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School Bus Safety and Accident School Bus Safety and Accident Prevention Prevention

Did You Know…Did You Know…

A full size school bus has 24 A full size school bus has 24 seats and can transport up to 72 seats and can transport up to 72 young students. That’s about 3 young students. That’s about 3 times the average class size of times the average class size of an elementary school class.an elementary school class.

And teachers do not And teachers do not supervise with their supervise with their

backs to their class while backs to their class while driving a huge driving a huge

commercial vehicle commercial vehicle through rush hour traffic through rush hour traffic

and changing road and changing road conditions.conditions.

This can, and does lead to This can, and does lead to distracted drivers.distracted drivers.

If you are looking in the mirror If you are looking in the mirror constantly at what the students constantly at what the students

are doing, that is a sure recipe for are doing, that is a sure recipe for disaster…disaster…

Don’t Let this happen to Don’t Let this happen to YOU!YOU!

Distractions are the #1 cause Distractions are the #1 cause of accidents…of accidents…

Children are Children are four times more likely to cause more likely to cause

driver distraction than driver distraction than adult passengers.adult passengers.

There is no safer way to transport a child There is no safer way to transport a child than in a school bus. Fatal crashes involving than in a school bus. Fatal crashes involving occupants are extremely rare events, even occupants are extremely rare events, even though school buses serve daily in every though school buses serve daily in every

community - a remarkable 8.8 community - a remarkable 8.8 billionbillion student student trips annually. Every school day, some trips annually. Every school day, some

440,000 yellow school buses transport more 440,000 yellow school buses transport more than 24 million children to and from schools than 24 million children to and from schools and school-related activities. Said another and school-related activities. Said another

way to give perspective to the huge way to give perspective to the huge magnitude of pupil transportation, the magnitude of pupil transportation, the

equivalent of the populations of Florida, equivalent of the populations of Florida, Massachusetts and Oregon ride on a school Massachusetts and Oregon ride on a school bus twice every day - almost always without bus twice every day - almost always without

a serious incident. a serious incident.

Consider these comparisons Consider these comparisons per 100,000,000 passenger per 100,000,000 passenger

miles:miles:

Passenger cars 0.94 deathsPassenger cars 0.94 deathsScheduled airlines 0.06 Scheduled airlines 0.06

deaths deaths Passenger trains 0.04 Passenger trains 0.04

deaths deaths School buses 0.01 School buses 0.01

deathsdeaths

You, as a professional, can You, as a professional, can prevent accidents by simply prevent accidents by simply

rememberingremembering Driving is a job that requires your full Driving is a job that requires your full

attention every time you get behind attention every time you get behind the wheel. the wheel.

As a driver, you must always As a driver, you must always remember to reduce driver remember to reduce driver distractions and focus on the driving distractions and focus on the driving tasktask

Your first responsibility is to road Your first responsibility is to road safetysafety

A Few More Statistics…A Few More Statistics… "Four out of every five children are killed in a "Four out of every five children are killed in a

school bus related incident were killed while in school bus related incident were killed while in the process of boarding or departing their school the process of boarding or departing their school bus."  bus."  Pupil Transportation InstitutePupil Transportation Institute

"One half the loading/unloading fatalities are "One half the loading/unloading fatalities are children run over by their own bus."  children run over by their own bus."  February February 2001 School Bus Fleet Magazine2001 School Bus Fleet Magazine

"One half the students killed by the school bus "One half the students killed by the school bus are struck from the front and the remainder are are struck from the front and the remainder are struck by the side or rear of the bus."  struck by the side or rear of the bus."  CNN FactsCNN Facts

Over ninety percent of the accidents involving Over ninety percent of the accidents involving school buses can be attributed to the bus driver school buses can be attributed to the bus driver being distracted by student misbehavior on the being distracted by student misbehavior on the school bus.  school bus.  Silent Witness 1999Silent Witness 1999

The Danger ZoneThe Danger Zone

The Danger Zone refers to The Danger Zone refers to a ten foot blind spot a ten foot blind spot

entirely surrounding the entirely surrounding the school bus.school bus.

Most school bus-related Most school bus-related fatalities occur when children fatalities occur when children are run over by their own school are run over by their own school bus. bus.

The second leading cause of The second leading cause of school bus-related fatalities is school bus-related fatalities is children being struck by a children being struck by a passing vehicle.passing vehicle.

Please again review this Please again review this Danger Area…Danger Area…

The most critical part of the ride is boarding The most critical part of the ride is boarding and departing the bus at the designated and departing the bus at the designated

student stop.student stop. Over 50% of loading and unloading deaths occur Over 50% of loading and unloading deaths occur

to children between the ages of five and seven.to children between the ages of five and seven. Partly because they are small and harder to see.Partly because they are small and harder to see. Partly because they are not developmentally able Partly because they are not developmentally able

to safely handle traffic situations on their own.to safely handle traffic situations on their own.

Children under age nine:Children under age nine: have 1/3 less peripheral vision than adults;have 1/3 less peripheral vision than adults; don’t judge the direction of sound well;don’t judge the direction of sound well; are impulsive, impatient, easily distracted and are impulsive, impatient, easily distracted and

unpredictable.unpredictable.

It’s up to you to ensure that It’s up to you to ensure that tragedy never happens to tragedy never happens to

students in your care.students in your care.

Here are some tips to Here are some tips to remember!remember!

RememberRemember

The bus driver must concentrate on what is The bus driver must concentrate on what is happening outside the bus at bus stops.  happening outside the bus at bus stops. 

Any distraction from the bus driver's task at Any distraction from the bus driver's task at the bus stop can result in a sudden and the bus stop can result in a sudden and

unchangeable tragedy. unchangeable tragedy. Training students on the bus to remain Training students on the bus to remain

seated, talk quietly, stay out of the bus aisle seated, talk quietly, stay out of the bus aisle and to keep hands to self is as important as and to keep hands to self is as important as training kids in safe practices at their bus training kids in safe practices at their bus

stops. stops.

When children leave your bus, When children leave your bus, make sure they cross in FRONT make sure they cross in FRONT of the bus. Do not allow them of the bus. Do not allow them

to go behind the bus. Also, to go behind the bus. Also, take a quick count on how take a quick count on how many students leave at the many students leave at the

stop, and verify that they are stop, and verify that they are all accounted for. Make sure all accounted for. Make sure they don’t duck around the they don’t duck around the stop arm, and again, make stop arm, and again, make

absolutely sure all students are absolutely sure all students are accounted for before the bus is accounted for before the bus is

set back in motion!set back in motion!

Thank you for your time and Thank you for your time and attention, and if you have attention, and if you have

questions, please feel free to questions, please feel free to ask your trainer.ask your trainer.

SDB Powerpoints.SDB Powerpoints.

03/08/200603/08/2006