compared with the 10 and 11 feet for the present single- and dual-level buses. Here are the major safety advantages:

(1) Greater overall height directly contributes to safety because it allows placement of passenger seats at a height from the ground above the point at which most collision impacts take place.

The driver's position is also raised, giving him better visibility, more safety in case of head-on collision, and reduces the accumulation of road splash and dirt on windshield and side windows in wet weather. The increased overall width also reduces the tendency of the front wheels throwing road splash and dirt up to the side windows. This is due to the fact that the coach structure can extend farther beyond the outside edges of the front wheels.

(2) Even though the bus is higher, the extra width permits a lower center of gravity, which in turn improves resistance to overturning and excess sidesway.

(3) Liberalized widths and rear-axle weight limitations permit more extensive use of stronger materials, such as stainless steel which provides greater passenger protection and less structural weakening through corrosion.

(4) The addition of only 6 inches in width in combination with the increased height makes it possible to use much larger tires. The tire footprint, the area in contact with the road, is substantially larger, 46 percent on a bus that we are engineering, providing:

(a) Greatly improved road adhesion,

(b) Better steering control,
(c) Greater skid resistance,

(d) More effective braking,

(e) Improved sidewise stability because it permits the use of a special rear suspension arrangement giving a lateral spacing between bellows of more than 21/2 times that possible with a conventional bus design,

(f) Wider spacing between dual-wheel tires for cooler operation, which reduces the possibility of blow-outs due to excessive heat buildup.

(5) Larger wheel diameter and width mean greater brakeshoe area, that is:

(a) 68.8 percent greater total effective brakeshoe area and 20.6 greater effective brakeshoe area per ton of gross vehicle weight.

(6) Wider brakedrums reduce heat buildup and, therefore, cuts down on fading tendencies.

The CHAIRMAN. What was that word?

Mr. GREENSLIT. "Fading." When the brake gets hot, it fades.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

Mr. GREENSLIT. With respect to passenger comfort, each pair of seats can be made from 2 to 3 inches wider, that is, from 38 inches to 40 or 41 inches.

From my own personal experience, I can testify that the additional seat widths add immeasurably to the comfort and convenience of an extended bus trip. By not using all of the additional 6-inch width in widening the seats, we can increase the aisle width by at least onehalf inch to facilitate loading and unloading, both for passengers and their hand baggage.

The additional height inside the passenger compartment makes it possible for most tall passengers to walk down the aisle to their seat without stooping.

The additional height also permits larger side windows for improved passenger viewing.

Greyhound has spent $2 million engineering a bus which has been tested and has produced the advantages heretofore outlined. I might say we have operated this bus from Chicago to New York over the turnpikes for the past 5 months, with special permits from the States. We are confident that the liberalization provided for in this proposed legislation will add immeasurably to the safety and comfort of the bus-riding public, and are therefore hopeful of your favorable consideration.

Coming at a time when the public is deeply concerned with highway safety, the intercity bus industry is ready, willing, and able to contribute its part to the furtherance of the safety effort.

Attached to each copy of this statement is a printed sheet showing a detailed comparison between the specifications of the largest conventional-type buses now being operated and the new bus which Greyhound has engineered within the limits provided for in the bill here under consideration.

The CHAIRMAN. We are going to include that with your statement. Mr. GREENSLIT. I think the attached sheet is self-explantory. (The document referred to follows:)

COMPARISON OF INTERCITY BUS MODEL SPECIFICATIONS

Mr. GREENSLIT. I will be glad to make any further explanation I

can.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Webb and Mr. Greenslit.
Just one or two very quick comments.

What proportion of your buses operate interstate, and what proportion operate intrastate?

Mr. GREENSLIT. Well, our fleet Mr. Chairman, because of coordination between the States and licensing, is flexible enough to go practically everywhere, so a bus may go today from here to Chicago and tomorrow from Chicago to Florida, so that it is difficult to tell the extent to which particular buses may use the Interstate System.

Actually, from the standpoint of passenger miles that we handle, about 71 percent of our total passenger miles, on Greyhound are interstate and about 29 percent of our total passenger miles are intrastate. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much.

Now this final thought. I am thinking about the driver of the car and the person sitting beside the driver of the car in the front seat with the headrests which are to be required on new cars. They become a part of the equipment of the interior of the car. They will add to the safety of the passenger in case an accident or near accident occurs. As I recall, practically all the seats in buses, and I ride the buses very, very often, do now what the headrest in the private car is going to do. The seat itself protects the head of the passenger. Is that correct? Mr. GREENSLIT. That is correct.

The CHAIRMAN. So you have already had that built into your seat? Mr. GREENSLIT. Yes, sir; the reason being that people frequently ride overnight and the seats on an intercity bus recline so that they have a place that they can sleep.

The CHAIRMAN. Then you are going to serve two purposes, the safety and the sleep?

Mr. GREENSLIT. Yes, sir; and the comfort, of course.
The CHAIRMAN. And the comfort.

Thank you, Mr. Webb. Thank you, Mr. Greenslit.
Mr. WEBB. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. We will perhaps be in touch with you.
Thank you for your testimony.

Mr. WEBB. Thank you.

Mr. GREENSLIT. Thank you very much.

The CHAIRMAN. Our hearing will resume tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m.

(Whereupon, at 12:45 p.m. the hearing recessed, to reconvene at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 20, 1968.)

VEHICLE SIZES AND WEIGHTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1968

U.S. SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ROADS OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS,
Washington, D.C.

The committee met at 9:30 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 4200, Senate Office Building, Senator Jennings Randolph (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Senators Randolph, Spong, Fong, Jordan of Idaho, and Baker.

Also present: Richard B. Royce, chief clerk and staff director; M. Barry Meyer, counsel; Bailey Guard, assistant chief clerk (minority); and Martin Baker, staff assistant.

The CHAIRMAN. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

This is the second day of our hearings on S. 2658. We had a most interesting, informative and very provocative discussion yesterday, which I think gives us a background of certain facts which have been set forth by the proponents of the legislation introduced by Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, with the cosponsorship of 21 of his colleagues in the Senate.

Today we continue our hearings. Although I do not know what the witnesses will say, I have a feeling that perhaps another side may be presented today.

We are very happy to have the testimony of President Morton, Mr. Stapp, Mr. Goodman and Director Johnson. These gentlemen will appear for the American Association of State Highway Officials. Gentlemen, if you will come to the witness table, we will begin our hearing.

President Morton, you proceed as you desire.

If you will, identify these persons, Mr. Morton.

STATEMENT OF JOHN O. MORTON, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS; ACCOMPANIED BY ROSS G. STAPP, WYOMING, FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN, TRANSPORT COMMITTEE; WARD GOODMAN, ARKANSAS, COMMITTEE ON BRIDGES AND STRUCTURES; AND A. E. JOHNSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mr. MORTON. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am John O. Morton, commissioner of highways for the State of New Hampshire, and am appearing before you today as the president of the American Association of State Highway Officials, and representing the member departments.

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