WASHINGTON iPhone and iPad users can now sit on one of your coaches, search for safety information about your company, and have it displayed within seconds on their high-tech devices.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched an iPhone/iPad application last month, called SaferBus, that displays data the agency gathers as part of its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program in the compliance categories applicable to bus companies: unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substances and alcohol, and vehicle maintenance.

Designed specifically for the Apple iPhone and iPad, the application can be downloaded free by visiting the Apple iTunes App Store or by going to the FMCSA "Look Before You Book" web page.

While any bus traveler with an iPhone or iPad can access and use the application, it appears to be aimed primarily at tour operators and others who charter buses and who have a professional interest a bus companys safety performance record.

The FMCSA says travel professionals can more readily interpret the information and assess their options.

Here's what users will find on the application:

Operating authority and insurance status: Determine if a bus company has valid USDOT operating authority and complies with federal insurance requirements.

Safety performance records: Check the record of a carriers performance in a number of safety categories. The app provides a snapshot of the data that FMCSA also makes publicly available online at its Compliance, Safety and Accountability website.

Safety ratings: FMCSA issues three types of safety ratings. The top rating is Satisfactory, followed by Conditional (may pose a higher safety risk) and Unsatisfactory (should not be operating).

The SaferBus app also allows users to report a complaint to the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database.

To get a companys USDOT number or Motor Carrier number, web users can go to the FMCSA website and enter the company name and headquarters.

Safety information in the app is based on 24 months of roadside inspections and violations of a companys drivers and vehicles, along the results of any DOT/FMCSA investigations of the companys safety practices.

Dont have an iPhone or iPad? Individuals can visit the USDOT website that contains the same information.