“I’m here from the government, and I’m here to help” has become a light-hearted jab, commonly used throughout the United States. Though I, too, have uttered that sentence, I would like to take a moment to thank one government agency that has promoted safe travel from coast to coast and allowed the travel industry to prosper: the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The FMCSA touches every traveler on a motorcoach in America. In short, they make travel so safe that most Americans don’t even bother to think about it. I rarely write an article such as this, mainly because it is such a given that motorcoach travel is one of the safest forms of mass transit in America. However, a recent tragedy in Mexico sparked my desire to thank the people of FMCSA.
That tragedy of a Mexican bus accident, which claimed the lives of 23 tourists, reminded me of how we take safe travel for granted and how the FMCSA makes that possible. The readers of this publication arrange for the transportation of over 5 million travelers each year and do so with full confidence of a safe trip.
I have had the pleasure of working with the people of the FMCSA for the last four years in creating awareness of safe motorcoach charter and travel in the travel industry. Sometimes it takes a tragedy as a wake-up call. I encourage us all to give a moment of thought to the victims and their families in Mexico and silent reflection on how the FMCSA dedicates itself to ensuring we continue to travel safely in America.
Charlie Presley is a founding partner of this publication and of The Group Travel Family.
