School Buses A TenMinute Training Topics Presentation Statistics
School Buses A Ten-Minute Training Topics Presentation
Statistics • School buses are designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in avoiding crashes and preventing injury. – School buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting children back and forth to school. – School buses keep an annual estimated 17. 3 million cars off roads surrounding schools each morning. – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Statistics • In the most recent decade on file, 20032013, there were 348, 253 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. – Of those, 1, 222 (0. 35%) were classified as school-transportation-related. – In those crashes, 1, 353 people were killed—an average of 135 fatalities per year.
Statistics • Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 8 percent of the fatalities, and nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. ) accounted for 21 percent of the fatalities. • Most (71%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved. (NHTSA)
Introduction • School buses are a familiar sight to most motorists – big, yellow, and typically slow moving. • They seem to clog the roadways in urban and semi-urban areas during the morning rush hour adding delays and congestion, but they serve a critical purpose.
Introduction • School buses have an amazing track record of providing safe trips to pupils over the course of millions of miles. • Unfortunately, it’s the rest of us who can become impatient and make mistakes.
Introduction • The statistics presented by NHTSA are sobering – most fatalities occur in other vehicles that become involved in a collision with a school bus. • Thankfully, in most cases the children are well protected, but other drivers, pedestrians and bystanders (including passengers in your vehicle) may be injured or killed.
Introduction • What can we do to avoid school bus collisions? • What additional information or reminders would help each of us to maintain a safety cushion around these lumbering yellow buses?
Refreshers for Everyone • Whether we’ve been driving for years or are fairly new to driving, we all benefit from an annual reminder about driving safely near school buses prior to the full start of the new school season.
Refreshers for Everyone • We’ve had a two or three month break from these buses plying our streets, but they’ll be back quickly and in growing numbers as schools get into full swing with both morning, afternoon and evening routes to handle all of the transportation needs of your area school districts.
Refreshers for Everyone • First of all, whenever you see a school bus, take note of it’s relative location in traffic – is it heading towards you (oncoming lanes), crossing from one side to the other (left to right or vice versa) or is it in your lane up ahead?
Refreshers for Everyone • Pay attention to the bus as you scan traffic around you – it may stop unexpectedly or swerve into neighboring lanes to avoid road obstacles (and being so large, any lateral movement will likely encroach neighboring lanes)
Refreshers for Everyone • Secondly, when a school bus is going to stop traffic for a pickup or discharge, they’ll signal with their upper amber lights (not their four way flashers) and then transition to the upper red flashing lights. – Be prepared to stop when the upper amber lights are first lit – once the red lights are on and the swing arm moves, you are not supposed to pass that bus. – There is only one exception – a divided highway where children would never cross due the physical barrier separating the travel lanes.
Refreshers for Everyone • Ultimately, you should consult your own state’s driver manual (available online in almost every state) so that you can confirm whethere any additional or specific rules to follow.
Refreshers for Everyone • Sometimes a bus arrives at a stop early and the family is not prepared to board – in these instances, the bus driver may elect to park temporarily (if allowed) and signal to motorists that it is safe to pass. – In these instances, neither the upper amber or red lights should be active. – However, some bus drivers may activate their four-way flashers as a general warning that the bus is parked while waiting for an active pickup.
Refreshers for Everyone • Buses move slowly because of their mass, the need to be gentle with their passengers (who more likely than not have no seat belts) and so that they can keep watch for any situation that may endanger the bus since the bus will not stop or swerve as nimbly as a sports car.
Refreshers for Everyone • Understanding that buses need to move more cautiously and require more time to execute panic maneuvers, you should give them extra space.
Refreshers for Everyone • If you have a safe passing zone and can get around the bus safely, feel free to do so as long as you continue to be vigilant for pickups, and swerving into your lane to avoid road obstacles that you may not be able to see in front of the bus.
Refreshers for Everyone • Recall that due to their size, school buses have very large blind zones along each side and in the area behind the bus. • Make sure bus drivers see you, and try not to pace them alongside in the blind area.
Refreshers for Everyone • Remember, school buses stop before crossing active railroad tracks (i. e. at grade crossings); therefore, be prepared to stop if following the bus.
Consequences • While the penalty for passing a school bus that is in process of picking up or discharging pupils varies from state to state, it is typically one of the most serious offenses on the books.
Consequences • Some states add extra points to your license and others may have very steep fines. – To cite one example, in Pennsylvania, it is possible that you could lose your license for 60 days, get five points, and be fined $250. – In New York, initial offenses could lead to fines of up to $400 and possibly 30 days in jail!
Consequences • Of course, the most tragic consequence would be passing a bus because you were in a rush and then you hit a child – injuring them or killing them.
Children along the road • Even when you don’t see a bus, you may encounter children alongside the road. • They may be walking to school, or walking to an established pickup-point for their local bus route.
Children along the road • Children are easily distracted and may notice you approaching their location – exhibit caution as you pass by children (single or in groups).
Children along the road • Check your speed, activate your headlights if it is dawn or dusk (to help see others and to be seen by others). • If the weather is poor or visibility is poor, consider whether operating below the posted limit would be prudent to buy extra reaction time.
Summary • Experienced drivers have practiced driving among school buses for many years; however, each new school season follows a period where we “forget” about buses and adjust our commute (route) timings since schools are out of session.
Summary • As schools open up, we need to allow more time to get where we need to be – we can’t afford to risk a collision with a school bus or pupils who are on their way to school.
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