WASHINGTON Motorcoaches and motorcoach drivers performed measurably better last month during Roadcheck 2009, the largest targeted safety enforcement program of commercial vehicles in the world.

The percentage of drivers and motorcoaches put out of service during the annual inspection blitz -- organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance -- dropped for the first time in three years.

A total of 932 coaches were checked during this years 72-hour inspection program that is conducted each June in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Of the 900+ coaches that were subject to destination, Level I and roadside inspections, 11.5 percent were put out of service. That was down from a 12.2 out-of-service rate during Roadcheck 2008 and a 12.3 percent rate in 2007, but up from the 9.2 percent rate achieved in Roadcheck 2006.

The percentage of drivers put out of service for various safety infractions during Roadcheck this year was 3.6 percent, compared to 4.5 percent last year, 3.8 percent in 2007 and 2.9 percent in 2006.

Roadcheck 09 was the second inspection blitz conducted in as many months by state and federal safety enforcement officials.

For three weeks in May, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted Operation Safe Student, a "strike force" initiative aimed at motorcoach and school bus operators transporting children during the end-of-school-year field trip season.

The FMCSA says it enlisted state and local law enforcement officials in all 50 states to participate in Operation Safe Student, resulting in roughly 8,700 bus inspections.

That program resulted in 650 buses being put out of service, or 7.5 percent, and 225 drivers, or 2.5 percent.

In addition, more than 665 bus companies were contacted for on-site comprehensive compliance reviews in conjunction with the operation.

The FMCSA was unable to supply a breakdown of its figures, indicating what percent of the buses it inspected and put out of service were motorcoaches vs. school buses.

Many states that participated in Operation Safe Student in May did not conduct inspections of motorcoaches during Roadcheck 09 in June, confining their inspections during Roadcheck to over-the-road trucks.

In August, the FMCSA conducted a similar strike force aimed at motorcoaches, resulting in roughly 12,000 inspections and 560 compliance reviews.

That two-week blitz by federal, state and local inspectors resulted in roughly 9.6 percent of the buses being put out of service and 1.8 percent of the drivers.

The FMCSA has stepped up its safety inspections of motorcoach operators in recent years. In 2008, nearly 150,000 bus inspections were performed under its aegis, up from 144,000 in 2007.

Officials say strike forces are just one of several strategies they intend to use throughout the year to ensure motorcoaches, buses and other passenger carriers are operating safely and in compliance with federal regulations.

"As part of our ongoing commitment, the FMCSA and its law enforcement partners are currently conducting strike forces at several of our most popular national parks," noted FMCSA Acting Deputy Administrator Rose A. McMurray.

CVSA also is focusing on motorcoaches with its Roadcheck initiative.

During this years Roadcheck, CVSA inspectors conducted a total of 57,013 North American Standard Level I (the most comprehensive roadside) inspections of over-the-road buses and trucks, with buses accounting for just over 1.5 percent of the total. The total number of inspections during this years Roadcheck was almost 72,800.

The overall out-of-service rate this year was 19.6 percent for vehicles (trucks and buses) and 4.3 percent for drivers.

That compares with an overall out-of-service rate of 20.8 percent last year and 21.5 percent in 2007. The driver out-of-service rate fell from 5.3 percent last year and 6.2 percent in 2007.