A Science-Driven Bus Safety Bill

Posted by ABA President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso
December 19, 2007

Everyone in the motorcoach, tour and travel community should welcome the safety bill introduced recently by Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.) as landmark legislation because it is the first-ever motorcoach safety bill calling for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct comprehensive scientific research to determine the direction of future regulatory requirements.

The Shuster bill calls for the most sweeping research and data collection in motorcoach industry history. Much of the data to guide engineers on occupant protection issues simply don't yet exist. This bill will ensure that the research needed to guide policy-makers is conducted, and that sound science rather than politics shapes government safety policies.

The Shuster legislation is a better approach than the bill introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). That bill might as well be called a "reverse rulemaking" because it calls for unscientific, unfunded mandates before anyone collects the date and conducts the research. A doctor wouldn't suggest invasive surgery before diagnosing the patient. The same holds true for motorcoach safety. First, do no harm.

Government data show that motorcoaches are the safest form of surface transportation. But the comprehensive research needed to answer the question of whether safety belts would provide safety benefits on buses has never been conducted before.

Safety is our top priority, and nobody knows the definitive answer to the question of whether mandating belts on buses will enhance safety. The research called for by Congressman Shuster's bill would provide the answer to guide motorcoach safety engineers. For the first time, we'll have the breadth of information needed prior to making any prospective alterations to vehicle design and architecture.

Congress can repeal laws, but it can't repeal the laws of physics. Let's let science do the talking and go from there.