Wisconsin State Patrol will inspect buses and motor coaches transporting high school musicians to marching band championships at UW-Whitewater

October 15, 2009

Wisconsin State Patrol commercial motor vehicle inspectors will conduct thorough safety examinations of approximately 70 school buses and motor coaches transporting high-school musicians to the Wisconsin School Music Association’s State Marching Band Championships at UW-Whitewater on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Thirty-two State Patrol inspectors, two State Patrol sergeants, and a member of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will participate in the special detail from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. To ensure compliance with safety regulations, they will check drivers’ credentials and hours of service as well as vehicle equipment, such as brakes, tires, and air hoses.

Although this is the first safety inspection detail of its kind at the marching band championships, the State Patrol conducted a similar detail in La Crosse in January for a show choir competition.

“The inspections of bus and motor coach drivers and their vehicles help protect the passengers they transport while also making our highways safer for other motorists,” says Capt. Charles Lorentz of the State Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement Section.

In 2007, the FMCSA and state law enforcement agencies, conducted more than 144,000 bus inspections nationwide. During these inspections, 4 percent of drivers and 8 percent of buses were placed out of service, which means a driver or vehicle is not allowed to continue operating until the safety violation has been remedied.

For more information, contact:
Sgt. Lorie Floyd, Wisconsin State Patrol
608-797-8510 (cell), lorie.floyd@dot.wi.gov