Bus Safety Checklist

Are you planning a bus trip?

There is more to consider than just price and convenience!

If you are purchasing a personal ticket or hiring a bus company for your group’s travel, SAFETY should be a top priority. Don’t risk your life or the lives of others by making an uninformed decision. Select a bus company that complies with Federal requirements enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Listed below are some important facts you should verify before you select a bus company to transport you or members of your group. 

Safety Performance History

► Check the bus company’s safety performance results.

Safety Rating

► FMCSA rates bus companies’ safety performance. The top rating is satisfactory. Bus companies with a conditional safety rating may pose a higher risk, and companies with a final unsatisfactory safety rating should not be operating.

Operating Authority and Insurance Requirements

► Bus companies charging a fee to provide interstate transportation must obtain operating authority from FMCSA.

► If the company operates a bus that is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, it must have a minimum of $5 million in insurance coverage.

Consumer Complaints

► If you want to make a safety violation complaint, call FMCSA’s toll free hotline 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday Eastern Time or visit FMCSA’s consumer complaint site http://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/HomePage.asp.

► If you observe a safety emergency, please call 911.