Lee. “A driver’s mind and body in combination with the vehicle work together as a system. This year’s campaign outlines simple steps that anyone can take to ensure every component of that system is well cared for and that drivers are at their best behind the wheel.”
The toolkit includes activities and reminders for drivers that highlight the importance of:
- Regular vision screening;
- Being well-rested and properly fueled before getting behind the wheel;
- Keeping your vehicle healthy through preventative maintenance; and
- Making sure your seat and mirrors are positioned to give you the best field of vision and sustained energy.
My thanks go out to NETS for promoting safe driving habits both on and off the job. Please download your toolkit today and help us make our roads safer for everyone.
Anthony Foxx is the 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Do blindspot mirrors really eliminate blindspots?
Many people question the effectiveness of blindspot mirrors in eliminating the dangerous invisible areas surrounding their vehicles. However, the numerous benefits of these modern mirrors prove their effectiveness in reducing blindspots around your vehicles. Before we discuss these benefits, it is imperative to state that according to the statistics, the biggest cause of vehicular accidents is collisions occurring while making lane changes. The primary reason for this is that most drivers are unable to react in time when a vehicle suddenly comes up from the invisible areas while changing lanes.
The first benefit of these mirrors is that unlike the older types of mirrors, such as bubble and fish eye, these new types do not reduce the size of the image. Moreover, the view is expanded by more than twice the normal area as viewable from the regular mirrors. Even when the view is enhanced, you can be assured of the quality not being distorted due to an expansion.
Secondly, these mirrors can be conveniently and easily attached to the side mirrors of all vehicles, including motorhome mirrors, motorcycle mirrors, and towing mirrors. The high quality adhesive bonding strip easily attaches to the surface of the mirrors and does not slip off under any weather conditions. Moreover, you can attach the adjustable mirrors at home within a little time without needing any extra tools and equipments.
The new design of these mirrors provides a complete focus capability with the 360 degree swivel ball technology. Therefore, the number of people who can drive the vehicle is not limited, thus allowing your spouse, children, and other family members to drive the vehicle. The glass is made with an advanced technology, which makes it resistant to shattering, fogging, and glaring. All these factors make blindspot mirrors advantageous and assist in eliminating blindspots from the adjoining areas of your vehicles.
Blindspot mirrors help protect your family
We all know that blindspots in a vehicle are a reality that cannot be eliminated. Although, the automobile industry has seen significant development, car manufacturers have been unable to eliminate these dangerous areas. When a vehicle is driving in your blindspot, you are unable to view the same, which may lead to fatal results. Therefore, you need to find alternative methods to eliminate these dangerous invisible areas.
You can now achieve this objective by using blindspot mirrors that are attachable to the regular side mirrors of your vehicle. These devices are fully adjustable with the swivel ball technology, which allows you to rotate the mirror in any direction as per your personal requirements. Therefore, unlike general perception your vehicle can still be driven by other family members.
The mirrors are available in attractive styles, which are appropriate for all kinds of vehicles, which include towing mirrors, motorhome mirrors, and motorcycle mirrors. These devices can be attached to the side mirrors of your vehicle with the adhesive bonding strip, which is developed using a NASA technology making it durable and long lasting. These are appropriate for the upper inside edge of side mirrors where the sky is reflected and hence not frequently used by drivers.
One of the major benefits of these mirrors is that you do not need any extra tools to attach the mirrors and can complete the installation in few minutes. The glass is made with an optical technology that makes it resistant to shattering, glaring, and foggy weather conditions. Therefore, you can enhance your vision with these mirrors without compromising on the aesthetical appearance of your vehicle or your comfort while driving. The blindspot mirrors are very effective in reducing the dangerous invisible areas surrounding your vehicle, which enables you to protect your family from any fatal accidents.
Making safer lane changes
Research shows that there is one accident every nine seconds due to lane changes and at least one person is injured or killed in such accidents every nine minutes. This is a very high percentage and one of the main causes of these accidents is the existence of blind spots. These are areas that are invisible from the regular rear view and side mirrors of your vehicles. While making lane changes, you may miss another vehicle driving in your blind spot and may end up crashing into the oncoming vehicle if you are not quick enough to swerve back into your lane.
You may be wondering if there is any way to overcome these dangerous areas to ensure you make lane changing safer. The answer is blindspot mirrors, which are an extension to the regular side mirrors of your vehicles. These mirrors are easily attachable to the inner top edge of the side mirrors that is the least used area of the mirrors and generally reflects the sky.
The blindspot mirrors are easily attachable using the all weather bonding strip that is made with a high quality adhesive. The quality of this adhesive is comparable to the adhesive used for treating battlefield injuries. The manufacturing company provides an instruction booklet that enables you to easily install these extension mirrors to reduce the dangers of making lane changes. One of the advantages of these mirrors is that they do not require any tools and equipments for installation. Moreover, you can dismantle the mirrors and reuse these on another vehicle, which makes these durable and cost effective.
You may be wondering about their aesthetic appearance and the overall look of your vehicle. You can be assured that these mirrors will not mar the vehicle’s appearance and can be used on various types of mirrors, such as motorhome mirror, towing mirror, and motorcycle mirror. Therefore, make lane changes safer with the use of blindspot mirrors.
Protect your children by using blindspot mirrors
Research shows that more than fifty children every week are victims of accidents caused due to cars backing up in their driveways. Most drivers will tell you that the accident occurred because they were unable to see the child on the rear of their car. The primary reason for this is the existence of invisible areas, which are known as blindspots. These are a reality in all types of vehicles and are a major cause of accidents across the country.
Many drivers adjust their vehicular mirrors to reduce or eliminate these blindspots. However, such adjustments are inadequate and you need to consider installing blindspot mirrors to effectively eliminate such invisible areas. These mirrors are an attachment for the side mirrors of any type of vehicles, including buses, trailers, cars, motorbikes, and trucks. These adjustable mirrors are effective in providing a wider and clearer view of the surrounding areas.
The new and technically advanced mirror is appropriate for all types of vehicles, such as towing mirrors, motorcycle mirrors, and motorhome mirrors. The mirrors are fully adjustable using the rotating swivel ball technology to make it appropriate for the convenience of the drivers. Additionally, the glass is made with an optical technology that enlarges the image without distorting its quality. The glass does not shatter and is resistant to foggy weather. Moreover, the anti glare properties of these mirrors makes these convenient while driving in the night.
These blindspot mirrors are easily attached to the upper inside edge of the side mirrors without the use of any special tools. The instructions manual provides the steps to be followed to attach the mirrors. Moreover, the manual provides the technique that can be used to detach the mirrors and reattach these to another vehicle. Priced reasonably, these mirrors are one of the best options available to protect your children from any untoward incidents.