SHOULD STUDENTS BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE SCHOOL BUSES?

GOVERNORS OF 15 STATES EMPLOYING APPROXIMATELY 12,000 SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS UNDER AGE 18 HAVE APPLIED FOR EXEMPTIONS FROM THE HAZARDOUS-OCCUPATIONS ORDER NO. 2 WHICH PERMITS 16- AND 17-YEAR-OLD PERSONS TO DRIVE SCHOOL BUSES UPON APPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF LABOR. ACCIDENT DATA WERE COLLECTED AND EVALUATED RELATING TO INJURIES AND FATALITIES TO BUS PASSENGERS AND OTHERS WHEN MINORS WERE DRIVING THE SCHOOL BUSES. THE HAZARDOUS-OCCUPATIONS ORDER NO. 2 WAS ISSUED TO KEEP MINORS FROM 16-AND 18-YEARS OF AGE FROM BEING EMPLOYED ON JOBS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS. THE DRIVER OF THE BUS, THEREFORE, WAS THE PRIMARY CONCERN IN THE COLLECTION AND EVALUATION OF ACCIDENT DATA OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS IN ALL STATES. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS CONSIDERED IN THE EVALUATION WAS THE SELECTION OF DRIVERS. THE PRIMARY EVALUATION FACTOR WAS THE ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE IN THE STATE. THIS ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE MUST COMPARE FAVORABLY WITH THAT OF ADULT SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. ALL OF THE 15 STATES THAT APPLIED FOR EXEMPTIONS HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WITH MINORS BEHIND THE WHEEL AND THE DRIVER INJURY FREQUENCY RATE FOR THE 16- AND 17-YEAR-OLD DRIVER IS LOWER THAN THE RATE FOR OLDER DRIVERS. THE EXEMPTIONS WERE GRANTED AND ARE SUBJECT TO PERIODIC EVALUATIONS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 6, No 1, PP 16-18, 1 PHOT
• Authors:
  • Ward, G F
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Pagination: pp 16-18
• Serial:
  • Safety
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Crash rates; Data collection; Driver performance; Drivers; Personnel performance; School bus drivers; Selection and appointment; Students; Surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver selection
• Old TRIS Terms: Minors
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220734
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 4 1970 12:00AM