State Patrol to review bus companies' safety practices statewide

January 10, 2008

To ensure that commercial buses and motor coaches in Wisconsin meet state and federal safety requirements, investigators from the Wisconsin State Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement Investigation Unit will examine the safety practices of more than 100 bus companies throughout the state in January and February.

In partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 20 State Patrol and federal investigators will analyze commercial bus companies' safety procedures to identify potential problems and specify corrective actions to prevent crashes, according to Bud Coxhead, manager of the State Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement Investigation Unit.

"Commercial bus and motor coach operators in Wisconsin generally work hard to maintain compliance with all safety regulations. But there's always room for improvement," Coxhead says. "Along with our enforcement of traffic safety laws and thorough inspections of buses, the safety compliance reviews help reduce crashes. The compliance reviews also help educate bus companies on ways to improve the safety of their vehicles and their drivers."

In October 2006, State Patrol investigators teamed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on comprehensive safety compliance reviews of school bus companies in Wisconsin. The State Patrol also inspects every school bus in Wisconsin every year.

For more information, contact:
Bud Coxhead
(608) 261-5858, bernard.coxhead@dot.state.wi.us