WASHINGTON The out-of-service rate for motorcoaches inspected last month during Roadcheck 2008 was virtually unchanged from last year, but the number of drivers placed out of service increased by 18 percent, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance reports.

During the three-day Roadcheck safety blitz, 12.2 percent of the motorcoaches inspected were ordered off the road because of safety and mechanical problems, CVSA said.

Last year, the out-of-service for passenger buses was 12.3 percent, and in 2006 the rate was 9.2 percent.

The out-of-service rate for motorcoach drivers increased this year to 4.5 percent, an abnormally high rate for over-the-road bus drivers.

A year ago, 3.8 percent of the coach drivers stopped for a Roadcheck inspection were ordered out of their buses. In 2006, the percentage was 2.9.

The out-of-service rate for bus drivers has increased steadily during the past half-dozen years. When CVSA inspectors checked log books, CDLs, medical cards and other factors in 2005 and 2004, the out-of-service rate for coach drivers was 2.7 percent. In 2003, the driver out-of-service rate was a modest 1.7 percent.

The out-of-service rate for all drivers (most of which are truckers) decreased this year to 5.3 percent, down from 6.2 percent in 2007 and 5.6 percent in 2006.

The out-of-service rate for all vehicles (mostly trucks) was 20.8 percent, down from 21.5 percent.

Early last month, 9,148 CVSA and FMCSA-certified inspectors at 1,683 locations across North America performed 67,931 truck and bus inspections. More than 52,000 of the total were North American Standard Level I inspections, the most comprehensive roadside inspection.

Both the total number of inspections and Level I inspections were records for the annual Roadcheck event.