The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is holding four regional round-table sessions over the next week to prepare for its national Motorcoach Safety Summit on Sept. 23.
The meetings will bring together members of the motorcoach industry and the public for a dialogue on the best ways to reduce the number of motorcoach crashes, injuries and fatalities each year. Aiming for a more interactive approach, coordinators are incorporating online conversations into this dialogue for the first time.
The first round-table session kicks off Wednesday in Dallas, with the second and third meetings set for Thursday and Friday in New York City and Columbus, Ohio, respectively. The final round-table meeting will be held Aug. 8 in Los Angeles. The DOT is requesting input to help “develop an effective strategic plan to increase motorcoach safety, awareness, enforcement and education,” according to its website.
The strategies and suggestions gathered from the different feedback streams will be used to frame the discussion during the national summit in Washington, D.C., which is hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The discussion will center on four strategic objectives:
- Increase awareness of the importance of motorcoach safety and enforcement among industry representatives, law enforcement, consumer groups, safety advocates and passengers,
- Identify policy-related challenges and barriers for safety and find opportunities for targeted solutions
- Empower stakeholders, partners and the public to assume personal responsibility in making motorcoach transportation safer
- Develop tools for education and training for members of the industry, consumer groups, law enforcement and the public on the maintenance, operations and purchasing of motorcoach services.
The DOT welcomes comments or questions prior to and during the national summit and regional sessions. For more information, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov/motorcoach/2011.
