Transportation Review-Updated August 2002: School Bus Safety

School Bus Safety

Updated August 2002

Prepared by Melissa A. Savage, Senior Policy Specialist

Overview

Every week during the school year 23.5 million children begin and end each day with a trip on a school bus. More than 400,000 school buses travel approximately 4.3 billion miles every year. Between 1989 and 1999, an average of 10 passengers were killed each year in school bus crashes. To put this in perspective, during 2001 alone, motor vehicle crashes claimed the lives of approximately 2,000 children between the ages of 5 and 15.

These statistics indicate that school buses are very safe. Because of the importance of school bus transportation, NHTSA has established several safety standards to maintain this level of safety. Based on data from school bus crashes, NHTSA is able to determine what types of school bus safety standards are necessary. Specifically, NHTSA has prepared safety standards focusing on the human, vehicle and environmental variables that effect the level of safety associated with school bus transportation.

Although NHTSA and several other safety organizations acknowledge that school bus transportation is virtually the safest mode of transportation in the United States, these organizations remain committed to enhancing school bus safety. This commitment requires these organizations to continue the learning process and determine methods of making this safe form of transportation even safer.

This report provides information regarding school bus safety. First, federal action regarding school bus safety will be addressed. Next, an analysis of state action will be presented. Finally, evidence of the effectiveness of certain school bus safety equipment and standards will be examined.

Federal Action

In 1974, Congress amended the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act to include school bus safety requirements. Today, NHTSA has 35 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that apply to school buses. These standards require that school buses be structurally and mechanically safe. They not only apply to the structural and equipment safety of the bus, but also occupant and pedestrian safety. NHTSA also makes determinations regarding school bus recalls for mechanical and safety problems.

The safety standards require pedestrian safety devices (stop arms), rollover protection, body joint strength and passenger seating and crash protection on school buses. Other school bus standards relate to brake systems, lighting to indicate loading and unloading of the bus, mirror systems, emergency exits and fuel systems (both gasoline and natural gas). Through this system of safety standards, NHTSA has been able to monitor and ensure that school buses maintain high levels of safety.

School buses are required to have stop arms that signal passing motorists to stop while the school bus is dropping off or picking up students. The stop arms can be equipped with strobe lights to increase visibility. The primary goal of this safety standard is to increase the level of safety in the area around the school bus and to reduce the risk of injury and death associated with children being hit by passing motorists. In addition to the stop arms, NHTSA requires that buses be equipped with mirrors that allow the driver to see areas in front of and along both sides of the bus to decrease the likelihood of an unseen child being hit by the school bus.

Pedestrian Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 96 percent of the estimated 8,500 to 12,000 children injured in school bus accidents are usually considered minor injuries--bumps, bruises and scrapes. Most injuries and fatalities involving school buses are pedestrian accidents that occur while the students are getting on and off the school bus.

The area surrounding the bus at loading and unloading areas is often referred to as the "danger zone" because it is the area where children are at the greatest risk of being hit by the school bus or a passing car. Every year, on average, 23 children are killed while loading and unloading around school buses. In most cases, the child is waiting to board the bus or has just gotten off and is struck by the bus or a passing motorist. Since bus drivers are faced with several blind spots, they are not always able to see students walking in front of or behind the bus. According to NHTSA, there are three times as many pedestrian fatalities as school bus occupant fatalities. Since more children are killed outside the school bus, it is important to address pedestrian safety issues.

In effort to reduce child fatalities in the "danger zone," NHTSA has identified three areas to focus on. First, educating children about the "danger zone" and instructing them on how to safely get on and off the bus. Next, training school bus drivers with the necessary safety skills. Last, educating motorists on how to be safe when driving near a school or school bus.

In order to educate children, school bus drivers and other motorists, NHTSA has established partnerships with other safety organizations. Beginning in the mid 1970s and updated in the late 1980s, NHTSA produced and distributed an educational program focusing on the most frequent type of pedestrian crash children are involved in: darting into the street without stopping first and looking for on-coming traffic. In 1995, NHTSA and the National Safety Council developed Walk, Ride, Walk - Getting to School Safely, an education program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. It includes information for school bus drivers, teachers, administrators, parents and children. Specifically, the program instructs children on the safe way to walk to and from the school bus stop, how to safely board and exit the bus, and how to be safe while riding on the bus.

Occupant Protection on School Buses

In addition to pedestrian safety, NHTSA has established guidelines and standards to protect children while riding on school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires "compartmentalization" in school buses to provide crash protection through a protective pocket consisting of closely-spaced seats with energy-absorbing seat backs. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) have confirmed the effectiveness of compartmentalization in frontal and rear impact studies. However, after several investigations of school bus crashes in the late 1990s, the NTSB found that compartmentalization does not provide adequate protection during side impacts. NTSB believes that new seating systems need to be developed that provide occupant protection for all types of crashes. (The results of a NHTSA study regarding occupant protection in school buses was sent to Congress in May 2002. See discussion below).

