Bus Accidents

Because schools are still on summer break, school bus safety is probably not on the minds of many California parents right now. But it remains a topic of concern and discussion among traffic safety regulators and groups focusing on student safety. Indeed, bus safety – and seat belt requirements in particular – were topics of conversation last month between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and groups like the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS).

Seat belts have long been a mandatory feature on newly manufactured automobiles for average consumers. But for a variety of reasons, buses of nearly all types have managed to continue operating with no requirement that seat belts be installed, much less worn by passengers. The NHTSA wants to change that.

In one sense, the argument for seat belt requirements is a no-brainer. In smaller vehicles, these simple devices have saved countless lives and made car accidents far less injurious and fatal.

Critics point out, however, that school buses already tend to be safer than cars because they are much larger and passengers are seated higher off the road. Seat belts, they argue, would add extra costs without adding a substantial safety benefit.

These arguments, while common, are not supported by facts and research. Indeed, seat belts on buses seem to have safety benefits beyond just the restraint they provide during a crash. Some school districts have already switched to buses with seat belts, and these districts have seen dramatic improvements in student behavior on buses. This allows the bus driver to pay more attention to the road. It also reduces the likelihood that students will be in the aisles or turned around and out of their seats during a crash.

Admittedly, traffic safety regulation is a topic that few people care about. That is, of course, until a preventable disaster strikes. Instead of waiting for yet more preventable bus accidents, we must hope that the NHTSA and school transportation groups can reach a consensus on common-sense safety reforms.

Sacramento readers no doubt remember the fatal crash between a bus and a FedEx truck that occurred in the spring of last year. On April 10, 2014, a motor coach filled with high school students was traveling on Interstate 5 near Orland, California. As the bus headed north, a FedEx tractor-trailer traveling south crossed over the 15-foot-wide median and struck the bus head-on.

Ten people lost their lives in the fiery crash, including five students, the bus driver, and the truck driver. Dozens more suffered injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the fiery bus and truck accident for about 15 months and still cannot determine why the truck driver veered across the median as he did. The NTSB did confirm, however, that the accident would have likely been far less deadly had certain safety standards been in place for motor coaches.

According to the NTSB’s investigation, the deaths not related to impact forces were mostly related to fire and smoke. In short, changes need to be made to slow down the spread of fires and to speed evacuation. To that end, the NTSB recommended that:

• All new motor coaches are manufactured with a rear emergency exit like those found on school buses
• All new motor coaches should have their interiors trimmed with material that better resists burning (flame-retardant material)
• Motorcoach passengers should always be given pre-trip safety briefings on evacuation procedures like those given on airplanes

The NTSB is a respected government agency tasked with investigating most civil transportation accidents and making safety recommendations based on those investigations. Unfortunately, the agency has no regulatory authority of its own. Therefore, its recommendations too often go unheeded.

We may not be able to completely prevent truck and bus accidents, but we can make them less fatal. It’s time to implement these common-sense safety measures.

Source: USA Today, “NTSB urges second doors in wake of fiery bus crash that killed 10,” Bart Jansen, July 14, 2015