Motorcoach Safety to Be Focus of U.S. Senate Hearing and News Conference; Crash Victims' Families and Safety Advocates to Urge Passage of Languishing Motorcoach Safety Standards

FREE LIVE WEBCAST OF SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING TO BE AVAILABLE

WHAT: A U.S. Senate hearing preceded by a Capitol Hill news conference will feature motorcoach crash victims' families and transportation safety advocates who will highlight the need for passage of pending legislation -- the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act (S.2326 and HR 6747) -- that would require motorcoach safety upgrades that have been languishing for decades. The legislation is sponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Congressmen John Lewis (D-GA) and Ted Poe (R-TX).

WHEN: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
2:00p.m. - MOTORCOACH SAFETY NEWS CONFERENCE

WHERE: U.S. Capitol Grounds at the intersection of Delaware Avenue and C Streets directly across from the Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

SPEAKERS:

-- Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
-- Yen-Chi Li, daughter of Sherman, TX bus crash victim (August 2008)

-- John Betts, father of a Bluffton University (OH) bus crash victim killed in Atlanta crash (March 2007)

-- Stephen Forman, father of West Brook, TX, bus crash victim (March 2006)

-- Jacqueline Gillan, Vice President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

-- Catherine Boland, Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association

VISUAL:

A newly-outfitted motorcoach bus with many of the safety features that would be required by passage of the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act.

2:30 p.m. - U.S. SENATE HEARING

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security (Senator Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, chair) will hold a public hearing to examine long-neglected motorcoach safety problems and pending legislation (S.2326) that would require a wide range of vehicle safety upgrades.

NOTE: A free, live Webcast of the U.S. Senate hearing will be available starting at 2:30pm Eastern Time at the following website: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/

WHERE: Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
WITNESSES to include:

-- Families representing victims and survivors of multiple-fatal motorcoach bus crashes near Dallas in August 2008, in Atlanta in March 2007, and near Houston in March 2006.

-- Jacqueline Gillan, Vice President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (www.saferoads.org) is an alliance of consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America's roads safer. Advocates encourages the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that save lives and reduce injuries. By joining its resources with others, Advocates helps build coalitions to increase participation of a wide array of groups in public policy initiatives which advance highway and auto safety.

CONTACT: Bill Bronrott, +1-202-270-4415, for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Sept. 17/

Source: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

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