The principal focus of governmental agencies and private sector organizations who are usually associated with the transport sector is the safety issue.
Every year the school transportation systems in Canada and in the United States operates approximately around 440,000 bright yellow school buses. They ply on the busy highways especially during the peak hours, i.e., morning and afternoon. So, the primary concern is to offer a safe and reliable transportation. The school buses usually carry 24 million pre-school to school-aged children in them for their day-care centers or schools from homes. In fact, it is considered as the largest mass transit program in the United Nations – as more than 50 million students make a trip on it per day, that equates to approximately 10 billion student trips per year.
Though, school bus accidents are a rare sight, but it can happen at any point of time. The school buses upto a certain extent comes under the regulation of the federal law. But, this does not imply that all states will have the same safety standard. For example, New York, Florida, etc, follow the state laws which asks the school buses to have lap belts for the students. In these states, federal law do not exists for the school transportation. It's important to follow proper safety measures for ensuring safety, security of the passengers.
1 a. Driver Safety - The school bus drivers should be chosen carefully, as they would be responsible for ensuring a safe school bus ride for the children. As the school buses ply on the busy roads and highways, the drivers should carefully maneuver large vehicles through the traffic, while protecting the children from getting hurt. Proper understanding and skills are required for it, so if needed, they should be provided a proper driver training.
b. In terms of providing security to the passengers, especially kids from any kind of harm, criminal background checks for the school bus drivers are required by all states. In some states, both state and federal background checks are done.
2. School Bus Design - The design of the school bus is hugely regulated by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The school bus should be carefully designed. It should be bright yellow in color with flashing-lights, so that it can be viewed from a distance. Along with that the buses should have emergency or specialized brake system, emergency exist door or window.strong irons bars, escape hatches in the roof, cushioned padded seat-backs so that it can absorb the impact of a crash, collision.
3 a. School Bus Restraints - School buses have an enviable safety record and are considered as the safest mode of transportation. This is because they have wide number of choices for the school bus restraint system like child safety restraints, lap-shoulder restraint systems, school cargo restraints or cargo containers, and so on. According to the studies conducted by governmental organizations, it has been found out that seat belts do not improve the safety of the passenger during accidents. In fact, lap-shoulder belts are more better as it helps to maintain safety of the passengers from injuries and fatalities.
b. Cargo Restraints In School Buses - As school buses are not only used for transporting passengers, it is also used for carrying cargos during field trios, excursions, meeting, and so on. But due to less available choices and also for the ensuring safety of the passengers from getting hurt by the equipments or the equipments banging against each, several school authorities are making use of right interior equipments like cargo containment solution. It not only helps in properly securing the cargos, but also keep them in respective position.
To Conclude -
For ensuring the security of the children, any small safety measure can be a big step to avoid any mishap. It should be the responsibility of the parents and the school authorities to see to it that they are maintained.
Every year the school transportation systems in Canada and in the United States operates approximately around 440,000 bright yellow school buses. They ply on the busy highways especially during the peak hours, i.e., morning and afternoon. So, the primary concern is to offer a safe and reliable transportation. The school buses usually carry 24 million pre-school to school-aged children in them for their day-care centers or schools from homes. In fact, it is considered as the largest mass transit program in the United Nations – as more than 50 million students make a trip on it per day, that equates to approximately 10 billion student trips per year.
Though, school bus accidents are a rare sight, but it can happen at any point of time. The school buses upto a certain extent comes under the regulation of the federal law. But, this does not imply that all states will have the same safety standard. For example, New York, Florida, etc, follow the state laws which asks the school buses to have lap belts for the students. In these states, federal law do not exists for the school transportation. It's important to follow proper safety measures for ensuring safety, security of the passengers.
School Bus Safety Measures
Whatever law a state follows, the major concern among all of them is to offer a proper safety to the school bus and also its passengers. One can have a look at the following measures which can ensure proper school bus safety for the passengers and also the goods/ cargos carried in the buses.1 a. Driver Safety - The school bus drivers should be chosen carefully, as they would be responsible for ensuring a safe school bus ride for the children. As the school buses ply on the busy roads and highways, the drivers should carefully maneuver large vehicles through the traffic, while protecting the children from getting hurt. Proper understanding and skills are required for it, so if needed, they should be provided a proper driver training.
b. In terms of providing security to the passengers, especially kids from any kind of harm, criminal background checks for the school bus drivers are required by all states. In some states, both state and federal background checks are done.
2. School Bus Design - The design of the school bus is hugely regulated by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The school bus should be carefully designed. It should be bright yellow in color with flashing-lights, so that it can be viewed from a distance. Along with that the buses should have emergency or specialized brake system, emergency exist door or window.strong irons bars, escape hatches in the roof, cushioned padded seat-backs so that it can absorb the impact of a crash, collision.
3 a. School Bus Restraints - School buses have an enviable safety record and are considered as the safest mode of transportation. This is because they have wide number of choices for the school bus restraint system like child safety restraints, lap-shoulder restraint systems, school cargo restraints or cargo containers, and so on. According to the studies conducted by governmental organizations, it has been found out that seat belts do not improve the safety of the passenger during accidents. In fact, lap-shoulder belts are more better as it helps to maintain safety of the passengers from injuries and fatalities.
b. Cargo Restraints In School Buses - As school buses are not only used for transporting passengers, it is also used for carrying cargos during field trios, excursions, meeting, and so on. But due to less available choices and also for the ensuring safety of the passengers from getting hurt by the equipments or the equipments banging against each, several school authorities are making use of right interior equipments like cargo containment solution. It not only helps in properly securing the cargos, but also keep them in respective position.
To Conclude -
For ensuring the security of the children, any small safety measure can be a big step to avoid any mishap. It should be the responsibility of the parents and the school authorities to see to it that they are maintained.
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