Should Intercity Bus Drivers Be Allowed To Use CB Radios?: Special Report 205 (SPECIAL REPORT (NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (U S) TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD))

TRB Special Report 205: Should Intercity Bus Drivers Be Allowed To Use CB Radios? recognizes the importance of improved communications on the highways, but also recognizes that CB radios have many drawbacks and are not sufficiently reliable to warrant recommending universal use on intercity buses. Transportation Research Board (TRB) staff visited several bus companies, including some that allow their drivers to use CB radios. Staff members, unidentified to drivers, also rode a number of buses to gain firsthand experience with how CB radios are used by bus drivers who work for companies that allow them. The Committee examined the incident files of Trailways to determine the types and frequency of on-board emergencies faced by the nation's bus drivers and to estimate the probable use of CB radios should they be permitted universally. The Committee also reviewed the accident records of the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety to decide how often CBS might be needed to call for police and medical assistance in the case of bus accidents. Finally, the Committee examined a number of alternative mobile communications systems to determine if there are any cost-effective alternatives to CB radios. The majority concluded that although benefits might accrue, they do not appear to be large enough or sufficiently certain to warrant federal intervention in this dispute.