School Bus Safety Inside Outside School Bus Safety

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside Howard “Mac” Dashney Executive Director MAPT 517. 886. 0881 (T) 517. 886. 0882 (F) mdashney@mapt. org

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § What is happening today? § Nationally § 440, 000 school buses transporting § 23, 500, 000 students a total of § 47, 000 daily rides § Michigan § 18, 000 school buses transporting § 860, 000 students a total of § 1, 720, 000 daily rides

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § What can be expected this year? § Nationally § 7. 9 Billion rides covering § 4. 3 Billion miles § Michigan § 309, 600, 000 annual rides covering § 167, 184, 000 miles

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § § Fatalities 1990 – 2000* 1, 450 School bus-related fatalities 969 (67%) Occupants of other vehicles 35 (2%) Other non-occupants 322 (22%) Outside school bus § 74 (5%) Struck by other vehicles § 248 (17%) Struck by school bus § 124 (9%) Inside school bus § 90 (6%) School bus passengers § 34 (2%) School bus drivers § School bus occupants vs School bus pedestrians § 446 inside and outside school bus § 322 (72%) outside of school bus § 124 (27%) inside of school bus *DOT, NHTSA, NCS&A, “Traffic Safety Facts 2000: School Buses, ”

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside Probabilities – Chances of Fatal Injuries § Nationally § 3. 6 Times more likely to be fatally injured while walking to/from school bus than while riding inside a school bus. § 1/250, 000 chance outside bus § 1/700, 000 chance inside bus § Michigan § No fatality inside a bus since Spring 1989. § Annually average 3 fatalities outside school bus. § 1/100, 000 chance outside bus

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside Why should you expect this performance? § Size § Mass § Design

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Size § § § § § Width – 96” (8 feet) Length – 16’ to 40’ Height – 9’ to 10’ 6” Ground clearance 24” to body panel Ground clearance 12” to entrance door Ground to floor 44” (3’ 8”) Ground to seat cushion 63” (5’ 3”) Seat back height 24” – 27” Inside aisle width 12” Passenger capacity 11 – 90

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside §Mass § 10, 000 lbs (5 tons) to 40, 000 lbs (20 tons) §Comparison of vehicles Car Van Truck 5’ wide 6’ wide 8’ wide 12’ long 16’ long 20 -65’ long 3, 200 lbs 4, 800 lbs 7, 500 -120, 000 lbs 5’ high 7’ high 13’ high 91% RV 4% RV 1. 4% RV

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Design § Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) specific for school buses § § § FMVSS #111 Rearview Mirrors FMVSS #121 Air Brake System ABS FMVSS #131 School Bus Pedestrian Safety Device FMVSS #210 Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages FMVSS #213 Child Restraint Systems FMVSS #217 Bus Emergency Exits, Window Retention, and Release FMVSS #220 School Bus Rollover Protection FMVSS #221 School Bus Body Joint Strength FMVSS #222 School Bus Seating & Crash Protection FMVSS #301 Fuel System Integrity FMVSS #302 Flammability of Interior Materials

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Design § Features § Alternating Overhead Red Flashing Lights (4 light and 8 light systems) § Stop arms, lighted 8 sided signs - STOP § Crossing bars, 6 -8’ bar for peds to/from bus § Single right front entrance door § Emergency exits – rear/side doors, side and rear window exits, roof hatches § Fuel tank caged and baffled and honey combed § Emergency Equipment – First Aid Kit, Flares, Fire Extinguisher, & Reflective Triangles

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside Our Worst Nightmare! Erie Township Truck hauling 120, 000 lbs of steel hits bus carrying 61 children and adults

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Third of four school buses turning left pulls in front of steeling hauling truck going straight at this intersection.

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Safety Standards and Features prevent fatalities § 48 passengers injured

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Truck crashes into driver’s side at the rear axle. § Penetrates 2 -4’ into school bus. § Body joint, roof strength, seat compartmentalization protects passengers. § Bus & Truck respond as designed

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § Child at point of impact ejected due to side emergency door opening & tearing body – survives! § Occupants’ compartment withstands penetration by truck § Bodies of bus & truck separate to reduce force of impact and penetration.

School Bus Safety Inside & Outside § § § Summary High Profile Vehicle Frequency & Opportunity @ Risk Size, Mass, & Design Low Probability Catastrophic Events Focus on problem – 3. 6 times more dangerous outside than inside bus Random operation vs planned sequence