ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker made a gamble of his own in Atlantic City by calling on the members of the Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association to voluntarily equip their motorcoaches with occupant restraint systems.

“I'm sure you are doing everything that you can to prevent an accident from occurring; but let's face it, accidents are going to happen,” said Rosenker during his address. “The short answer is occupant protection for your passengers.”

He went on to cite Australia and the European Union as examples, which have required seat belts on their motorcoaches since 1994 and 1997, respectively.

Although Rosenker stated that lap/shoulder belts are not the “total solution,” he said he believed they made “good business sense.” He also maintained the NTSB's stance on stronger roofs and improved window glazing.

“When accidents occur, my recommendation to you is to view them as an opportunity to do something different; find a maintenance improvement, implement a new operational policy, provide better training, buy a new motorcoach with the latest safety technology, etc., but take action and do something different. We owe it to our passengers, our employees, our families, our industry, and our community,” he concluded.