A history of bus crashes, faulty brakes, worn tires, poor maintenance, bad driving records, incomplete logbooks, and flagrant safety violations can all contribute to a charter bus company’s deficient safety score. But each charter bus company does receive a score, which is readily available on the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) website. So why does UCLA hire charter bus companies with poorer than average safety scores to transport its students?
UCLA is not alone; Ohio State, LSU, Michigan State, San Jose State, Alabama, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Wyoming have all been listed as colleges who use charter bus companies with deficient safety ratings. When questioned, officials at these schools usually claimed ignorance of the bus company’s safety record. Critics point out that these schools may be looking to save a few bucks on a low cost provider without doing due diligence on the quality of the provider.
Research studies have shown time and again that poor safety scores correlate with more accidents, and according to the US DOT, there is “no reason” for a company to repeatedly receive less than a satisfactory rating.
Colleges and other organizations that hire charter buses need to be aware of the ratings system and use it to make informed decisions about who to trust with their precious cargo.
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