An increasing debate is whether seat belts should be installed on school buses. Seat belts provide excellent protection in other types of motor vehicle crashes; however, the effects of installing seat belts on school buses are unknown. The types of seat belts that would be installed on school buses are not the same seat belts installed in motor vehicles. Currently only lap belts can be installed on school buses. The lap belt or two-point belt fastens across the child's lower abdomen. Studies have concluded that lap belts have the chance of causing injuries to children.

The two-point belt has been attributed to what is referred to as the "seat belt syndrome." This syndrome can, in the event of an accident, cause contusion of the abdominal wall, intra-abdominal bleeding and fracture of the lumbar spine. Three-point shoulder belts can cause the same injuries as two-point belts; however, they also protect the lumbar spine. The studies used to draw these conclusions were specific to motor vehicles and not school buses.

According to a study conducted by the NTSB, occupants who were restrained within the seating compartment benefited from compartmentalization, while those not restrained in the compartment-impacted surfaces within the bus not designed to absorb energy. Injuries could be decreased if an occupant protection system was used to restrain passengers within the seating compartment and if hard surfaces within the bus -- sidewalls, window frames and seat frames -- were protected. When occupants are seated in the impact area, they can be seriously or fatally injured. The NTSB found that seat belts could not prevent these injuries.

The NAS agrees with the conclusion made by the NTSB. A study on improving school bus safety by the NAS came to a similar conclusion. Specifically, NAS concluded that the possible benefits of seat belts on school buses were insufficient for NHTSA to mandate the installation of seat belts on school buses. The NAS, NTSB and NHTSA believe that "compartmentalization," is the best way to provide protection for children riding on school buses.

While these government agencies do not currently recommend the use of seat belts on school buses, they do believe restraints should be used on smaller children. The use of school buses to transport preschool-age children is on the rise. Because school bus compartmentalization was designed for larger children, it is not appropriate occupant protection for preschool-aged children, according to NHTSA. NHTSA recommends that these smaller children should be secured in child passenger restraints when riding as a passenger on a school bus. These young children should buckle up until they reach 50 pounds.

Another issue facing school bus transportation is the recent increased use of passenger vans to transport students to and from school and school activities. Although leasing these vans is a way to reduce transportation costs to the school districts, they are not as safe as school buses. Any vehicle used to transport children to and from school and school-related activities is required to meet the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) as traditional school buses. Fifteen-passenger vans are not required to meet the same FMVSS as school buses. NHTSA research has shown that 15-passenger vans have a rollover risk that increases dramatically as the number of occupants increases from fewer than five to more than 10. Fifteen-passenger vans with 10 or more occupants had a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes nearly three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded. Fifteen-passenger vans do not have the same occupant protection standards as school buses nor are they built to the same crashworthiness standards. NTSB has recommended that states prohibit the use of 15-passenger vans for student transportation.

State Action

NHTSA establishes Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing the manufacture of school buses and guidelines for school bus safety. Once these guidelines have been incorporated as state law or regulation, the states can then strengthen the federal standards.

The Federal Highway Administration has established the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) program that includes licensing requirements for school bus drivers. This program helps to ensure that the drivers of school buses are qualified. In most states, for example, strict standards are in place that go beyond the Federal CDL requirements that regulate the licensing of school bus drivers. States are able to strengthen this program by requiring specific training, conducting background checks and fingerprinting individuals applying for a license. In Hawaii, for example, school bus drivers cannot have any felony convictions in the past five years or a misdemeanor conviction in the last three years.

In many states, individuals applying for a CDL to operate a school bus are required to attend training through that state's department of education. In Alabama, drivers must complete a 12-hour training program presented by the department of education. School bus drivers in Michigan must complete a school bus safety course and pass a physical exam each year. In Rhode Island, bus drivers must take at least 10 hours of training and in West Virginia drivers are required to pass the 30-hour West Virginia School Bus Operator Program.

NHTSA released the School Bus Driver Instructional Program in 1974. Since then many states have used the program to instruct school bus drivers. However, NHTSA acknowledges that the program is out-of-date and has agreed to update the program. Once updated, the program will supplement current commercial driver license (CDL) requirements and provide all school bus drivers with instruction on transporting children safely.

States also have recognized the importance of safely routing school buses. By thoughtfully developing the safest route for school buses and establishing the safest places for students to meet the bus, states are decreasing hazards. The National Association of State Directors for Pupil Transportation Services has released a report designed to assist school transportation officials in establishing safe routes and stops.

States have also identified the risk associated with motorists illegally passing school buses. Education campaigns have been geared toward decreasing the number of motorists ignoring the stop arm and passing buses illegally.

Each year several states introduce legislation to require seat belts on school buses. Currently California, Florida, Louisiana, New York and New Jersey are the only states that have passed these laws. The New York law requires that seat belts be installed on school buses, not that they be worn. A survey conducted in 1997 by the New York department of education found that 44 of the states' 709 public school districts require pupils to wear seat belts. In New Jersey the law provides that seat belts be installed on school buses and that the passengers wear them. California, Louisiana and Florida are the most recent states to pass laws requiring the installation of seat belts on school buses. All three states passed laws during the 1999 legislative session. California requires that combination pelvic and upper torso passenger belts be installed on all school buses manufactured after January 1, 2002. The Louisiana law requires that occupant restraint systems be installed on every school bus no later than June 30, 2004. In Florida, seat belts must be installed on school buses leased or purchased after Dec. 31, 2000.

