FirstGroup America Supports April as the National Safety Council's Distracted Driving Awareness Month

CINCINNATI, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstGroup America (FGA), North America's leading transportation company, joins with the National Safety Council (NSC) to recognize April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The NSC estimates that 28 percent of all accidents – approximately 1.6 million – each year are caused by drivers using their handheld or hands-free cell phones and texting while driving. This is much greater than the number of accidents caused by any other distraction.

FGA led the industry in 2008 when it issued a company-wide policy prohibiting all employees or contractors on company business from using a mobile device, either hand-held or hands-free, while driving.  Employees across all divisions of the company are instructed to pull over at a safe location and turn off their engine before making a call or sending a text message. FGA encourages employees to observe the policy while on personal time and to promote the practice with their family and friends.

"The safety of our passengers, employees and other road users is our top priority, and we fully support the NSC's initiatives," said Gary Catapano, senior vice president of Safety, FirstGroup America. "It is our hope that government officials, executives and citizens across North America join us in enforcing these safe driving practices."

About FirstGroup America

FirstGroup America - headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio - is North America's largest transportation company. With approximately 95,000 employees, the company operates First Student, the largest provider of student transportation in the U.S. and Canada; First Transit, a leading provider of transit management and contracting services; First Services, a leading provider of contract fleet maintenance and management services, and Greyhound bus lines, the largest provider of intercity bus transportation. Parent corporation FirstGroup plc, is traded on the London Stock Exchange and serves more than 2.5 billion passengers each year. For more information, visit www.firstgroupamerica.com or follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FirstGrpAmerica.

SOURCE FirstGroup America