1. | How do I get the SaferBus app and how much does it cost? |
| | The SaferBus app is available through the Apple iTunes App store and was developed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for the iPad and iPhone that have the ability to connect to the internet, i.e. 3G or WiFi. The app is free. 
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2. | What if I don’t have an iPhone or iPad? How can I access the safety information? |
| | Please visit http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/ to search for bus company safety information. The SaferBus app draws its safety information directly from this database.
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3. | How does the SaferBus app work? |
| | Simply enter the name of a bus company, or the company’s U.S. DOT number or Motor Carrier (MC) number to access information related to that company in the FMCSA database. This will allow you to review information about a company’s safety performance and whether or not the company is legally “allowed to operate.”
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4. | How do I find the U.S. DOT number or MC number of the bus company? |
| | FMCSA requires all bus companies to display their U.S. DOT and/or MC number on the exterior side of the vehicle. If you are not near the vehicle, you can contact the bus company or search for the company on FMCSA’s Web site at http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/Data/Search.aspx, by entering the company name and the location where the company is headquartered.
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5. | Why isn’t the bus company I am looking for appearing when I search? Does this mean they are not allowed to operate? |
| | No, not necessarily. U.S. DOT registered bus companies should appear in your search results regardless of whether or not they are allowed to operate. The company may be using a brand name instead of, or in addition to, its official business name. Try verifying the company’s official business name and redoing your search. Or, search by the carrier’s U.S. DOT or MC number instead. There are many similarly named companies. Searches based on U.S. DOT/MC number will provide the most reliable results.
Search results will provide safety information on U.S. DOT registered bus companies that are licensed to transport passengers from one state to another and that are subject to Federal regulatory oversight. Companies that only operate within the borders of a single state generally are NOT included.
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6. | Are there other reasons why a bus company name may not appear when I search? |
| | If you are purchasing a ticket online, you may be buying a ticket from a ticketing service or ticket broker and not directly from a bus company. Ticketing service and ticket broker names will not appear in the SaferBus app. Contact the company selling the ticket and ask for the U.S. DOT number of the bus company making the trip.
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7. | How does the SaferBus app help me select a safer bus company? |
| | By making the safety performance information of bus companies more readily available to the public, the SaferBus app helps travelers make more informed decisions.
The SaferBus app will also help you avoid bus companies that have been placed out of service or that do not have operating authority. In either case, these companies are operating illegally.
SaferBus displays a bus company’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) results organized by Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). Knowing which bus companies the U.S. DOT/FMCSA may prioritize for further monitoring based on safety concerns may impact the company you choose for your trip. More information can be found at http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/resources.aspx.
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8. | Where does the safety performance information come from? |
| | The safety information in the SaferBus app is the result of 24 months of roadside inspections/violations of company drivers and vehicles as well as U.S. DOT/FMCSA investigations of the company’s safety practices. The information is stored in databases that U.S. DOT/FMCSA and its state partners use to evaluate a company's safety performance.
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9. | Why are some companies deemed "not allowed to operate"? |
| | A company shown as “not allowed to operate” has either been placed out of service by FMCSA or does not have the proper operating authority and is NOT legally permitted to operate.
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10. | I have already booked tickets with a bus company that is not allowed to operate. What should I do now? |
| | Contact the company, cancel the trip and request a refund. Also, contact FMCSA at 1-888-368-7238 (DOT-SAFT) to notify us that the out of service company is still selling tickets. Hearing directly from consumers gives us necessary information to permanently shut down unsafe companies.
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11. | I have questions about the safety information being displayed in the SaferBus app. Where should I go for help? |
| | If you have additional questions about the data or how it was calculated, please visit FMCSA's SMS Web site at http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/ or contact us at http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/CSA_Feedback.aspx. More information can be found at http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/resources.aspx.
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12. | What does the  symbol indicate? |
| | A BASIC status of indicates that, based on the data, the bus company may be prioritized for further monitoring. This is either because the company’s on-road performance (BASIC percentile) is above the intervention threshold or a serious violation ( ) was found during a carrier investigation. A company with a BASIC status of should not be viewed as unsafe. The symbol is not intended to imply any Federal safety rating of the carrier pursuant to 49 USC 31144. Users should not draw conclusions about a carrier's overall safety condition simply based on the data displayed in this app. Unless a company in the SMS has received an UNSATISFACTORY safety rating pursuant to 49 CFR Part 385, or has otherwise been ordered to discontinue operations by the FMCSA, it is authorized to operate on the nation's roadways. Motor carrier safety ratings are available at http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and motor carrier licensing and insurance status are available at http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/.
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13. | I have already booked tickets with a bus company that has a . What should I do now? |
| | Consumers should contact the bus company with any specific questions they have regarding their safety performance.
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14. | What does the bus company’s percentile in a given BASIC mean? |
| | Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) percentiles range between 0 (best) and 100 (worst) and are calculated for companies with sufficient data related to each BASIC. Within each BASIC, a percentile is assigned from 0 to 100 based on the company's safety compliance. For example, a percentile value of 95 means that the company performed WORSE than 95% of the companies in the same safety event group. Safety event groups are based on the company’s number of safety events (e.g. inspections and violations). This grouping allows SMS to handle a widely diverse population of commercial bus companies while ensuring that similarly situated companies are treated with the same standards.
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15. | What does it mean if the company has a particular BASIC status of “inconclusive” or “insufficient data”? |
| | “Inconclusive" indicates that the company has enough inspections to potentially be assessed in a BASIC, but has a lack of violations to indicate a recent pattern of safety problems in a BASIC. "Insufficient Data" means that the company does not have enough inspections to be assessed in a BASIC. For more information, visit http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/InfoCenter/Default.aspx#question14.
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16. | I have found consumer information about bus companies on other search engines. Is the SaferBus app the same as these? |
| | Popular search engines are a good source of information for comments from bus users about their personal experience with the company and related information. Instead of consumer information, the SaferBus app uses safety enforcement information from violations, inspections and investigations reported by state law enforcement.
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17. | I am having difficulty with technical aspects of the SaferBus app. Where should I go for help? |
| | Please send an email to SaferBus@dot.gov.
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