Occupant Protection on School Buses

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Occupant Protection on School Buses
Derek Graham Section Chief, Transportation
Services NC Department of Public Instruction
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The School Bus - Its big, yellow and SAFE!

• Students sit high above the impact zone
• Many Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that
  are applicable only to school buses
• Passive occupant protection system known as
  compartmentalization
• Special equipment that is safety specific Stop
  sign, warning lights, roof hatches, crossing
  arms, padded seats, and more

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Weve Come a Long Way!
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Continuing Work on Occupant Protection

• Compartmentalization is most effective in frontal
  and rear collisions
• Risk of injury to students when they are ejected
  from the vehicle or otherwise leave the
  compartment
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  Report to Congress. Report shows that 3-point
  restraints perform best.

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NHTSA TESTING - VIDEO
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Report to Congress

• Students are nearly 8 times safer riding in a
  school bus than in cars - credit to
  compartmentalization
• Requiring lap belts on large school buses would
  have little, if any, benefit in reducing
  serious-to-fatal injuries ain severe frontal
  crashes
• Use of lap-shoulder belts could provide benefit
  if used properly

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Testing - 3 Point Restraints

• 13 School Buses
• 11 Counties
• Digital Video Cameras

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Results

• Good Feedback, esp. from drivers
• reduced discipline problems
• When left to the students, the belts will not be
  worn..esp. in High School / Middle School

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To go to and from school, kids are safest when in
a school bus!

• NON-CONFORMING VEHICLES
• Federal law requires that any new SCHOOL BUS (a
  vehicle built to transport 11 or more passengers
  including the driver and used to transport
  students to school or school-related events) sold
  or leased by a dealer meet all FMVSSs applicable
  to school buses
• In most places, there is no legal prohibition on
  BUYING or USING such a vehicle

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VANS IN SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION

• 1994 - Jacob Strebler died in a van crash in
  South Carolina
• School knowingly operated a less safe vehicle
• School and the selling dealer settled the case
  with the parents

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National Transportation Safety Board
Investigations

• Studied four fatal crashes
• Recommendations to each state
• Require that all vehicles transporting children
  to school and school related events meet school
  bus structural standards
• Adopt NHTSAs guidelines for the safe
  transportation of preschool children

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Multi-Function School Activity Bus

• New Federal Classification of Vehicle
• School Bus Construction Standards
• Warning lights / Stop Sign not required

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Transportation of Pre-Kindergarten StudentsOn
School Buses
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National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. Guidelines

• Pre-K children should be transported in a Child
  Safety Restraint System (CSRS)
• CSRSs must meet Federal Standards for Seats and
  Anchorages
• Most current bus seats in North Carolina dont
  meet these specs
• http//www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/buses/Guide
  1999/prekfinal.htm

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NHTSA GUIDELINES

• Each pre-school age child to be transported has a
  CSRS appropriate for the childs weight, height,
  and age.
• The CSRS is used and secured correctly in the
  school bus.
• All CSRS attachment hardware, anchorage systems
  and school bus seats meet Federal requirements.
• Personnel are trained and pre-school age children
  are supervised acc. To their needs.
• School-bus seats designated for CSRSs are located
  starting at the front of the vehicle to provide
  drivers with quick access to and a clear view of
  the CSRS occupants.

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NHTSA GUIDELINES (contd)

• CSRS anchorages on school bus seats should meet
  all applicable FMVSSs.
• When ordering new school buses, the maximum
  allowable seat spacing should be specified..
• If other students share seats with the CSRSs, the
  CSRSs are placed in window seating position.
• When a school bus is retrofitted (per
  manufacturers instructions), the bus owner should
  ensure that seat spacing is sufficient for the
  CSRS to be used.
• There needs to be a written evacuation plan and
  evacuation drills need to be practiced regularly.
• CSRSs are not placed in school bus seats adjacent
  to emergency exits.

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Child Safety Restraint SystemsState Response

• 2000 2001 model replacement buses were equipped
  with Thomas Built Bus MOMS (mobile occupant mini
  seat) seats in first two rows.

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Thomas Mobile Occupant Mini Seat (MOMS)
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MOMS

• Standardized solution
• Initially thought to be the solution.
• Storing carriers presented problems, especially
  for multiple tripped buses when the carriers were
  not needed.

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C.E. White CSRS
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Other Child Safety Restraint Systems
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Retro-fitting CSRS

• First 2 rows on 72, 66, and 53 passenger buses
  may be installed with CSRS without re-spacing the
  remainder of the seats. First row on 36 and 41
  without re-spacing.
• No CSRS can be installed adjacent to emergency
  exit windows. If needed, you may move the window
  and associated decals to a position that is not
  blocked by a seat back.

