IN THE NEWS

New Heavy-Duty Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards
The new, recently unveiled fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas pollution standards will require buses to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 percent by model year 2018. The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the standards in close coordination with the companies that met with President Obama as well as other stakeholders, following requests from companies to develop the new national fuel efficiency program. Under the comprehensive new program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons.


NHTSA Publishes Notice of Intent for Pedestrian Alarms on Electric, Hybrid Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has taken the first major step toward proposing regulations to protect unsuspecting pedestrians and the visually impaired from accidents involving hybrid and electric vehicles, including buses. The new action, which is mandated by the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, will help NHTSA lay the groundwork for a proposed rulemaking to help pedestrians detect the presence of quieter vehicles. NHTSA will evaluate the merits of possible rulemakings, including requiring electric and hybrid vehicle makers to add sounds that alert the visually impaired and other pedestrians when these vehicles are operating in certain low-speed maneuvers. More Information




New Bill for Commercial Vehicle Safety
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, D.-N.J. recently announced he'll introduce legislation that will give the federal government the tools it needs to remove unsafe drivers and carriers from the industry. He cited a recent surge in bus accidents and the annual toll of truck-related highway fatalities, and said Congress should do more to help the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration protect Americans on the roadways. The bill would require drivers to receive more training before they are granted a license to drive a truck or bus and it would require more companies to demonstrate that their drivers understand the rules. In addition, this bill would keep unsafe drivers from getting behind the wheel by requiring trucks and buses to have electronic on-board recorders to better monitor and manage the amount of time drivers spend on duty.

FMCSA to Hold Motorcoach Safety Summit
In an effort to strengthen motorcoach safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is coordinating the U. S. Department of Transportation's National Motorcoach Safety Summit this September. Leading up to the summit, there have been a series of Regional Motorcoach Safety Roundtables. With the summit, the FMCSA hopes to develop an effective strategic action plan to increase motorcoach safety awareness, enforcement and education, establish innovative and collaborative policies and countermeasures, standardize data sets, and forge new and collaborative partnerships. More Information