WASHINGTON The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a formal recommendation asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a process for finding bus companies that are operating motorcoaches that dont comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS).

The recommendation grew out of the NTSBs investigation of the January 2008 fatal crash of a motorcoach near Victoria, Texas, resulting in one passenger being killed and 17 passengers being seriously injured. Another 29 passengers, plus the driver, received minor injuries.

The NTSB investigation indicated the driver fell asleep at the wheel, allowing the bus to drift off the road. During the crash sequence, the driver regained awareness, overcorrected, and ultimately lost control of the vehicle, which overturned on its right side.

During the investigation, the NTSB found that the bus, which was traveling from Monterrey, Mexico, to Houston, did not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards and was being operated without proper interstate authority.

The investigation suggested there may be a significant number of such vehicles being operated on highways in states bordering Mexico.

In its new recommendation, the NTSB asked the USDOT to require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to work with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency to develop and implement a process to detect motor carriers that are currently operating non-FMVSS-compliant motorcoaches or other passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles in the U.S. outside of commercial zones.

And, the NTSB asked that when such vehicles are detected the FMCSA be given the authority to put such vehicles out of service, and require that the carriers cease operating the vehicles in commercial interstate passenger service or face revocation of their operating authority.

Go to http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/2009/HWY-08-MH-011.htm to read the NTSB report on the Victoria crash.