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27 APPENDIX A Recruitment E-mail for Peer Review Group Dear [Name]. My name is Doug Wiegand, and Iâm a Senior Research Associate at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in Blacksburg, VA. I am the Principal Investigator for a new Synthesis report entitled The Special Safety Concerns of School Bus Drivers . This synthesis will be published in the Transportation Research Boardâs Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (http://www.trb.org/CRP/CTBSSP/CTBSSP.asp). The objective of this synthesis is to document current information on the numerous safety issues faced by school bus operators, including how the issues are currently addressed, and suggestions for making further improvements in the future. The synthesis will also include information gathering in the forms of a literature review and focus groups, which will then inform the development of a survey tool to be implemented to a variety of professionals associated with school bus operations. You were referred to me either by a colleague of yours or your contact information was found on the National Association for Pupil Transportationâs website. I am writing to invite you to participate in an hour-long teleconference focus group with up to 5 other professionals in the school bus transportation field. The focus group will be led by me and my colleague, Darrell Bowman, and will involve sharing your insight, experiences, and opinions regarding school bus safety issues. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at your earliest convenience. We plan to hold the teleconference in the summer of 2008. Your participation is completely voluntary and you may remain anonymous if you choose. Interested participants will be contacted to schedule a date/time that is convenient for all parties involved. Once the teleconference is scheduled, each participant will receive an email with an informed consent document and a PowerPoint presentation outlining the topics to be addressed during the teleconference. I appreciate your consideration and time, and look forward to hearing from you if you are interested in participating. Sincerely, Douglas Wiegand, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate, VTTI 540-231-1055 dwiegand@vtti.vt.edu