HOW SAFE IS A SCHOOL BUS?

ALTHOUGH ONLY ABOUT 100 CHILDREN WERE KILLED LAST YEAR WHILE RIDING SCHOOL BUSES, SCHOOL BUSES MAY NOT BE AS SAFE AS STATISTICS INDICATE. SOME SAFETY EXPERTS BELIEVE THIS LOW FATALITY RATE IS NOT DUE TO CAREFUL PLANNING, BUT TO THE WILLINGNESS OF OTHER DRIVERS TO SURRENDER THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. SCHOOL BUS INADEQUACIES INCLUDE BUS DRIVERS OF QUESTIONABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND LITTLE OR NO TRAINING, AND UNSAFE VEHICLES. BUS SEATS SHOULD BE REDESIGNED SO THAT THE BACKS OF THE SEATS ARE HIGHER, THAT THEY HAVE EFFECTIVE PADDING ON THE BACKS AND ARM RESTS, AND THAT SEAT BELTS BE INSTALLED AND THEIR USE REQUIRED. STANDING ON SCHOOL BUSES SHOULD BE PROHIBITED, ALTHOUGH THIS WILL MEAN THE ACQUISITION OF MORE BUSES FOR SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SAFETY TRAINING FOR CHILDREN SHOULD BE INCREASED SINCE 3/4 OF THE DEATHS TOOK PLACE AFTER THE CHILD LEFT THE BUS AND WAS STRUCK BY AN AUTOMOBILE AS HE ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE STREET.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 47, No 4, PP 15-17, PHOT
• Publication Date: 1971-9

Media Info

• Serial:
  • JOURNAL OF AMERICAN INSURANCE

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fatalities; Manual safety belts; Safety education; School bus drivers; School buses; School children; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Child safety
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223625
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 22 1971 12:00AM