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Retrofitting Issues

• Most NC seats are not 210 Compliant
• Not certified to have lap belts installed
• Tested for forces from one direction
• Seat Spacing Issues

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New Head Start Transportation Guidelines
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JANUARY 18, 2002

• All vehicles must be equipped with communication
  equipment and emergency safety equipment and must
  undergo an annual safety inspection. (Licensed or
  state operated)
• All drivers must have a CDL, receive classroom
  and behind the wheel instruction, and be trained
  in first aid and emergency evacuation.
• Routing must be done to limit one-way trips to
  and from a Head Start program to a maximum of one
  hour.

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JANUARY 20, 2004

• At least one monitor per vehicle and more if
  required by passenger needs.
• All vehicles to be equipped with height- and
  weight-appropriate CSRSs and reverse beepers.

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JANUARY 18, 2006

• By 01/18/06, children to be transported to and
  from Head Start and Early Head Start programs on
  school buses or allowable alternate vehicle
  with CSRSs, reverse beeper, communication
  equipment and emergency equipment with signs

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Transporting Pre-K Students

• Federal Guidelines
• Equipment Issues
• Head Start Guidelines
• ITS A WHOLE DIFFERENT GAME!!

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SECTION 1310.11 CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

• Effective date January 20, 2004

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SECTION 1310.11 CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

• Each agency must ensure that each vehicleis
  equipped for use of height- and
  weight-appropriate child safety restraint systems.

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SECTION 1310.12 REQUIRED USE OF SCHOOL BUSES OR
ALLOWABLE ALTERNATE VEHICLES

• (a)Effective January 18, 2006, any agency
  providing transportation services must ensure
  that school buses or allowable alternate vehicles
  are used,

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SECTION 1310.12 (contd)

• that they are equipped for use of height- and
  weight-appropriate child restraint systems and
  that they are equipped with reverse beepers.
  (Exception for home-based option is indicated.)

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SECTION 1310.12(contd.)
HEAD START

• (b)Effective February 20, 2001, each Head Start
  and Early Head Start agency receiving permission
  from HHS to purchase with grant funds a vehicle
  to be used to transport children in its program
  or its delegate agencys program

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SECTION 1310.12(contd.)
HEAD START

• must ensure that the funds are used to purchase
  a school bus or an allowable alternate vehicle
  that is equipped as described in the previous
  slides.

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SECTION 1310.15 OPERATION OF VEHICLES

• (a)On a vehicle equipped for use of such devices,
  each child weighing 50 pounds or less is seated
  in a child restraint system appropriate to the
  height and weight of the child while the vehicle
  is in motion.

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SECTION 1310.15 (contd)

• (b)Baggage and other items transported in the
  passenger compartment must be properly stored and
  secured aisles must remain clear doors and
  emergency exits must remain unobstructed at all
  times.

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SECTION 1310.17 (contd)

• (f)Each agency providing transportation services
  must ensure that
• (1)annual observation of each driver includes an
  on-board observation of road performance

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SECTION 1310.17 (contd)

• (2)monitors are pre-trained on child boarding
  and exiting procedures, use of child restraint
  systems, required paperwork, responses to
  emergencies, emergency evacuation procedures, use
  of special equipment, child pick-up and release
  procedures and pre-and post-trip vehicle check.

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SECTION 1310.20 TRIP ROUTING

• (a)Ensure safety of children is primary
  consideration in planning fixed routes
• (b)Adhere to the following basic principles

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SECTION 1310.20 (contd)

• (1)One-hour maximum ride-time unless no shorter
  route is available or a shorter route is unsafe
• (2)No overloads

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SECTION 1310.21 SAFETY EDUCATI0N

• (a)Provide training in pedestrian safety for
  parents and children within the first 30 days of
  the program year.
• (b)Ensure that children are taught

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SECTION 1310.21 (contd)

• (1)safe riding practices
• (2)safe loading/unloading procedures
• (3)safe roadway crossing to and from the vehicle
  at stops

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SECTION 1310.21 (contd)

• (4)Recognition of the danger zones around the
  vehicle
• (5)Emergency evacuation procedures, including
  drills in the vehicle the children will be riding

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SECTION 1310.20 (contd)

• (c)Provide training for parents that
• (1)emphasizes the importance of escorting their
  children to the vehicle stop and reinforcing
  training children receive regarding vehicle
  safety and

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SECTION 1310.20 (contd)

• (2)complements training provided to children for
  reinforcement both in Head Start and at home by
  the parent.

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SECTION 1310.21 (contd)

• (d)Ensure at least two (2) vehicle evacuation
  drills (in addition to one required in paragraph
  (b) (5) of this section) during the program year.

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SECTION 1310.22 CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

• (a)Effective January 18, 2006, ensure that school
  buses or allowable alternate vehicles adapted or
  designed for transporting children with
  disabilities are available as necessary.

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SECTION 1310.22 (contd)

• Note B
• Whenever possible, children with disabilities
  must be transported in the same vehicles as are
  non-disabled peers.

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SECTION 1310.22 (contd)

• (b)Ensure compliance with ADA, HHS regulations at
  45 CFR part 84 and Head Start Program Performance
  Standards on Services for Children with
  Disabilities as they apply to transportation
  services.