STERLING, Va. Hiring risky motorcoach drivers can result in more crashes, higher insurance rates and poor customer relations.

So, why risk it?

Robert Crescenzo, vice president of Lancer Insurance, says motorcoach operators who want to avoid such problems need to pay more attention to the type of people they hire to drive their coaches.

"If you can say no to customers who are asking too much, then you must be able to say no to driver applicants," he told operators attending the United Motorcoach Associations sixth annual Safety Management Seminar.

"And that can be particularly hard, especially when you are attempting to get a full staff of drivers."

He said operators can reduce potential problems simply by recognizing drivers who studies have shown to be risky when they get behind the wheel of a coach.

People who are aggressive or angry top the list of drivers who are considered to carry the highest risks and cause the most harm to a company.

"Itll show up when theyre driving in a construction zone or in heavy traffic," Crescenzo noted.

Others with the potential to cause trouble include drivers who are impatient, have little driving experience, dont care for their jobs, suffer from sleep disorders, have an unhappy home life, are deep in debt, and are dishonest.

Older and younger drivers can lead to problems as well.

"The age of a driver causes increased risks," Crescenzo said, noting that younger drivers are more likely to be more aggressive, drive faster and get more tickets, while older drivers are much slower to react to road situations, which could increase their changes of having an accident.

Drivers who have little or no social or people skills can be troublesome, too.

"They might be very good drivers but they should be driving trucks, and you might want to make that happen for them," he said.

To reduce the potential for problems, he suggested that operators develop hiring procedures that include structured personal interviews, personality testing, medical examinations and road testing.

In addition, he said they should have ongoing programs that evaluate driver performance and investigate complaints from customers and motorists as well as driver training courses that are targeted to correct specific insufficiencies of individual drivers.

Crescenzo also urged operators to be cautious when they call in someone to handle a trip last minute, even if they respond eagerly. Some, he said, might not be prepared to take on a trip with short notice, perhaps because they had been looking forward to a weekend away from work or they had not slept for some time.

"If you cant do a trip because you dont have a driver, then farm it out," he suggested.

He reminded operators that the hiring and managing of their drivers is one of their most important responsibilities because drivers play critical roles in the settling of accident claims and in jury decisions.

Crescenzo said drivers can say the wrong thing after an accident "the brakes didnt work" or "I thought I could make it" - that can be harmful to a case or they may not be very good in a deposition or on the witness stand.

"Drivers are key to claim control," he said.