SAFE FLEET BLOG

Each weekday, around 25 million students in the US hop on a school bus to get to school. School buses provide 70 times more chances of safe arrival to school, compared to a personal car.^[1]

Even so, there is still an annual average of 128 school transportation-related fatalities.^[2] That is an unacceptable figure­—one fatality is too many.

Let’s talk about why school buses are safer, and what can WE do to prevent injury to students.

SCHOOL BUSES ARE SAFER… BUT HOW?

With a design that helps prevent injuries and protect in collisions, and stop-arm laws in every state, school buses are the safest and most regulated vehicle on the road. It all comes down to these two things:

1. Design

the vehicle infrastructure is built to help prevent injury. Most school buses have the following:

• Highly visible color. YELLOW!
• A large, impact-cushioning body frame.
• A system of flashing, bright lights.
• Cross view mirrors.
• A Stop Arm.
• Protective seating.

2. Regulations

School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a long list of requirements to make sure every bus meets safety standards. A few must-have elements are:

• Emergency exits.
• Interior protection.
• Strong floor.
• Seating systems.
• Vehicle operating systems.

Also, speed limits, school bus stop laws, and general transit laws play an important role in making the trip to school a safe one.

HOW CAN WE HELP PREVENT STUDENT INJURY?

What takes safety to the next level? It’s the practices that you, me, drivers, and students do every day.

According to the NHTSA, the greatest risk to students is not on the bus, but on the way to and from the bus. Arriving at the bus stop before the bus, waiting until the bus is at a full stop before approaching, and avoiding walking behind the bus are some of the practices that we should teach students.

Motorists should also pitch in! Slowing down in school zones, learning and obeying bus laws (like stopping when the bus is unloading students), and being more alert when driving creates a safer experience for everyone.

FOSTERING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WITH SAFE FLEET

Safe Fleet has over 100 years of experience in creating advanced technology for fleets. Our mission is to help reduce risk to everyone in and around these vehicles.

When we talk about school buses, we have developed solutions that help create and maintain a safer environment for bus drivers, students, and pedestrians. From A.I. predicting stop arms to a GPS-tracking platform, we have the technology to help lower the risk to students on their way to and from school.

THE END-GOAL

Why do we invest? Why do we buy insurance? Why do we brush our teeth every day? To build an armor that helps us overcome obstacles and secure our future.

People, and especially our children, ARE the most precious future. And they are definitely worth protecting.

^[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety#the-topic-school-bus-regulations

^[2] https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/812476