Each year state legislatures consider hundreds of bills regarding school bus safety. Some of these bills would have required the installation of seat belts on school buses while other bills sought to increase overall school bus safety through equipment requirements. In Georgia, a new bill passed requiring each school bus be equipped with communication equipment. A new law in Illinois prohibits school bus drivers from using a cell phone while driving a school bus.

Some state legislatures have addressed other safety issues relating to school buses. Most of these safety issues are related to the safety of the school bus itself. Examples include strobe-warning lights and sensors designed to detect children in the danger zone surrounding the bus. In North Carolina, bus monitors ride on the school bus to increase safety. These monitors allow the bus driver to concentrate on driving by keeping an eye on the children as they get on and off the bus and while they ride the bus. Other states have installed video cameras on school buses to monitor students' behavior. Some states have developed safety training programs to educate students and parents about how to avoid accidents while getting on and off the school bus.

Evidence of Effectiveness

The national statistics on school bus transportation indicate that it is the safest method of transportation in the United States. The difficulty in assessing whether seat belts would provide protection to children in school bus crashes is that very little data exist. The number of school bus crashes is very small and usually results in no serious injuries. To date, there has not been a school bus crash involving children wearing seat belts that resulted in serious injuries. For this reason, it is important to develop the data necessary to determine what the effects of these belts would have on children involved in a school bus crash.

In May 2002 NHTSA sent a report regarding school buses to Congress. The report, a result of an extensive two-year study assessing occupant protection in school buses, shows that school bus travel is nearly eight times safer than travel by car.

The report concluded that requiring lap belts on large, new school buses would have little, if any, benefit in reducing serious-to-fatal injuries in severe frontal crashes. In some crash tests it was noted that there might be an increase in injuries among passengers wearing lap belts. In small school buses, the benefits of using lap belts outweighs the potential for injuries because the buses are much smaller and more likely to rollover than large school buses.

The study found that combination lap/shoulder belts, when used correctly, provide some benefit in large and small school buses. However, if the lap/shoulder belts are misused, the NHTSA study discovered that neck and abdominal injuries are likely. According to the study, assuming 100 percent usage and no misuse, lap/shoulder belts could save one life per year.

The NHTSA study also found that installing the lap/shoulder belts could reduce school bus capacity by up to 17 percent because of the necessary seat redesign. This would add approximately $40 to $50 per seating position to the cost of a new school bus, with a total annual cost of over $100 million.

If states and localities decided to install seat belts on school buses, NHTSA recommends that they determine methods to ensure proper use of the seat belts and that no passengers are forced to find alternate means of transportation to and from school.

NHTSA is continuing to study the safety of school buses and will focus on side impact protection in the future. The agency is considering making the following changes to federal motor vehicle safety standards:

Increase seat back height from 20 inches to 24 inches.
Require buses under 10,000 pounds to have lap/shoulder restraints.
Develop standardized test procedures for voluntarily installed lap/shoulder belts.

Conclusion

School buses transport the nation's most precious cargo--children. Because of this tremendous responsibility, school buses must be held to the highest level of safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has instituted several safety standards and regulations to ensure that school buses provide higher levels of safety than other passenger vehicles. Additionally, NHTSA has recognized the importance of training school bus drivers regarding the dangers associated with the loading and unloading area around the bus and safe crossing of highway-rail grade crossings.

Many states have enacted legislation providing additional requirements to the federal guidelines for school bus safety. Several states have added provisions to the licensing of school bus drivers. Other state laws target passing motorists at school bus stops and schools. Currently, four states have enacted laws requiring lap belts be installed on school buses, and each year several other states propose this type of legislation.

Occupant protection in school buses is a priority of NHTSA. In the past, NHTSA has conducted testing and has concluded that "compartmentalization" is the best possible occupant protection system for school buses. Results of a recently complete NHTSA study show that the installation of seat belts on smaller school buses would be beneficial. However, the study also found that in some cases seat belt misuse could cause additional injuries. NHTSA recommends that if state and localities choose to install seat belts on school buses that they ensure proper use. NHTSA is continuing to study school bus safety and is considering amendments to current federal motor vehicle safety standards pertaining to school buses.

Historically, school bus transportation is the safest method of transporting children every day to school and extracurricular events. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state legislatures, through Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard safety standards, regulations and studies, are working to ensure this tradition continues and school buses remain the safest method of highway transportation.

Links

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Transportation Safety Board
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's new report on School Buses.
Report on bus crashworthiness from the National Transportation Safety Board.
National School Transportation Association
School Transportation News
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/NCSL Legislative Tracking
School Bus Fleet Magazine
National Association of School Directors for Pupil Transportation
National Safety Council

Contact

Melissa A. Savage
(303) 364-7700, ext. 174

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