How government and bus lines stress safety.(News)

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), October, 2004 by Davis, Jon

Byline: Jon Davis Daily Herald Staff Writer As investigators try to determine why a Chicago-based tour bus left Interstate 55 and overturned Saturday in Arkansas, leaving 14 dead, a suburban bus driver said safety is never far from his and his colleagues' thoughts. "After 10 hours of driving, you have to get off the highway.

That's the federal law for everyone," said Robert Spann, a bus driver for Five Star Coach based in Naperville. Whether they work for local charter buses or cross-country companies such as Greyhound, federal rules govern when drivers must get out from behind the wheel. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, commercial bus drivers are limited to 10-hour shifts behind the wheel after eight hours off-duty. They...